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Achieved gives Herrick first win since Lilac Fire

Joe Herrick was one of two trainers burned in the December 2017 Lilac Fire which also resulted in the death of 46 racehorses at the San Luis Rey Training Center and the destruction of several barns. More than a year later Herrick won his first race since the fire.

Herrick’s 5-year-old gelding Achieved won the first Jan. 11 race at Los Alamitos Race Course. Achieved had a winning time of 50.96 seconds in the 4 1/2-furlong race and finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of second-place Mystic Grey.

“The horse came through and got it done,” Herrick said. “I expected him to win and run well, and he did. He ran a super fast time.”

Approximately 200 stalls at San Luis Rey were destroyed in the Lilac Fire including Herrick’s. Herrick had left the San Luis Rey Training Center after completing his morning work with his horses Dec. 7, but the Lilac Fire was spreading in the direction of San Luis Rey so Herrick returned to help rescue the horses. Watering down as much of the facility as possible delayed some damage, but tall palm trees became fuel for the blaze.

Herrick was burned initially while rescuing horses but was able to hose himself off. The horses at San Luis Rey had been let out of their stalls, which in the human mindset would prevent them from being trapped, but the horses felt safe in their stables and many of them returned. One of Herrick’s horses returned to the barn, and Herrick’s attempt to save the horse resulted in more severe burns.

Herrick had eight horses, not including a lead horse who was on loan from San Diego County trainer and owner Mick Ruis. Six of Herrick’s eight racehorses died in the fire; the lead horse survived. Herrick had second-degree burns on between 20 and 25 percent of his body including his arms, his face and the back of his head. He was transported to the Burn Center at University of California San Diego Hospital in San Diego, where he spent 12 days.

Cheyenne Dancer finished sixth on the Santa Anita Park track May 13, which was Herrick’s first race since the fire. Achieved, who came to Herrick’s stable after the fire, had his first workout on the San Luis Rey track April 28 and had 11 workouts at San Luis Rey before the July 25 Del Mar Thoroughbred Club race which was the first of his career.

Achieved finished seventh among the eight horses in Del Mar’s fifth race July 25, which was six furlongs. He led for the first half of a one-mile turf race Aug. 17 at Del Mar before finishing seventh. Achieved was third for the first half-mile of a 1 1/16-mile turf race Sept. 3 at Del Mar and finished ninth.

Herrick entered Achieved in a seven-furlong dirt race Oct. 4 at Santa Anita. The horse was second after a quarter of a mile but finished last among the 13 horses. The Del Mar fall meet included a Nov. 18 race which was seven furlongs on the dirt; Achieved led after the first quarter-mile and after the first half-mile before finishing 11th among the 12 horses.

“He would always have the lead and then get tired,” Herrick said. “I knew that he just didn’t want to run that far.”

Herrick saddled horses in 24 races during 2018 including nine with Cheyenne Dancer, four with Street Vision, and three with Lovely Finish as well as the five with Achieved. Herrick had second-place finishes Sept. 6 with Street Vision at Los Alamitos and Dec. 1 with Lovely Finish at Del Mar. Cheyenne Dancer had three third-place finishes.

“I’ve had a lot of horses run well,” Herrick said.

Although Lovely Finish finished 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Spend Spend Spend in the 6 1/2-furlong Dec. 1 race, the total purse was $50,000 not including a $15,900 incentive purse for California-bred horses and the second-place share was $13,780.

“That pretty much made my year last year,” Herrick said.

The second-place finish for Lovely Finish was the second in her career. The other was in her first career race at Del Mar in November 2017, which was also her only race before surviving the Lilac Fire.

Cheyenne Dancer and Achieved both ran Jan. 11, and Octavio Vergara was the jockey for both. Cheyenne Dancer ran in Santa Anita’s first race which had a 12:30 p.m. post time, and although the 5-year-old finished seventh in the six-furlong race she led after a quarter of a mile and after half a mile and entered the stretch in second place.

“She’s running at a really high level,” Herrick said.

Los Alamitos has night races, and Achieved ran the first race there that day which began at 7:03 p.m.

Achieved has a tendency to become distracted if he hears other races.

“I was glad he was in the first race,” Herrick said.

“I was pretty confident he’d run well at Los Al,” Herrick said. “I knew that the sharper turns at Los Al would fit him because he’s super agile and quick.”

Herrick also chose a shorter race for Achieved.

“The horse kind of needed the shorter distance,” Herrick said. “The distance helped. He’s real quick, and he’s kind of a nervous gelding and he runs really hard early.”

Achieved was one of six horses in the maiden claiming race for horses 3 years old and upward.

“He broke well; the jock was aggressive early. He didn’t give up his position,” Herrick said.

Achieved broke third and was in second place after a quarter of a mile but only a length behind Mystic Grey, who had reached that point in 22.14 seconds. When Achieved entered the stretch 44.95 seconds after the start of the race he led Mystic Grey by half a length.

Achieved had the rail for most of the race before Vergara avoided being trapped.

“He drew off late,” Herrick said.

The win was the 51st in Herrick’s career.

“Winning never gets old,” he said.

Achieved was foaled in California March 6, 2014. He was sired by Acclamation out of Kendra Rae. The win was worth $4,900 of the $9,500 total purse and brought Achieved’s career earnings to $6,625.

Barn activities followed the trip to the winner's circle.

“I couldn’t ship out of there until after 9:30,” Herrick said.

Herrick had to drive to San Diego County and unload Achieved. He went to bed that night at about 1:15 or 1:30 after being up since 4:30 the previous morning.

“If you work that hard it had better be worth it,” Herrick said.

All horses in the Jan. 11 race had a claiming price of $5,000. Achieved avoided the claim box, but Herrick said he doubted that he and owner Luis Bouza would retain Achieved in a subsequent claiming race. The win makes Achieved eligible for allowance races, so one of those will be the horse’s next race.

“We’ll run him back in a spot where we won’t lose him,” Herrick said. “We’ll try to protect him a little bit.”

Herrick said that the win was also made possible by the support he received after the fire.

“I want to thank the community of Bonsall for the outpouring of support,” he said.

Other horsemen also played a role in the recovery.

“I really appreciate their concern and their caring for the San Luis Rey Training Center,” Herrick said. “I’m super appreciative of all the help and all the care we got.”

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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