Rashinskis Take Another Run at the Kentucky Oaks

The second time around might be the charm for Ron and Ricki Rashinski. The Chicago-area couple brought their Ashland Stakes (G1)-winning filly Bushfire to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in 2006 and wound up third (disqualified to sixth) behind longshot Lemons Forever. Eleven years later they’ll return to Louisville with another Ashland winner, Sailor's Valentine.

The 3-year-old filly by Mizzen Mast  , trained by Bushfire trainer Eddie Kenneally, races for the Rashinksis' Homewrecker Racing and the Semaphore Racing group of Louise Lally and her daughter Dana Haugli.

Both Bushfire (15-1) and Sailor’s Valentine (22-1) were longshots in the Ashland. While Bushfire was more accomplished at this stage—she won Tampa Bay Downs’ Florida Oaks—Sailor’s Valentine had “kind of lost her way,” according to Ron Rashinski.

Sharp at 2 going six furlongs first time out at Keeneland, Sailor's Valentine then pressed on the lead, going a half in :45.37 in the one-mile Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs, bringing fellow Oaks contender Farrell with her. They both tired in the lane behind Lovely Bernadette. After another sprint at Churchill, she went to Florida for the winter.

Sailor’s Valentine finished fourth, beaten 12 lengths, in Gulfstream Park’s Old Hat Stakes in early January. She then ran second, stretching out on the turf at Tampa Bay in March.

“Running in the Ashland wasn’t really on the radar,” Rashinski said. “We were going to go in an allowance race on the turf. Eddie thought there might be a few horses missing in the Ashland and said, ‘Let’s take a shot and go for it.’”

The striking gray responded with a half-length victory over Daddys Lil Darling at Keeneland to earn her way into the Kentucky Oaks.

“She’s matured and grown since the fall, and she was a quick filly as a 2-year-old, but she’s learned to relax and that’s enabled her to get the job done,” Kenneally said of Sailor’s Valentine.

Kenneally and bloodstock agent Peter Kirwin picked the filly out for $100,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale. Bred by Curtis Green, Sailor’s Valentine is out of the Tale of the Cat   mare Sortilege.

“We don’t spend a lot of money on horses,” said Rashinski, whose primary business is real estate management. “We can’t get Eddie those quarter-of-a-million-dollar horses. But it’s not the price of the horse, it’s the program they go into. There is no doubt you can be successful with moderately priced horses if you are doing things the right way, and Eddie has had a lot of success with moderately priced horses.”

Kenneally has been training for both partnership entities for a long period of time, and had quick praise for Rashinski, who also raced multiple grade 3 winner Custom for Carlos  .

“They are very knowledgeable in pedigrees and handicapping,” he said. “They are very knowledgeable about the game.”

“I’m not a horseman,” Rashinski said. “My knowledge of pedigrees is picking the right partners. I try to look at owners that we could sit in the same room with and agree on a mating for a mare.”

Having been to the Kentucky Oaks before, Rashinski is a bit nervous, and a bit realistic.

“I think we’ll be a little calmer,” he said. “I used to be able to corner the market on Pepto-Bismol. I used to watch the races by myself, but I’m willing to be with people now. We’ve been first before and we’ve been last before. With 14 horses, 13 of them aren’t going to win, so if she comes out of the race safe and she runs well, we’ll be happy. That’s what we’re thinking this time around.”