FRASERVILLE, ON — While trotting filly Maleficent has never cast an evil spell on an infant princess, the two-year-old’s year has borne more than a passing resemblance to a fairy tale penned by the Brothers Grimm.
Maleficent makes her eighth start at Kawartha Downs on Tuesday, competing in the third of three Trillium Series divisions, but the Royal Ballad daughter came within a spindle’s prick of death in Florida last February when she was bitten by a poisonous spider.
“We came in the barn and she was holding one leg up. We thought she had hurt it in the stall, but the veterinarians were confused about what had happened,” recalls trainer-driver Tom Durand. “We found out three days later that she had a massive infection in her leg and we determined that she had probably been bitten by a poisonous spider.
“She had a hole in her leg about one half inch around and one inch deep where the venom had eaten her flesh away.”
After an aggressive course of treatment, and with the passage of less than one hundred years, Maleficent kicked the infection and was able to resume training. She still bears a scar from her ordeal, but so far it has not interfered with her ability or desire to compete.
“She recovered from something most horses don’t live to tell about,” says Durand. “She’s still got a scar from it and her leg still has a little thickness where it happened, but she’s got heart. A good horse can overcome a lot of adversity.”
Through seven starts Maleficent has recorded one win, one second and two thirds for earnings of $31,909. She heads into Tuesday’s race off a fourth-place finish in the Oct. 5 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack and was third in her first attempt at a Gold Elimination on Sept. 28. She boasts one win and one third-place finish in Grassroots action and was second in her first Trillium Series start at Windsor Raceway on Aug. 11.
“I elected to try her in the Gold last time and it worked out very well,” says the Puslinch resident. “And I think we are going to try the Gold at London. Another good showing might get her in the Super Final (Nov. 13).
“And there is always a chance that her Grassroots points might be enough to squeak her into the Semifinal, and we might even go that route too.”
Durand trains the talented young trotter for breeders Thomas and Sherri Vincent of Belwood and his wife June Durand of Puslinch. The veteran horseman will send Maleficent after her second victory from Post 1 in the fourth race on Tuesday and will be keeping an eye out for Gold Series regular Dream On Bernie from Post 4 and two-time Grassroots winner Eager Lois from Post 5.
The first Trillium Series division for the two-year-old trotting fillies goes postward at 4 pm on Kawartha Downs’ Tuesday program, with the other two divisions slated as Races 2 and 4.