By Dick Jerardi
Jennifer Truehart grew up around horses in South Jersey, owned barrel horses and quarter horses, but never a thoroughbred. A few years back, her sister brought her to Parx and she decided to buy a yearling Pennsylvania bred filly by El Padrino that would be named Promised Storm.
“On a whim, a friend of a friend was selling her, we took her and took a chance,’’ Truehart said while pointing to Promised Storm in her Parx stall.
A now 5-year-old-mare, Promised Storm has made 21 lifetime starts with six wins, seven seconds and $292,684 in earnings.
“She gives 110 percent every time she goes out,’’ Truehart said. “She’s just been a blessing to me. My kids love her.’’
According to Truehart, the mare will eat anything _ bananas, pizza, lifesavers.
And she can really run. Trained by Regina Brennan and ridden by either Mychel Sanchez or Luis Ocasio in 2019, she won $201,024 last year.
Truehart also has a newly turned 3-year-old that she likes. Rock on Luke, named after her 6-year-old son. She is also the mother of a 4-month-old.
Brennan does not have many horses, but she does very well with what she has.
“She’s been exceptionally great to me to help me through this,’’ Truehart said of her trainer. “It’s a lot different from our barrel horses.’’
Promised Storm was purchased from her breeder so with the Pa. breeder bonuses, everybody has been winning with the mare.
“She loves to be out,’’ Truehart said. “We’ll take her out of her stall at nightime. She loves to train.’’
And she clearly loves to run.
“She broke her maiden third time out at Penn National,’’ Truehart said. “After that, she just kept climbing.’’
The maiden win was against strictly Pennsylvania breds. The other five wins have come in open allowance and optional claiming races at Parx
Promised Storm will not be entering any races where she could actually be claimed. Truehart has a very small stable, but is considering whether to invest some of those Promised Storm winnings in more horses.
“This is probably going to be her last year racing,’’ Truehart said of Promised Storm “No tag for her. She’s going to go home. We’ll see if we can breed her and continue to keep going.’’
Truehart had always owned geldings until Promised Storm. She grew up in the Mount Holly, N.J. area, but now lives in Bensalem, near the track, near her horses, near her star horse, Promised Storm.