Can Believing in Winning Make it So?

As we get ready to watch Fizzy take on a group of $16,000 claimers tomorrow at Canterbury Park, my wife, Theri (http://www.balancemetherapy.com/), and I had an interesting conversation. I mentioned how badly I want Fizzy to win and she said, "But you don't believe he can, so he won't." I never said that I didn't think he could win, but I did spend a lot of time thinking about the things that could happen that would keep him from winning. Those of us that spend any time around horses know that they pick up on vibrations and energies much better than humans do, but does that mean that I only need to believe for it to be so? I'm beginning to think that as long as you place a horse correctly it can most definitely help. Now, I certainly don't think that I can "will" Fizzy to win the Breeder's Cup Classic, but I think I can help him win a $16,000 claiming race.

I have to say that Fizzy belongs in this race tomorrow. He was very competitive at Tampa at this level with some trouble keeping him from winning two starts back. Throwing out his last race, a dirt sprint first time out at Canterbury, his Beyers are right in there with all the contenders. I look through the other PPs and I do see trouble:

• Andromeda Gardens is a Ness trainee, always trouble on it's own, that WON at this level on the turf at Tampa last out. He's also won in allowance company at Tampa as well as placed in a couple of others. His Beyer's are nothing special, but he's been winning - and winning matters;
• Aza has won two out of the last three on the turf in Phoenix at this level and is out of a barn that is winning at a 30% clip here at Canterbury;
• Skipaslew won easy against $12,500 company at Turf Paradise last out, but also hit the board in several Stakes events there over the winter.

Even the others in the race show some promise. I try to look at it realistically as I do when I handicap races - with a cold and dispassionate eye. That approach has served me well so far this meet: I've won 28% of the races I've bet on and finished on the board 69% overall this meet, but maybe that's not the way to approach it as an owner.

With a good trip and racing luck, Fizzy can win this race. I need to believe that he will win this race. There is no need to be dispassionate. In fact, I SHOULD be uber-passionate. Fizzy is ours and he WILL win. I think that Theri is right...no, I KNOW that Theri is right. I need to just lay it out there, harness the negativity and believe that our boy will win tomorrow!