Barbara and Cedrick Amm, who
own Saturday’s Grade I Beverly D. runner River Jetez along with Marsh
Shirtliff, briefly visited the Arlington
press box Wednesday morning and shared some background on their 8-year-old
South African-bred mare.
The $750,000 Beverly D. for
fillies and mares is the sister race to Saturday’s Arlington Million.
Along with Saturday’s $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for grass-favoring
sophomores, the three races are the only Grade I events contested in Illinois.
“We’ve been very lucky and
consider ourselves very fortunate because River Jetez has taken us all over the
world to see her races,” Mrs. Amm said of the mare who finished second by a
half-length in the Group I Singapore Airlines International Cup May 22 and was
beaten less than three lengths for the win in the Group I Audemars Piguet Queen
Elizabeth II Cup at Hong Kong May 1. “This is the first year in 44 years
of married life that I’ve ever been out of South
Africa.
“River Jetez is a full sister
to Pocket Power, who was South African Horse of the Year three years running,” she
said. “She grew up in his shadow but now she’s doing her own thing.
“The reason she is as good as
she is because we were very lucky to have had a good trainer named Mike Bass to
bring her along to the races,” she added. “He knew all about the Jet
Masters (sire of River Jetez) and he knew they had to be brought along very
slowly. He didn’t rush her, so we make sure he gets a percentage of all
her winnings.
“She’s taller than her older
brother, but narrower,” Mrs. Amm said. “She has more leg to her than he
did. The only time she gives us a little trouble is when they go to put
the saddle on her. Once the saddle is on, she’s all business. She
gets focused.”
Cedrick Amm is a former
professional golfer who won the Dunlop South African Masters at Zwartkop in
1966.
“I could never beat the top
three golfers of the time – Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus,” he
said of his golfing career. “That was like a lightweight going up against
heavyweights, so I stayed on the South African tour.”
River Jetez has been
conditioned by legendary South African trainer Michael de Kock since last
October. She has won 12 times over 40 lifetime starts and has amassed
career earnings of $2,046,290.