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| Photo of Vic Carlson and Musket Man courtesy of South County Spotlight |
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Musket Man Makes Oregon Proud!
Former St. Helens coach Bill Rawlings was far from disappointed from his recent trip to the Kentucky Derby–his horse finished a strong third, missing second by just a nose. Rawlings, a former coach and administrator in St. Helens, went to the derby with another former St. Helens-ite, Larry Knudsen, to see Musket Man, a race horse co-owned by another former St. Helens teacher Vic Carlson.
Carlson’s horse, Musket Man, was purchased originally for just $15,000. He would sell it, buy it back for a bit more, and then sell controlling ownership to Eric Fein of New York. Rawlings and several others had been part of a syndicate buy yearling foals and reselling them after training, a process called pin hooking. They had gotten out of the business, but Carlson stayed and bought Musket Man.
The result was that Rawlings and Knudsen got to sit in an owner’s box at the Kentucky Derby, be part of the festivities, and were in the background for some national television interviews.
“Oh man, it was the trip of a lifetime,” the ebullient Rawlings said afterwards. “Eli Manning was sitting right behind us. Danica Patrick, Kid Rock, and Michael Phelps were all right there.”
Musket Man’s race got them even more excited. The three-year old was right in the race to the very end. As most everyone paying attention knows by now, “Mine That Bird” a 50-1 long shot came from dead last along the rail to win the race. Musket Man was part of a trio of horses that finished right behind. Pioneer of the Nile would edge Musket Man by the slimmest of margins, a nose, to take second.
It still wasn’t a bad payday. Musket Man paid $12 (on a $2 ticket to show). He earned 10 percent of the $2,000,000 purse–$200,000. The winner took home $1.2 million, and second $400,000. They also pay for fourth and fifth.
Rawlings noted, “The one horse (Pioneer of the Nile) bumped into a horse tiring inside and that slowed Musket Man. That bump was the difference in taking second and cost them $200,000.”
Musket Man isn’t done though. Carlson and Fein were offered $8 million for Musket Man, but on a condition to change trainers and that wasn’t to their liking. They will enter Musket Man in the Preakness at Pimlico this Saturday, and will have a shot at another big payday.
“I’ve got a chance to go, but I don’t think I will,” Rawlings said. “Vic called and said he had tickets, but I’m still thinking about it.” The horse is not going to the Belmont, but will run another upcoming race, the Kentucky Oaks in New Jersey.
Carlson has been interviewed on local television, and is fairly nonplused about the race, but feeling pretty confident.
“It was funny,” Rawlings noted. “Vic said he went over at 6 a.m. on the morning of the race and the horse was still sleeping. He said he thought it was dead. It was a fluke for that horse (Mine That Bird) to win the race. Any horse on the rail would have blocked him.”
Rawlings said he won a little bit of money on the race, but it didn’t really cover all the expenses. He said tickets alone to the derby were $375.
It was worth every penny, he said.
Story courtesy of the South County Spotlight
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