Scrim has a racehorse named after him, and he debuts Saturday at Fair Grounds.
BY JEFF DUNCAN | Sports columnist | The Advocate
Some of the biggest stars in thoroughbred racing will race at the Fair Grounds on Louisiana Derby Day, among them Breeders Cup Classic champion Sierra Leone and Kentucky Oaks favorite Good Cheer.
But the sentimental favorite among the 145 horses entered on Saturday will be a nondescript 3-year-old colt making his racing debut in Race 2.
His name: Free Scrim.
Scrim, of course, is New Orleans' famous hairy Houdini, the rescued West Highland white terrier mix who became a national sensation because of his daring escapes and heroic life on the lamb. He eluded captors on the streets of New Orleans for months before his ultimate rescue in February. His saga has inspired tattoos, children’s books, bobblehead dolls, murals, Mardi Gras floats — and now, a thoroughbred racehorse.
The fourth choice in a 12-horse field of Louisiana-bred maidens, Free Scrim will undoubtedly have plenty of support from fans, bettors and curiosity seekers when he breaks from the gate for his maiden journey around the Gentilly oval. And if the equine athlete is as fast as his canine namesake, he just might reward his backers for their support.
“Free Scrim is a Louisiana-bred with an ordinary pedigree, just like Scrim,” said trainer Al Stall Jr., who conditions the handsome dark brown colt.
Free Scrim was born on April 21, 2022, and is co-owned by Stall’s wife, Nicole, and Adele Dilschneider, one of the trainer’s longtime clients. The colt’s sire, Yockey’s Warrior, was an accomplished sprinter who won eight of 15 lifetime starts, including the Thanksgiving Handicap and Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at the Fair Grounds.
Stall said he named the colt just two weeks ago after he’d been rescued in February. His first choice was “Scrim,” but it was already taken in the Jockey Club records, so he was forced to go with his backup selection. He said Dilschneider, an Alton, Illinois, native and longtime horse owner and breeder, was unaware of the Scrim phenomenon but fully endorsed the name after reading of his exploits.
“She loved it,” Stall said. “The name fits the horse. Free Scrim seemed like the way to go since so many people wanted him back on the streets. We’re just having fun with it and celebrating a hero in our community like the Mardi Gras floats did.”
Like so many fellow New Orleanians, Stall said he was enthralled by Scrim’s well-publicized hijinks over the past few months and followed his story intently in media reports. He said Nicole and the couple’s two children, Albert and Greta, also are big fans of the crafty white-haired stray.
“You can’t help but get caught up in his story,” Stall said of Scrim. “I mean, CNN and the New York Times did stories on him. He’s a cult hero.”
Free Scrim is one of six first-time starters in the six-furlong sprint race on Saturday. In preparation for his debut, he schooled in the paddock on Wednesday and has had a series of workouts over the past two months. His last workout, a four-furlong move in 47-3/5ths seconds, was the fastest of 89 workers on March 15. Jockey Erica Murray will be in the irons.
As is often the case with first-time starters, Stall isn’t sure what to expect from Free Scrim, who was gelded on March 11. But he’s excited to see him make his debut, along with stablemate Shot Gun Shack.
“I trained his father (Yockey’s Warrior), and he appears to have some of his speed,” Stall said. “Hopefully, he can get out of the gate (on Saturday). I’m excited to see him run.”
Rest assured, Stall won’t be the only one rooting for Free Scrim on Saturday.
