Trainer Faith Wilson earned the first win of her career when La Luisa (Suns Out Guns Out) captured the ninth race at Monmouth Park Monday.
“I'm beyond ecstatic, especially because this was a project horse that my husband and I own,” the 33-year-old said. “She was a bad bleeder when we got her. We gave her six months off and since then she has been very consistent [with a win, second and third in four starts for Wilson]. I literally can't wait to get home and have cake with my kids and tell them about this.”
Wilson, an assistant for nine years for a variety of trainers, intended to launch her career at Monmouth Park a year ago “but we got here too late to get started.”
“So we decided to go to Tampa Downs and start there this winter,” she said. “We had a good winter at Tampa [with four seconds and a third from 13 starters], but I guess it was meant to be that I would get my first winner at my home track.”
Wilson's parents, Bill and Donna Wilson, both dabbled as trainers, with her mother spending her career (1989 through 1994) on the New Jersey circuit, which then included Garden State Park, the Meadowlands and Atlantic City Racecourse.
Wilson, who has a string of seven horses at Monmouth, won't have too much time to celebrate the first victory.
“We have four running next weekend that I have to get ready,” she said.
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