Hamblen on Wrenice

Now that I’ve submitted my article for the Texas Thoroughbred on Wrenice, the 2006 Texas Champion 2-Year-Old Filly who is riding a six-race win streak into the Genesis Stakes at Delta Downs this weekend, following are some of the leftover quotes from my conversation with owner Guy Hamblen.

Here he is talking about how he got involved in racing…

“In 1998 there were a couple of fellas putting together a racing program who had a gelding. They were looking for investors. They had a filly also. They called me and said, ‘If you buy into the gelding, we will give you the filly.’ I said, ‘No, I will give you what you want for the filly, because I don’t want anything to do with a racehorse, I just want the filly.’ That filly was named Slew, and that’s how I got into the business.”

Wrenice, as you undoubtedly know, is out of Slew, who died last year. Slew’s first foal, Slew’s Sunny, a filly by Sunny’s Halo, won once in 14 starts. Slew’s second foal didn’t make it to the races. Her third, a filly by Moving Shoulder, is winless in her career after seven starts last year. The next one was Wrenice, by Uncle Abbie.

Here’s Hamblen on one of many offers he had to sell Wrenice…

“So I still didn’t sell her. We moved to Retama and she won the allowance race by 17 lengths. That Monday evening about 5:20 a gentleman called me and said, ‘Sir, I’m Mr. So And So from Florida and I buy racehorses. I saw your filly on simulcast and I wonder if you would be interested in selling her.’ I said, ‘No, I’m not interested. In my opinion I have been offered a fair amount for the filly and I haven’t sold her yet.’ And he asked me what I had been offered and I told him [at that point it was $300,000], and he said, ‘Well, if I upped the offer, then would you sell her?’ I said, ‘No sir.’ And he said, ‘Well, I don’t blame you, that’s an exceptional filly you have and I hope you enjoy her.’ And I have.”

And here he is on how his experience with Wrenice ranks among everything he’s done in 72 years…

“Other than your kids and family, this rates right below in terms of how enjoyable it’s been.”

On Randy Mayfield as a trainer…

“Good Lord, look what he’s done with her! If it isn’t broke, you know…”

On Wrenice’s sunny disposition…

“I called Randy up one morning and he said, ‘That b----!’ I said, “What’s a matter, Randy?’ He said, ‘Well, she bit and pawed and kicked me all at the same time!’ I now own her grandma, the dam to Slew, and every one of them has [or had] an attitude.”

On Wrenice’s 2007 campaign…

“We’re going to head for the Stallion Stakes, and if we can’t run two turns, there are some good six-and-a-half and seven-furlong stakes races at Lone Star this season.”

On getting Wrenice to relax better in order to have success going long…

“She needs to run about a 25 quarter and a 47 half instead of running 21 and change and 44 and change. I don’t know how you teach them to do that, but that’s Randy’s job.”

By the way, Hamblen bemoaned the constant mispronunciation of his filly's name, which is a combination of nicknames for his two daughters, Derinda and Denise. So think of it like Ren, as in Ren and Stimpy, plus 'Nise, pronounced like niece, as in your sibling's daughter, or Nice, the city in France. Ren-niece.