Maker Out to Make It On Her Own

By Gary McMillen

NEW ORLEANS - Cross your fingers and hope nothing bad happens to Rebecca Maker. If she can realize her dream of being a successful trainer then horseracing is going to benefit. Get on board and pull for the "win-win."

A new, once in a lifetime, world for the taking - Maker's one shot decision to train horses on her own took place last winter at Fair Grounds when she was working for Todd Pletcher.

She was determined not to let the moment slip away.

"When you give 100 percent to something it moves you forward very quickly," Maker said. "I believed that if I brought that same level of effort to my own program then I would make it."

Ask hotwalker John Jones about 100 percent.

"I've lost 15 pounds this meet," he said. "Becky is pretty intense but concerned about her help. As hard as we work, she keeps the mood in the barn light and happy."

Need a second opinion? Try to keep up with stable foreman Euilio Chavez as he jumps like a water bug between stalls, keeping the grooms on their schedule of bathing the horses and changing the bedding of the stalls.

"We work fast," Chavez said, "but we work as a team. Nobody is jealous. It's not just one about person."

Tall, alert and attractive, the 29-year-old Maker exercises her own horses in the morning. There is no wasted motion in the routine. The help knows exactly what to do when she is on the track.

"I never have to worry about something getting done," Maker said. "Anything I tell these guys that I want done with a horse, they are on top of it."

No question about it, Maker is the boss of her public stable but nobody in Barn 29 is walking on eggs. The system and discipline are evident but the team is relaxed. A groom Guatemala bends down to unwrap the bandages from a 3-year-old maiden, he rolls up the strip of white cloth into a tight ball. The groom stands up and shoots a fade-away jump shot toward the open rim of a plastic garbage bin. All net but only the pigeons witness this pre-dawn three-pointer.

The horses enjoy the same freedom of expression.

"If I am on the race track and my horse is bouncing around or playing with me, I don't ever scold a horse," Maker explained. "We breed them to feel good. We feed for it. We train them for it so it doesn't make any sense to put a damper on it. I just try to focus that energy into their racing."

Take note. Maker's horsemanship is working. She has four winners, five seconds and two thirds from 31 starts at the meet. Live long shots like Skiperoo (second at 50-1) and Takealookatmenow, who won on Jan. 31 and paid $114.60, have been lighting up the board and sending bettors home to look for their Social Security card.

Past, present or future, the focus of Maker's program is simple - keep your horse healthy.

"My first priority when a horse comes into the barn is to get him healthy," Maker said. "That's the foundation for everything you do. You want to see a nice coat, good flesh and brightness to the eye of a horse. Until I see that quality in a horse, I'm not going to walk him over in the afternoon."

According to Maker, the most important lesson she ever learned about horses was more about spirit than science. She was four years old and riding a standardbred named Mr. Ripper.

"He was my friend and we had a lot of respect for each other," Maker recalled. "I learned how important it was to have that connection with any horse under your care.

"There are no set rules for training racehorses," said Maker, as she checked the girth belt and stirrups before getting legged up on a horse she is about to gallop. "It's all basically going with feel. Blinkers on might not be the deal. It could be that you have to adjust the blinkers a certain way. Once you see the possibility in a horse and you believe that he is going to get there then you take the time to see what he needs to win."

The lessons Maker learned from Pletcher have not evaporated in the one year she has been on her own. Pletcher's mantra was orderliness. Things are in their place. You need it; you know where it is.

By backstretch standards, Maker is the master of meticulous. Equipment squeaks it's so clean. The broom by the door of the tack room is familiar with everyone's hands. Medicines and treatments stocked in neat rows on the portable shelves. Pens in their holder, scissors, comb, cell phone and thermometer all in a neat row down the middle of the economy model desk. The only concession to clutter is a wad of bandanas that Maker wears under her riding helmet.

Above the desk is a bulletin board. Pinned in one corner is a faded newspaper article, describing her first win at Ellis Park with a horse named Atticus Finch. For Maker, the clipping is a reminder that failure is not an option. After one year on her own, it's time for some recognition.

"When you first start out as a trainer, the biggest obstacle is getting people to know who you are," Maker said. "They want to know what you have done and who you have worked for. It's not about going out and hustling owners. People send you horses when they see what you have accomplished. You have to let them come to you. Let them make their own decision. Until then, I just keep reminding myself to stay focused."