The Ladies man

By Nicholas Oakes

It was early August 2006 and everyone thought the Dream Maker series final was over Lilsharkshooter’s head, but the little horse had a bit more in the tank. The Cams Card Shark pacer – with driver Luc Ouellette – rallied from last to open up by three lengths to win the $53,400 final in 1:54.1, much to the surprise of owner Jerry Renkers – of Surrey, B.C.’s Lil Dude Ranch.
“We were in shock because things were looking pretty gruesome coming around the last turn,” Renkers says. “It was really unbelievable how fast he went at the end. Everyone was in shock, even the announcer.”
Even though a $2 win ticket paid $49.50 Lilsharkshooter wasn’t shocked, he was just showing off for the ladies.
Current trainer Scott Knight has seen first hand the effect women have on the little horse, in the form of one of his grooms.
“He’s kind of a funny horse because he loves women. Morgan Devlim does everything to him. She’s grooms him, jogs him, and trains him. The only thing I do is drive him. He loves her.”
Despite this, the pacer has still had one thing allude him, a win in the Open class at Fraser Downs, but Knight has a plan.
“If I could get a lady driver then maybe that is the key to winning the open with him,” he laughs.
Lilsharkshooter started his career in Ontario at Mohawk raceway under trainer Chad Schmiedge where he raced in the consolation of the Metro Stake. In his three-year-old campaign – with conditioner Jeff Stone – he won an elimination of the Western Canadian Pacing Derby at Northlands Park and raced in a heat of the Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs.
He was in a lot of the big dances but luck was never on his side.
“He started off really good but then things kind of went south,” Renkers says. “I figured he’d be a top stake horse. He did ok, but he didn’t meet my expectations.”
Despite it all, Lilsharkshooter has managed to bank over $226,000 and take a mark of 1:52.1 at Woodbine, earning him the right to be spoiled a little.
“He loves black licorice,” Knight explains. “We have a tub of it and when I first got him he would just kind of dip in and take one at a time, and now you can’t get it near him or he’s going to take the whole thing, he just pigs right out on it.”
One day the management at Fraser Downs wanted to show off some race horses to the public so Lilsharkshooter made the trip to see his adoring fans..
“He was really good. He loved the attention,” Knight remembers but recalls the pacer getting a touch hungry during the visit.
“He ate all their flowers! But only the yellow ones,” he laughs. “I had to stand between him and the grandstand but he still ate about four big yellow ones. I felt bad for the guys that worked their because they had to plant all new flowers.”
Renkers all ready has some tentative plans for Lilsharkshooter’s future.
“If he stays sound we would like to race him two or three more years, then do some breeding.”