War Horses Lou Annie & Color Me Best Back in Action
Owner-trainer James Rowney couldn't have been more tickled with the way his mare Lou Annie raced at Maywood Park in January. The six-year-old winner of $344,788 lifetime was making her debut at the half-miler after a four-month break from racing, and finished an impressive second as the lone mare in a group of eight.
"Lou Annie had a tendon and a front ankle that became filled right before our Super Night elimination last September," Jim said. "We didn't want to take any chances with her, so we scratched her and have given her time off to recoup from that."
The time off has obviously agreed with the daughter of Doc's Hop, who was clocked in 1:53.4 with Andy Miller at the lines, finishing only a length behind the winning Western Gambler (Dave Magee).
What made her debut performance so impressive is that she was parked out nearly ever step of the way throughout the one mile test.
"This mare really likes to be on the front end, and is not happy if she isn't there," Jim said. "She always wants to be in control and will fight you if you don't let her be where she wants to be."
"I did everything there was to do for her to insure that she'd come back as good as new," Jim recalled. "I sweated the leg daily, hand walked her for a certain time, poulticed the leg and ankle. You name it, we did it. In fact, I gave her more time than the vet said she required, but when you have a horse like this, you really concentrate on what's best for her."
Jim and his wife Joan purchased Lou Annie in the fall of 2000 for a mere $4,000. The second of six foals out of the Laag mare C'mon Sassy has rewarded her owners ten-fold since then, winning the $100,000 Filly Maywood Pace and numerous state-bred competitions and filly and mare opens. Named the top Illinois-bred freshman filly in 2002, Lou Annie scored her top mark of 1:51.2 late last August at Hawthorne.
"James really liked this filly the moment he started training her down," Joan said. "She's a very nosey filly and is always moving around in her stall. She's always curious and has a tremendous amount of energy."
The Rowneys have owned and raced horses for over 20 years in the Prairie State, and train at their 50-acre farm in Marseilles, Illinois, located a few hours from the Windy City. Their facility is complete with a half-mile training track and numerous paddocks.
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