Page 22 - The Game October 2006

22 The Game, October 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Thoroughbred Trainer Tanya Boulmetis: My New Kentucky Home
By Peter Gross
Trainer Tanya Boulmetis has a very simple approach to getting the most out of her animals.
“I think you need to pay attention to what your horses are trying to tell you,” she says succinctly. And listening to the call of the horses has not only brought Boulmetis a rich and exciting life, it’s helped her accumulate a treasure trove of frequent flyer miles.
From Edmonton to Fort Erie to Philadelphia, New Jersey and even Japan, Boulmetis has let her love of horses take her all over the planet. These days she owns a small farm in Paris, Kentucky and with her partner Jack she seems to have settled down into a delightful rhythm of breeding and training race horses.
“Kentucky is Mecca for horse people,” says Boulmetis in the voice of a woman who couldn’t imagine
doing anything else.
Kyoto. They have five racetracks all within each other; a 7/8th turf, a mile dirt, a mile and an 8th steeplechase course, a mile and a quarter turf and then a mile and 3/8th dirt track. On top of that, inside the 7/8th course they have chutes to school steeplechase horses.”
After six months in Japan, Boulmetis felt she was ready to be a full-fledged trainer.
“I came back and went to Philadelphia Park and in 1989 I got my trainer’s licence. I was 21 and came up to train at Fort Erie. I was there for three or four years before I went to Woodbine.”
Boulmetis circles an experience she had in 1993 that she considers a priceless part of her racetrack education.
“I worked for Reade Baker as his assistant and that gave me the opportunity to develop an appreciation for the breeding end of the business. Reade is extremely knowledgeable of thoroughbred bloodlines and I learned a lot about pedigrees
from him.”
Wiser by far about thoroughbred bloodlines,
Boulmetis bred Shark Bait, a retired mare and that one became the dam of Matterofintegrity and Decoratedwithhonour.
“Matter of Integrity won a couple of stakes at Woodbine,” she recalls proudly, “And we sold Decoratedwithhonour. In fact Reade Baker trained her and she was multiple stakes placed.”
In the winter of 1995-96, Boulmetis had several fresh horses at Woodbine and wanted to give them some races over the winter. So, next stop, Philadelphia Park. She started about 25 horses and won five times. In the spring, back at Woodbine, she continued to connect at close to 20%.
In 1998, however, she moved full-time down
to the States.
“We did very well,” she reports, “In June, 2000, we won the
Tiara Stakes at Philadelphia with High Gale. The next year, we won the Maryland Million Distaff Stakes at Laurel. The horse’s name was Belle Visage.”
It’s obvious that Boulmetis cherishes the richness of her horse racing travels, but it seems she’ll be more or less in the same place for the next several years. With her partner Jack Harvey, a commercial breeder, she feels very comfortable in the Kentucky racing environment. Though she would like to have at least a dozen horses to train, right now, as she relocates her business, there are just two.
“I’ve got a very nice two year-old Silver Charm colt named Bowdrill for clients in California,” she says warmly, “He’s been doing everything a race horse should do and we’re looking for a race at the beginning of October for him. I am going to be stabled at Keeneland this fall and I’m looking forward to training on their new Polytrack surface.
There is also an unnamed Tale of the Cat yearling at the farm that Boulmetis has high hopes for.
Hard to imagine that she actually found the time, but Boulmetis has gone back to school and recently earned her Associate of Science Degree from Bluegrass Community Technical School, an affiliate of the University of Kentucky. Although she calls this just ‘a personal challenge’, it puts her in the position of continuing on and receiving a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
As for her success with horses, Boulmetis believes that treating them as individuals goes a long way.
“If you spend time with them in the morning, and listen to them and adjust their training and feeding regimens in accordance with what they’re telling you you’ll have happy, healthy horses and happy horses win races.”
Born in Edmonton, Tanya Boulmetis simply cannot remember when she wasn’t on a horse’s back.
“Horses were the only thing I was interested in,” she recalls, “If it had four legs and I could finagle a way of riding it, I would.”
At six she was taking lessons in western pleasure and show jumping.
“We moved a lot when I was a little girl. I lived in Stratford until I was 13. There were a couple of little riding stables there and I took lessons. I did some jumping. Then we moved to Ottawa. My mom was with the OPP and she got transferred to Nepean. I went to high school in Ottawa and graduated there.”
Boulmetis’ high school experiences
probably don’t resonate with her as much as
her teenage summers. As a 14 year-old she
flew to Edmonton to visit an older step-sister and found work at Northlands Park as a groom.
“I couldn’t believe they were paying me to work with horses,” she laughs, “It was a horse-mad girl’s dream come true.”
For four years, Boulmetis crossed Canada according to the seasons.
“I flew out the day school ended and I flew back the day before school started,” she remembers gleefully, “One of the first horses I rubbed on was named Flying Snake. He was kind of neurotic but he was a sweetheart - one of those old hard-knocking horses. He tried every time he ran.”
Flying Snake compiled some impressive numbers: 187 starts, 14 wins, 23 seconds, 26 thirds. It was the first of many brave thoroughbreds that Boulmetis grew attached to.
After high school, Boulmetis did not attend a formal post secondary school institution. But thanks to a series of adventures and experiences, she received the definitive education in the subject of horse training.
In the mid eighties, Boulmetis was galloping for Janet Bedford, the trainer who would send out Let’s Go Blue to a second place finish in the 1984 Queen’s Plate.
In her teens, Boulmetis thought of being a jockey. In 1987, she accepted 11 mounts on quarter horses at Picov Downs in Ajax and won twice. Still, she believed her future was as a trainer.
While breaking horses at a farm just north of Toronto, Boulmetis was working for some people who owned runners in Japan. She was asked if she’d liked to go east to be an assistant trainer.
“So I spent six months in Japan,” she says, “It was wonderful and very different from North America. They have different training techniques. No medication. They’re very strict over there. We were at the Ritto training centre about a half an hour from
Tanya Boulmetis and her stable pony, "Stanley" real name "Key To Fame" (by Affirmed).
ALBERT - CONT. FROM PAGE 20
Over the years, Albert became a part of Rod Haynes’ family. “My kids grew up with him,” he says. “And he was definitely like one of the family.”
During the winter off season, Albert worked for Calmar Stables and Ranch, a breeding farm in Central Alberta.
Here he continued to look after many of the horses that Rod Haynes trained during the season, as well as the new yearlings being prepared for their first spring training.
Albert was a constant part of the lives of many of the horses that came to the Haynes Barn and often had stories to tell about his horses. Among the many horses that came under Albert’s care was Canadian Derby winner Raylene. He also brushed numerous stakes winners including Breezy Creek, Ray of Magic, and Roll on Briartic.
Albert was also infamous on the track for his gambling, spending most of his time at the grandstand. Much of his conversation in the morning revolved around the horses and which ones he thought had a chance that day.
“He was good for the mutuel handle,” says Rod Haynes with a laugh. Even while working out at the Calmar farm, Albert would make numerous trips into the town of Calmar to place his money on the horses. Sometimes he would even take the farm dog Justin along for the ride. Despite his frequent losses, Albert would always make sure that, sooner or later, his debts were paid.
On August 23, the entire day of races was named in honor of Albert, with the groom of every winning horse receiving an Albert LaBossiere commemorative jacket, an anonymous donation from an owner at the Rod Haynes stable.
Albert was a kind man with a gentle spirit. His horses could sense it and his friends treasured it. The backstretch was his home and we were his family. We miss Albert and treasure the countless memories that we have of him. They will always bring smiles to our faces.
The late Albert LaBossiere
Red Oak Training Centre
• Consideration given to Multiple Bookings
• Customized Programs • Trainer Les Baker -
Over 40 Years of Experience
Located One Hour from Woodbine
Call Today for More Information
Training Rate $40/day Lay-Up Rate $20/day
905-473-6584
NORTH AMERICAN STAKES SERVICES
Stakes Closing Reports Includes information from
all racetracks in North America
1-866-886-5827 stacie@nastakes.com www.nastakes.com
photo by Tyson Zacher