His Ashes Were Laid to Rest at the Finish Line

To Alan Seewald, who died suddenly this Spring, the Haskell was to be his Kentucky Derby. Seewald’s last wish, which he expressed to his wife Kate the day before he passed, was that Uptowncharlybrown run in the Haskell. As the trainer of Uptowncharlybrown, Seewald knew that he had the kind of talent needed to compete in New Jersey’s most important race. He also saw, in this powerful son of Limehouse, the best horse to ever set foot in his barn. In a career that spanned four decades, it was Monmouth Park that Seewald called home, and at Monmouth, the Haskell is the big one. So it would be the big race for his big horse. Suffering a fatal heart attack in his sleep, on the morning of April 12, Seewald would not live to see the big day. Despite his death, and subsequent transfer of Charly to the barn of Kiaran McLaughlin, the first part of his wish will come true, however. Uptowncharlybrown will be one of eight three-year-olds to line up in the starting gate for Sunday’s one million dollar Haskell Invitational. Uptowncharlybrown will have his work cut out for him, when he takes on a deep field that includes juvenile champion and Preakness winner, Lookin At Lucky, and Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver. Derby runner-up Ice Box, Preakness runner-up First Dude, and the up-and-coming Trappe Shot also figure to receive heavy attention from the bettors. Rounding out the field will be two salty colts in Afleet Again, and Our Dark Knight, who like Charly, may have what it takes to pull off an upset. Is Charly good enough to get the job done? I think he may be. Uptowncharlybrown won his first two starts for fun before losing his last four starts in the Sam F. Davis, Tampa Bay Derby, Lexington, and Belmont Stakes. In each of those races, Charly was competitive, but not able to take home a big prize. Frankly, he will need to run his career best to win the Haskell, but it is certainly within his reach. In this crop of sophomores, without a major stand out, Charly is already not that far from the top. Not blessed with any racing luck in his last four races, it may just come down to things falling his way at Monmouth. Charly will have thousands rooting for him on Sunday. Foremost among them will be his large ownership group that race under the name Fantasy Lane Stable. A nicer group of owners you will never meet. I have been lucky enough to get to know some of them, and I am clearly better off for being able to call them friends. Folks like Jennifer Weigand, Patrick Sheehan, and John Popovich would literally give you the shirt off their backs, if that is what you may need. They deserve this, and they will get a big win someday with one of their horses. Why not Charly in the Haskell? No matter how Charly fares in the Haskell, The spirit of Alan Seewald will be at the finish line waiting for him in more ways than one. I know somehow he will be there to see the horse he loved, run in the race he yearned to win, and there is good reason to feel this way. In a fitting ceremony, Alan Seewald’s ashes were laid to rest at the Monmouth Park finish line. You can bet that this writer will be pulling for Charly to be the one to reach that finish line first. I ask you, how can you do anything but root for Uptowncharlybrown in Sunday’s Haskell?