Game Changers: Hay Hay Paula
TORONTO, January 27, 2024 – Once a week, from January to April, Woodbine will profile a horse who had a life-changing impact on one of their closest connections in 2024.
This week, groom Janeen Lalsingh and the horse who revealed herself to be a “secret snuggler.”
Born in Valsayn, a town found in the East-West Corridor in northern Trinidad and Tobago, Lalsingh, who has been around horses almost her entire life, began working as a groom at Woodbine in 2002.
Over the years, Lalsingh, whose family has been involved in horse racing for three generations in her homeland, has contributed to the success of several barns at Woodbine.
Hay Hay Paula Bio
Foaled: April 13, 2018
Sire: Bahamian Squall
Dam: Super Trooper
Starts: 30
Wins-Seconds-Thirds: 8-2-6
Earnings: $186,817 (U.S.)
Notable races: Won three consecutive starts from Oct. 1, 2023, to Dec. 1, 2023. Won her debut on July 8, 2022.
Trainer: Steven Chircop
Owner: Pinnacle Racing
Groom: Janeen Lalsingh
Breeder: Pamela Edel
How did the start of your relationship go with Hay Hay Paula?
“Steve (trainer, Chircop) claimed her in Florida at the beginning of 2024. It was fun to have an older horse. She was set in her ways, but very classy. She is very professional and loves her routine. She is all business when it is training, she comes back, cools out, has her lunch, and loves her naps. I would refer to her as a secret snuggler. She shows everyone this grouchy face, but when it us alone in the barn, she is an absolute sweetheart. And she is a bear on race day.”
What did her win, in what was her final start of 2024, mean to you?
“I was so happy for her. She is always so close in her races. That day (Dec. 7), it was blizzard-like conditions. We had another horse, Braquet, from the barn, who we all love too. But I knew that day Hay Hay Paula was going to win. They tell you through their body language and attitude on the morning of the race. She ran against tough fillies, but I knew she was going to run big that day. When she came running through the snow, I was yelling so hard. I was so happy. She tries so hard. Steve’s dad and uncle, who own part of her, were there and I was so thrilled for them. It’s not easy to describe… I was so happy.”
“That was one of my best win pictures of all time. I don’t think I have ever had a photo with that much snow – it was so cool. When (track photographer) Mike Burns dropped it off for me, I opened it and said, ‘Oh, wow!’ It is stunning.”
What do you remember most from the walk back to the barn?
“I couldn’t stop loving on her from when she came to the winner’s circle to the test barn, then to the barn. I was proud of her, and I told her, ‘You never gave up and we all love you.’ Sometimes, like that day, we sing, ‘Hay Hay Paula’ after the song Hey Hey Paula (a million-selling No. 1 hit in 1963) to her.”
What are three words that best describe Hay Hay Paula?
“Professional. Classy. Smart.”
How has she changed your life?
“When she came to the barn, I gave her a teddy bear – I give them to all my horses – and encouraged her to engage a little bit more. For the first few weeks, she was a little shy. But I knew what was to come because Steve had told me that when he claimed her in Florida, the girls who took care of her were crying – they were sad to see her leave.”
“At first, she didn’t want to take carrots – she took candy – but when she saw the other horses taking them, she did too. She is very ladylike when she takes her treats.”
“She has changed my life in the sense that she is an older horse and throughout my career, I always had younger horses. What that has meant is she has given me a wonderful new experience and reminded me just how fortunate I am to be around these beautiful animals.”
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
