Twice is Nice for Rice at the Spa

It is no small feat to win a maiden special weight race at Saratoga, even with the most regally bred and ideally conformed of prospects. But as trainer Adam Rice can attest to, the satisfaction of reaching that achievement twice with a pair of horses who were doubted and dismissed by potential buyers is enough to create memories that will last a lifetime.

A pair of juvenile runners conditioned by the 24-year-old based at Presque Isle Downs both reached the hallowed grounds of the Spa winner's circle in the span of a week, beginning with Don't Be So Salty (Tiz Wonderful)'s win in a 5 1/2-furlong turf event Aug. 2 [video] and culminating this past Saturday with another upset score over the lawn by $2,000 Fasig-Tipton October purchase Monster Bea (Hat Trick {Jpn}) [video].

“It's very exciting,” said Rice, who was unable to hide the lingering satisfaction in his voice. “I never really pictured it happening, especially for me this early in the game.”

Rice, who received his training license in 2012 and earned his first victory at Penn National in October of that year, has extensive pedigree in the Thoroughbred business. Most notably, his grandfather Clyde Rice trained over a span of 35 years, his father Wayne Rice currently sits atop the leaderboard at Presque Isle and his aunt Linda Rice has been a prominent name on the New York racing circuit for years.

Like others in his family, Rice said he prides himself on his ability to develop a modestly valued horse and maximize their potential. Never was this ethic more evident than with Don't Be So Salty, who the young trainer agreed to purchase from a family friend after no other parties demonstrated interest.

“With Don't Be So Salty, some very good friends of ours who are breeders sold out their farm,” said Rice. “They were stepping away from the game and wanted to relax, but they couldn't sell this horse. He had a foggy eye and people were turned off by his ankles. He had a little filling in them. She couldn't sell him at the sale for the amount she was looking for–a lot of people liked him because he has a pretty good pedigree, but she couldn't get the deal done.”

Like his soon-to-be stablemate, Monster Bea was all but forgotten in the sales ring. Rice explained that his girlfriend broke the bay's half brother by Rock Hard Ten for consignor Ciaran Dunne, and pointed him out at the Kentucky sale. Despite this endorsement from an integral member of his operation, Rice was brutally honest about his initial impressions.

“I'm standing there in the ring–and she's going to kill me for saying this–but I said man, that's one ugly horse,” he laughed. “I was playing with a little bit of pocket change. I said hell, I'll just stick my hand up. The worst I can do is try.”

The gavel dropped at a minuscule $2,000, and a new juvenile was added to the Adam Rice barn.

The trainer said that during morning training sessions at the Erie, Pennsylvania oval, it quickly became apparent that both Don't Be So Salty and Monster Bea were training in superb fashion and primed for big efforts in the afternoon. The latter continued to improve after bypassing a potential start at the Keeneland spring meeting and the former closed well in traffic to finish fourth in his career debut in a five-furlong event over the local All-Weather surface.

“I run a lot of babies at Presque Isle,” Rice explained. “I was sitting there and I said, man, I've got a pretty good read on what a 2-year-old needs to run here, and I've got two horses who are just absolutely punishing the rest of these horses, as far as breezing in hand and intelligence-wise. So I said what the hell, my sister [Taylor Rice] is up at Saratoga. I had some clients who wanted to claim horses out of there, so I put in for a couple of stalls.”

The pair continued to train forwardly upon their arrival at the storied racing venue, and after consulting with his aunt Linda over dinner, Rice decided to enter the juveniles in turf events at the Spa. He admitted to being understandably nervous about running Don't Be So Salty in an event laced with runners trained by the likes of Todd Pletcher and Graham Motion–who he regards as “pinnacles of the game.”

Rice emerged from the experience with an unparalleled thrill. Let go at odds of 9-1, the gelding closed fast with sister Taylor aboard and notched a one-length victory.

“My girlfriend was watching the race from Presque Isle and she said they didn't even mention me on the camera,” the trainer quipped. “I said man, I don't like this. But all of a sudden, I'm standing there with my aunt Linda and I've got her picked up in the air, for the next five minutes I'm crying, my grandparents are there and I'm just so excited because it's a dream come true to win one at Saratoga.”

Having slain the giants once with Don't Be So Salty, Rice said it was even more special to earn another 12-1 upset victory with the bargain-buy Monster Bea in a race loaded with top-notch connections and pricey horses six days later.

“[My girlfriend] had faith in [Monster Bea]–it's her project,” he explained. “I'm just absolutely ecstatic, and I couldn't believe that happened with a $2,000 horse that I legitimately said was ugly.”

Rice was forced to savor the second triumph from the driver's seat of his car, watching the race from his i-Pad while stuck in traffic en-route to saddling a stakes horse at Monmouth Park. Ironically, his internet reception failed midway through the race after seeing Taylor gliding along on the lead with Monster Bea. The trainer learned of the result when an employee called him as the horse crossed the finish line in front.

“I'm so happy for my sister,” Rice remarked, adding that the family aspect of his recent success brings his elation to a higher level. “There are pictures that show from the second she got out in front, there's a smile on her face.”

Rice concluded that he hopes to be able to follow in the footsteps of his relatives, making a name for himself within the broader context of the Rice Family legacy.

“I've been in the game a long time, because my family has been in the game a long time,” Rice noted. “We may not be as public as some other people because we hide in our own corners and play our hands in our own corners, but we love what we do.”

Monster Bea has since been sold to an undisclosed buyer, while Don't Be So Salty may return to Saratoga for a stakes event later in the meet. Speaking on the second day of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Rice reflected on how special it is to realize quantifiable success with a racing prospect.

“It's one thing selling a horse, but it's got to be another when you just get one to perform. It is a whole next level.”