C R Renegade - 3CT
Brown colt, 3, Royal Troubador – Country Kay Sue, by Speedy Somolli
Owners
Carl & Rod Allen Stable
When the three-year-old trotting ranks assembled in the spring, no one could have predicted the emergence of the astonishingly fast Self Possessed. The son of first crop sire Victory Dream had shown a decent freshman year but none of the eerie speed he would unleash over the summer stakes season.
The low-slung trotter came with all the right connections. Hall of Fame driver Mike Lachance, trainer Ron Gurfein, who has lowered his own speed records time after time, breeder Brittany Farms and owners who were familiar to the winners circle.
A record-breaking Hambletonian, a nostril loss in the World Trotting Derby, a decisive return to the winners circle in the Kentucky Futurity…Self Possessed coronation in the Crown was signed and sealed as his final start before retiring in glory to the stallion barn.
Surely no one would have selected CR Renegade as the colt who would come closest in earnings and accomplishment to Self Possessed…if anything, his stablemate CR Commando, the freshman divisional and Breeders Crown champion would have been the easy choice for dominance in the division.
Judged on his own merits, CR Renegade is a superior racehorse who enjoyed a superlative year in 1999, but athletes are often judged against the merits of their peers. Some horses jump shadows, other horses race under them. In the case of CR Renegade, the shadows of two horses have helped to define his career. The first was his big sister CR Kay Suzie. As 1995 Horse of the Year and back-to-back Breeders Crown winner, Suzie left awfully big hoofprints for her brother to fill. Blazingly fast, her greatness was hampered only by her excitability; she would sometimes go up in the air rather than forward on the racetrack.
Though he too wore trotting hopples, CR Renegade was different than Suzie in temperament but had the family speed and desire, enough so that driver Rod Allen had high hopes for his colt's sophomore season. Hopes that were encouraged when Renegade finished second in his seasonal debut, a Pennsylvania Sire Stake at the Meadows in April. A dismal eighth place finish in the Dexter Cup, was erased with three consecutive wins including a sweep of the Currier & Ives in May. Second by a neck to Fortuna Winner, in a division of the Colonial at Woodbine on June 11, CR Renegade faltered and failed to advance to the Canadian Trotting Classic Final.
Trainer | Driver
Carl Allen | Rod Allen
With Hambletonian day approaching it was back to the Meadowlands to face the trotter whose shadow loomed large over the class - Self Possessed. In an overnight race, CR Renegade was third to the horse most said could not be beaten.
But in the eliminations for the Beacon Course, CR Renegade trotted to a 1:54 win, while Self Possessed roared to victory in 1:52.2 in his elimination. Declining to cede victory before the Beacon Course final was even raced, Allen and CR Renegade shadowed the pace-setting Self Possessed through swift fractions. When Self Possessed suddenly faltered and went off-stride, Allen swept his colt to the front and CR Renegade was soon standing in the same winner's circle his sister had visited just a few years earlier.
That win in a career-best 1:53.4 would be the last time CR Renegade got the better of Self Possessed for months. A ninth place finish after being parked for much of the mile in the Hambletonian won by his nemesis gave way to wins in the Zweig at Syracuse and the Yonkers Trot in August.
For the next few months wherever the trotters met, Self Possessed came away the winner. Finally, it all came down to the Breeders Crown. With no eliminations and Self Possessed expected to retire after the race, the $588,000 Trot would be the last meeting between the two colts.
CR Renegade drew post two, Self Possessed, the four. Allen decided to make a radical equipment change on his horse. He removed the trotting hopples CR Renegade had worn for most of his life. "I haven't been able to beat him with them on," he said. "Maybe I can get a little more out of my horse this way. He seems happier without them."
Allen also talked to the television commentators live as he scored CR Renegade prior to the race, and said he never conceded a victory. It was his hope that Self Possessed made one of his rare miscues, as he would be happy to pick up the pieces.
The connections of Angus Hall felt the same way, as the stout trotter had quietly earned more than half a million through the year and rarely missed a check. Self Possessed truest threat, Enjoy Lavec, who bested him in the World Trotting Derby, had to be scratched due to sickness and never raced again.
As the gate folded, Self Possessed strolled unhurriedly to the front while CR Renegade tucked in fifth along the rail. As the timer clicked through fractions of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25.4, Self Possessed seemed, as always, in control. But in deep stretch, the record-breaking trotter became rough-gaited and then broke stride. CR Renegade and Allen, poised to strike, streaked forward winning by 1 1/2-lengths in 1:54.2. In the length of the Mohawk stretch, CR Renegade trotted out of the shadow of Self Possessed and CR Kay Suzie, and claimed the Breeders Crown spotlight as his own.
Allen family winner circles are always joyous affairs and this one was no different, as Rod’s parents, Carl and Mae Jean, and his wife Dawn embraced him. It was his third Crown trophy and the fifth for the Allen family.
Self Possessed needed to win the Crown to make a serious bid for Horse of the Year honors, but he was an easy vote for all the divisional awards.
Purse $588,000
Mohawk Raceway, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Dream Of Joy - 2FT
Bay filly, 2, Victory Dream -- Astoria Lobell, by Joie De Vie
Owner
Olle Leven
Owner Olle Leven of Sweden knows that in the game of chance that is horse racing, there are no chancier propositions than 2-year-old trotting fillies. They can be fleet of foot, but fractious, trot with the wind or spook at the slightest breeze. The best ones are good early, but the allure of a trotting filly is her potential. What they are and what they can be. In 1999 the Breeders Crown champion was more than just a dream. For Leven, she was a Dream Of Joy.
Dream Of Joy, a regal daughter of Victory Dream and Astoria Lobell, had the potential for excellence from the moment she was born. In addition to the natural abilities of her parents, she was being brought to the races in the very capable hands of Per Eriksson. No stranger to excellence, Eriksson had been the training driving force behind no fewer than nine Crown winners as well as Hambo winners Prakas, Giant Victory and Alf Palema.
Eriksson selected Dream Of Joy for $74,000 from the Hunterton Farm consignment to the 1998 Kentucky Standardbred Sale. She was one of three yearlings Leven purchased – one did not make the races but the other was Credit Winner, a freshman trotter who would close out his year with close to half a million dollars. Under Eriksson's patient handling Dream Of Joy, a bigboned filly, did not make her debut until a sixth-place finish in the Reynolds at Pocono Downs on July 13. Scratched sick from her next start, Dream Of Joy was fourth in an elimination for the Merrie Annabelle at the Meadowlands.
Still largely a bundle of unrealized potential, Dream Of Joy, with Jim Meittinis in the bike, stepped onto the track as a 17-1 longshot for the $484,000 Merrie Annabelle at the Meadowlands on August 5. Less than two minutes later, a furious stretch rally carried her by Marita's Victory and to the winner's circle, one-and-a-quarter lengths the best, in 1:57.
That remained her only victory when she and 17 other fillies reported for duty at Mohawk raceway. After the eliminations, the ten finalists included two fillies with seven wins apiece on their card; Miss Nittany, from western Pennsylvania, and It's Made To Order, a daughter of Garland Lobell. The elims were won by Cherished Victory, riding a three-race win streak into the Crown for the trainer/driver team of Mike Lachance and Ron Gurfein, and Bold Dreamer, from the equally intimidating Chuck Sylvester-John Campbell pairing.
Dream Of Joy and Meittinis finished fourth, trotting their mile in 2:01.1, good enough to get into the final but not enough to inspire a lot of confidence from the wagering public. Add post nine to that chore and she was rightfully accorded odds of 34-1 in the $652,092 Breeders Crown final.
Trainer | Driver
Per Eriksson | Jim Meittinis
As the gate folded, Armbro Temple, Naughty Hall and Cherished Victory made breaks, pushing post time favorite Bold Dreamer and John Campbell way wide into the first turn. Meittinis also avoided the breakers and quickly tucked third on the pylons. Campbell kept Bold Dreamer on the lead, despite pressure from Miss Nittany through a three-quarters in 1:28.4. Dream Of Joy was safely back in third along the inside, and at this point Mettinis asked his filly for the first time to trot hard after the leader. Dream Of Joy responded, sweeping past a tiring Bold dreamer and Miss Nittany to win by three lengths in 1:57.2. Aviano also passed Bold dreamer, but Campbell held that one for third place honors.
Olle and Berit Leven rushed to the winners circle. It was their third start in Crown competition and each event had been hosted in Canada. Their filly lookout Victory won both her freshman and sophomore Crown event at woodbine racetrack in 1994 and 1995, making them a perfect three-for-three. It seemed as if each time the really big money was on the line, Dream of Joy responded with a big effort.
Dream Of Joy was bred by Steve Katz of Kentucky's Walnut Hall, Ltd. and George Denti of New York, and from the second crop of Hambletonian winner Victory Dream. She gave Jim Meittinis his first Crown triumph in his first start, and Eriksson his ninth Crown trophy.
Having passed the most daunting test for freshmen fillies, Dream Of Joy would go on to win the $392,400 Goldsmith Maid Final (at odds of 35-1) at Garden State Park on November 12. She is the first filly in history to sweep these three filly classics. That win helped affirm her status as the leading two-year-old trotting female in North America. The first-place check, when added to her Merrie Annabelle and Breeders Crown wins, gave her record earnings of $826,601, the most ever won by a two-year-old trotting filly, surpassing the old mark of Peace Corps, who had won $668,599 in her debut season.
Dream Of Joy's seasonal earnings bought her just a few dollars shy of the all-time, two-year-old trotting money record of $840,328, established by Express Ride, in 1985. Dream Of Joy easily took year-end honors and was voted both the Dan Patch and HTA two-year-old filly champion. She suffered a stall accident over the winter that ended her racing career, but her stablemate Credit Winner would answer the challenge in 2000 and boost his earnings over the 1 million mark.
Purse $652,092
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Eternal Camnation - 2FP
Bay filly, 2, Cam Fella -- Cool World, by Nihilator
Owner
James Hardesty
The freshman pacing fillies roared into Mohawk with more than $1 million between them and divisional honors on the line. In the near corner was Arts Virtue, an undefeated daughter of Artsplace from the Jim Campbell - Arlene and Jules Siegel partnership that gave the racing world 1998 divisional and Breeders Crown champ Galleria. She was driven by Jim's brother John Campbell, the series leading driver, who was still looking for his first Crown trophy in the 1999 series. A later starter, Arts Virtue carrried just four starts into the Breeders Crown, but those four starts were wins in the Three Diamonds elim and final and in her Breeders Crown elim where she barely turned a hair, jogging over a wet track in 1:55.2
In the far corner was the mighty Eternal Camnation, a $35,000 yearling from the last crop of the great race horse and prolific sire Cam Fella. In her first start of the year she finished second -- and driver Eric Ledford took the rap for driver error - in grossly underestimating the readiness and speed in the filly so soon in her racing career.
Eternal Camnation did not lose again in 11 tries, annexing divisions of the Simpson and Kentucky Standardbred Sales along with a Champlain, Bluegrass and International Stallion Stake victory. Her Crown elim was an eight-length 1:54.3 track record romp.
Trainer | Driver
Jeff Miller | Eric Ledford
Despite being a New Jersey bred, Eternal Camnation had never started in the harness racing capitol of the world, and lacked the recognition of many fillies who had been showcased at the Meadowlands. Her owner, Jim Hardesty, and trainer Jeff Miller, were comfortable keeping her back home in Ohio, and the Breeders Crown was their chance to serve notice that there was indeed life outside New Jersey.
The overwhelming ability of the two fillies caused perfectly respectable contestants like Sweetheart winner Panything Goes and $200,000+ earner Michelle's Revenge to go off at 30-1 and 20-1 respectively.
Eternal Camnation was driven by newcomer Eric Ledford, also a Midwest protégé. Just 28, Ledford had taken the harness racing world by a storm, winning a heat of the Little Brown Jug, the Hoosier Cup and the Windy City. A win in the Crown would vault him into rarefied air for good.
Arterra, a daughter of two Breeders Crown champions (Artsplace and Delinquent Account) and therefore a full sister to double Crown champ Artiscape, must have felt overlooked in the light shed by Arts Virtue and Eternal Camnation. One of four Artsplace fillies in the field, and from the stable of Bob McIntosh who shelves are crowded with Crown trophies, Arterra was nonetheless 20-1.
Trainer Ben Wallace was having a bang-up year with Triple Crown winner Blissfull Hall, and his charge in the filly ranks, Armbro Terrace was no slouch either, making short work of the fall stakes at her home track of Mohawk. Armbro Terrace seized her moment in the spotlight, shooting out of the gate first for driver Ron Pierce, and slicing out a wicked 26.1 first quarter. Though Pierce then tried to back down the fractions in hope of having life left later in the mile, Arts Virtue and John Campbell already had her in their sights. And behind that pair floated Eternal Camnation, like a barracuda eyeing up a school of flounder.
Ledford had Eternal Camnation moving up steadily in the outer tier, but was still stacked sixth at the three-quarter pole in 1:24. Ledford then tipped the filly wide and asked for pace and Eternal Camnation surged past the accelerating Arts Virtue, collared Living With Art and drew off like an older horse in 1:52.3, lowering her own track record. Arts Virtue was second for the Campbell brothers, and Livng With Art held for third. But Eternal Camnation authored the performance of the evening. She set a new stakes and track record, won the richest freshman pacing filly Crown event ever, and paced the fastest last half (54.2) and last quarter (27.3) ever seen in her Crown division A busload of fans and friends who had traveled from the Midwest in support of 'Cammie" flooded the winners circle, and Ledford continued the parade of first-time Crown winning drivers on the evening. Eternal Camnation ended her season with a flourish. She earned more than $650,000 and more importantly the respect of all who witnessed the incredible mile. At year-end Eternal Camnation swept all divisional honors and even received several votes for Horse of the Year.
Purse $637,833
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Grimfromeartoear - 3CP
Bay colt, 3, Artsplace -- Smile Upon, by Storm Damage
Owners
Perfect World Enterprises
The 1999 limelight was a shared one in this class, often the strongest and most glamorous of the 12 traditional divisions in harness racing.
The season began with the awe-inspiring efforts of The Panderosa, who captured the two $1 million events for this group in decisive fashion. But after the Meadowlands Pace, The Panderosa's charted lines became dotted with XXXXs and mystifying performances, as his physical and mental soundness was called into question.
The Panderosa won his Cane elimination but jumped offstride in the final. He galloped into the first turn in his Little Brown Jug elimination. A win at Lexington signified redemption, but was followed by a fourth place finish at the Red Mile and then a lackluster fifth place finish in his Breeders Crown elimination. He made that start from the barn of Joe Stutzman, where he had been placed by owner Bob Glazer in hopes of a fresh approach determining the exact problem from which the star-struck colt suffered.
In the interim, Blissfull Hall, an unheralded son of Cambest, took center stage by becoming just the ninth horse ever to win the Triple Crown of Pacing, comprised of the Cane, Little Brown Jug and Messenger. Those three races came with a tidy $250,000 bonus as well. Blissfull Hall was also the fastest and richest pacing colt of the season with a record of 1:49.2 and earnings of $1,144,259 going into the Crown Final. After a two-length track record 1:51.2 victory in his elimination, owner Daniel Plouffe and trainer Ben Wallace were set for a hometown celebration in the final.
Trainer | Driver
Brett Pelling | Chris Christoforou Jr.
Also present were defending Crown champ Island Fantasy and the up-and-coming Looking For Art. The second elimination was won by Grinfromeartoear, a top freshman of 1998, who captured both the Wilson and Metro Finals though he failed to qualify for the Breeders Crown final. He switched barns over the winter, ironically going to Brett Pelling, who also raced The Panderosa. Pelling mapped out an easier campaign for Grinfromeartoear as a sophomore and the colt responded with a boxer's comeback -- bouncing off the mat to win eight races and more than half a million, bringing home a check in 18 of 20 starts. He was a strong winner in his elimination, going gate-to-wire in 1:52.
Behind Grinfromeartoear sat Chris Christoforou Jr., who as a decidedly non-callow youth already had a Crown title under his belt in 1994. Christoforou would sub for Grinfromeartoear's regular driver, John Campbell, whose commitment to The Panderosa was good through the season's end.
But all eyes were on Blissfull Hall. A win in this event could make him a solid contender for Horse of the Year. Most agreed he already had the division sewn up as a Triple Crown winner. Only seven times in 16 years has the favorite won this Crown event. Surely Blissfull Hall would be one of those victorious favorites.
Ron Pierce sent Blissfull Hall conservatively from the gate, while Christoforou shot out for position on his home track. Grinfromeartoear held the lead briefly before yielding it to Blissfull Hall, who easily rebuffed The Panderosa's half-hearted bid for the lead. Blissfull Hall cut the fractions to a 1:23.1 third-quarter but suddenly seemed to be out of gas.
The "Grinner" however had plenty in the tank. And under Christoforou's urging he foiled Blissfull Hall's retirement party and clocked a 1:50.3 track record performance. Island Fantasy bolted up behind him for second while Blissful Hall saved face with a third place finish. The Panderosa, the divisions early darling, was a disappointing tenth.
Owner Dave Brooks, unable to make it to Canada to watch the races, celebrated in front of his television. Brett Pelling notched his fifth trophy in the series, and Christoforou got his second win. Blissfull still went home with year end divisional honors and a Canadia Horse of the Year title, but Grinfromeartoear got a special nod as one of the toughest horses in recent memory.
Purse $588,000
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Master Lavec - 2CT
Bay colt, 2, Mr Lavec -- Super Shann, by Speed in Action
Owners
Ann-Mari Daley & Robert Pergament
By October the freshman trotting class usually coalesces into a closely matched group vying for year-end honors in the showcase provided by the Breeders Crown. 1999 was no different, and three eliminations were needed to determine a field of 10 trotters. The eliminations were won by local favorite Earl Of Stormont, a three-quarter brother to past champion Lord Stormont, who scored in his elimination at nearly 40-1; Dreamaster, steered by Dave Magee to wins in his last five stakes starts; and Super Spicy, the latest offering from the Ivan Sugg stable, a colt Sugg thought so highly of he referred to him as "my retirement horse".
Also included in the final was Berndt Hanover, a $400,000 purchase well on his way to earning that price back for trainer Bob McIntosh, the fast-improving Monte Hall, who represented John Campbell's hope for his first trophy in the 1999 series, Smok'n Lantern, the Peter Haughton memorial winner and richest of the group with $386,932 in earnings, Thunderous from the prestigious connections of Moni Maker, and Credit Winner, Per Eriksson's charge with nary a missed check in three starts. Ray Schnittker had another of his precocious trotters, Armbro Trick, ready to roll and the sole newcomer in the driving ranks in the $450,700 event, Dan Daley, brought his New York sire stake star Master Lavec to Mohawk with a Crown title in mind.
The public may not have shared Daley's belief in Master Lavec's ability. He had squeaked into the final after a fourth place finish on money earnings. Master Lavec faded badly in the stretch after opening a multiple length lead. The bettors could not be faulted for their skepticism after that performance.
But Daley knew it was not a characteristic mile for his colt, and was sure he knew the reason for the elimination clunker, which he called "the longest, worst drive of my life." Master Lavec had been bedded down on wood shavings at Mohawk, and an endoscopic examination of his throat after the race showed it was sore and swollen. For the Crown final he was switched to a straw stall, to which he had no allergic reaction. Convinced he had a healthy horse, even the dreaded ten post didn't dissuade Daley from reverting to his normal style of leaving hard from the gate in the final. Master Lavec had been the favorite in all but one of his previous 11 starts. Now, after his poor showing in the elimination, he was let go at 17-1. But Daley didn't have the tote board in mind. He knew what he was sitting behind, and besides he was counting on his wife, Ann-Mari, who co-owned the colt with retired hardware magnate Bob Pergament. Ann- Mari had gotten into the habit of going to the head of the stretch whenever Master Lavec raced and shouting out the offer of his favorite snack, apple treats.
Trainer | Driver
Dan Daley
Daley bolted out for the lead and hit the first eighth in 13.1. Daley had made up his mind to win or lose on the lead. He was ready to rebuff all comers, but not one could get close enough to the mercurial colt to even threaten his lead. Around the last turn, Daley pulled the earplugs and Master Lavec cruised off to a three-length 1:56.4 victory, a new lifetime mark.
Master Lavec's win represented 25 years of hard work and sacrifice for Dan and Ann-Mari Daley, and a gleaming accomplishment for Bob Pergament who owns standardbreds, thoroughbreds and grand prix jumpers. No matter what the future brings, Master Lavec's name is permanently in the record books for his extraordinary 1999 season of 10 wins in 12 starts and $533,781 in earnings. Monte Hall and John Campbell were next across the wire for second, and Haughton winner Smok'n Lantern followed up third. A son of Mr. Lavec and the Speed In Action mare Super Shann, Master Lavec represents a great outcross as a sire. The storybook tale of Daley driving six hours in a $300 car to be first in line on a trotting yearling he saw in a field from Massachusetts breeder Lawrence Burris was great fodder for the press, though Master
Purse $662,529
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Odie's Fame - 3FP
Bay filly, 3, Apache's Fame -- Odessa Lobell, by No Nukes
Owners
Harold Wellwood & Dr. Norman Amos
A three-filly entry, a record three $45,000 supplements, three-year-old filly honors up for grabs…the sophomore filly pace was loaded with drama and spiced with an air of mystery. Could one of the three fillies entered by Bob Glazer's Peter Pan Stable bring him the elusive second Breeders Crown trophy he so desired? Could defending champion Juliet's Fate return to the winners circle for Brett Pelling?
Though the Illinois-bred Juxtaposition did not pass the elims and make the finals, the remaining pair of supplements, Odie's Fame and Beach Crystal brought plenty of heritage to the event. Beach Crystal's sire Beach Towel was horse of the year in 1990 and won nearly all his 3-year-olds starts with one very expensive exception -- the $1 million North America Cup. In that event, he was vanquished by the pride of Ontario, Apache's Fame, who went on the be one of the more prolific sires the province had ever known. It was a daughter of Apache Fame, Odie's Fame, who supplemented to the Crown to prove her dominance over the group though she had never ventured into the United States to do so.
Jugette winner Maudlin Hanover was missing from the final after being eliminated, but Tattersalls winner Marfa Hanover did advance. Bolero Takara, a lightning-fast daughter of Life Sign, had impressed all who saw her race in 1998, but had trouble recovering that impressive form in 1999. Her former ability flared in the elims, which she won over Panticipation and Odie's Fame in 1:53.4. French Panicure, also a daughter of Life Sign, grabbed another elim victory, with her stablemate A Votre Pante seizing the third and last elim.
The three 'Pan" fillies were naturally made the favorite. But all of Canada was rooting for Odie's Fame. The rangy filly had passed through the sale ring twice, once as a weanling for $4,400 in 1996, and then for $7,500 at the Forest City Yearling Sale. For that money she won 11 straight times and set six new track records across the province, culminating in a world record 1:52.3 as a two-year-old at Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Trainer | Driver
Harold WellwoodDave Wall
For those achievements, she was named Canada’s 1998 Horse of the Year, an unprecedented event for both a filly and a two-year-old. Her owners, Harold (Buddy) Wellwood (who also trained her) and Dr. Norman Amos, a retired veterinarian, had both had long involvements in racing, but nothing had prepared them for an Odie's Fame. And finally, they had the opportunity to showcase her before the world, and gain the respect they knew she deserved.
As a three-year-old Odie's had suffered some setbacks. Her record of seven wins in 17 starts wasn't quite as shiny as the year before, but she had still earned over $400,000, the most of any in the Crown final. In August, Odie's Fame recorded the biggest win of her career when she won the $291,800 Fan Hanover Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack. Racing against a field of North America’s top sophomore pacing fillies, the daughter of Apaches Fame held all challengers at bay in the prestigious event. If she could repeat that effort, there was a chance she could command year-end honors as well.
In fact the mile was almost anticlimactic. Driver Dave Wall directed Odie's Fame to the front with ease and there she remained. No filly could get within two lengths of her as she sailed under the wire in 1:53 with a comfortable two-length lead.
Bolero Takera did her best to salvage second and French Panicure represented the entry with a third place finish. But all the glory belonged to Wall, Wellwood, Dr. Amos and the now-famous Odie.
It was Wall's first Crown win, continuing the parade of first-timers on the card. Odie's Fame became the first horse to win USHWA/USTA divisional honors without ever racing in the states, and took the HTA Nova award and O'Brien honors as well, though Canadian Horse of the Year went to Quebec-owned Triple Crown winner Blissfull Hall.
Purse $764,400
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Oolong - 3FT
Bay filly, 3, Armbro Goal -- China Tea, by Super Bowl
Owners
Jason, P H, Lost Revenue & Rich N Poor
As the final Breeders Crown night of the millennium approached, the sophomore filly trot division sought a leader. Rum Boogie, the defending Crown champion, had bounced back towards the end of the season, winning a division of the Zweig, and was on a four-race win streak that included the Bluegrass, the Kentucky Futurity Filly Division, and her elimination of the Breeders Crown. A win in the final would move her ahead of her next closest rival for divisional honors, Oolong.
Oolong, a daughter of Armbro Goal and the Super Bowl mare China Tea, was bred by Castleton Farm and NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and was a subsequent $16,000 yearling at Tattersalls in 1997. She was brought home by Norwegian ex-pat Per Henriksen, a trainer whose expertise with trotters has resulted in a Hambletonian win with Nuclear Kosmos and a Breeders Crown title in 1993 with Expressway Hanover.
In the spring of 1998, Henriksen sought to have Dr. Richard Meirs of Walnridge Farm perform a throat operation he knew would help the promising filly. When Henriksen offered a quarter ownership in the filly to clear up a backwash of unpaid vet bills, Meirs agreed and convinced his father, also a vet, to go in with him. Thus the Rich N Poor Stable was born, and Meirs was delighted about a deal that saw the filly race creditably at two, picking up close to $40,000 from a limited number of starts.
Co-owners included Herb Sopenoff, a long-time client of Henriksen, who's stuck by him through thick and thin and owned the top trotter Deliberate Speed, PH Stable (Peter Haffer) of Luxembourg and Lost Revenue Stable, comprising Bill Pappa, Frank Fede and Gary Goldstein
Their year began on an auspicious note with Oolong picking up checks in sires stakes competition and right on track for some of the bigger money events at the Meadowlands. She won her first start of the year in June with Henriksen at the reins, and was sent into the $100,000 NJ Sires Stake final as 30-1 shot from the 10 hole. Oolong had the ten position, was eighth at the three-quarter pole when she stumbled -- her nose nearly hit the ground -- and never broke stride. She Oolong, showing the stuff of what real racehorses are made of, recovered and trotted right by the leaders to win the event.
Mike Lachance was in the bike for her next start, a Del Miller elim and won by a head over Canland Hall. But Lachance was committed to Rum Boogie, and Henriksen asked John Campbell to take Oolong in the Miller final. Henriksen had worked hard on her manners, and schooled her to relax, be comfortable and save her sprint for the last part of the race. Campbell couldn't work out that kind of trip and the filly finished sixth.
In the Hambletonian Oaks elim, Campbell gave a perfect steer, and Oolong emerged with a mark of 1:55.4 and the favorite's role in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. Astonishingly, the Oaks was one race John Campbell hadn't won. Oolong remedied that, sitting chilly throughout the mile and unleashing a charge down the middle of the stretch, trotting in 1:54.4 like the easiest of winners. So not just Campbell, but Henriksen and the ecstatic owners celebrated their first Oaks win.
Despite her impressive bankroll, the catch driver roulette continued. To Oolong's credit, she had made all her pilots look good. In the Breeders Crown elims Campbell was committed to Chuck Sylvester's charge Eicarl's Theresa, though it was at his suggestion that Henriksen skip the Ohio and Kentucky Grand Circuit and reserve his filly for the Breeders Crown.
Trainer | Driver
Per Henriksen | Ron Pierce
Instead, Ron Pierce hopped in the bike and steered Oolong to a breezy four and half length win in her elimination, setting a new track record of 1:55.4 in the process. She entered the race as he favorite, with Pierce looking for his second Crown win of the season. The two-pronged Lindy Racing Stable entry of Rum Bogie and Dream On Candy would be her main obstacle.
Yet the race didn't unfold that way. Berndt Lindstedt, driving Dream Valley Om, shot to the lead and was able to keep the lead through moderate fractions. Pierce found himself trapped on the rail throughout as first Decapode, then Poster Princess made a bid for the front. But Lindstedt, sensing a chance to steal the race, kept the inside tier powerless until the head of the stretch when both Rum Boogie and Dream On Candy fanned wide to sprint down the newly widened Mohawk stretch.
Henriksen long hours of instilling patience and manners in Oolong paid off in the next seconds. Locked hopelessly on the inside, Pierce was able to thread the filly though a narrow opening on the inside when a tiring Dream Valley Om drifted out. Since Oolong's powerful closing kick had remained untapped through the mile, she trotted off to a secure length and quarter 1:56 victory.
Oolong and pacing filly Eternal Camnation were the only favorites to win that night. The entry of Rum Boogie and Dream On candy finished second and third.
Ron Pierce would be the only driver to win two Crown titles in 1999, while Armbro Goal picked up his fourth Crown credit. Oolong still had the Matron at Dover Downs, but the ownership group had received an offer from German owner Juchen Furch that was impossible to turn down. She finished third in the Matron elim and seventh in the final and was shipped overseas soon after.
Oolong left behind impressive stats of 21-7-2-5 and the most earnings of her division with $704,580. Her record propelled her to year-end honors for her ecstatic ownership group. The intangibles she left, the memories and emotions generated by her spectacular victories will also remain.
Purse $588,00
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Red Bow Tie - Open Pace
bay gelding, 5, by Raging Glory-Cheers Lauxmont, by Royce
Owners
Siegel, Scharf, d'Elegance & TLP Stables
By late summer of 1999, rock solid pacer Red Bow Tie was the surest thing in horse racing. The gelded son of Raging Glory with fragile feet but an iron will to win opened up the year with a win in the Presidential final in January and carried that standard right through late June with victories in the Graduate series, the Classic series and the William Haughton final. With half a million in earnings on the year, Red Bow Tie was the richest gelding of all time and was seeking his niche in harness racing history as the first older pacer to win consecutive Crown titles. Red Bow Tie was a cinch to repeat his divisional honors with a Crown win, and with the great Moni Maker out indefinitely, also had a shot at Horse of the Year honors.
Yet even the great ones can falter. In the weeks leading up to the Breeders Crown Red Bow Tie went down in defeat twice – once to the indomitable Tune Town and the following week to Noble Ability in the Classic final.
There was no real doubt that the which Red Bow Tie would show up for the final. But facing him were nine of the stoutest racehorses to grace the scene.
For the third year in a row the Meadowlands Pace winner would return to race in the Crown. No Pace winner had done so successfully since Matt’s Scooter in 1988. The circumstances for ’98 Pace champ Day In A Life were a bit different then when 1997 Dream Away returned for a shot at Crown honors. Day In A Life had just one win on the season and in his first start in high-priced claimers was taken for the tag of $156,250 to join stablemate Bad Bert (also a claim at $150,000) for Perfect World Enterprises. Yet the post draw of nine and 10 respectively for the pair did not bode well.
Millionaire Noble Ability and a hard-knocking son of Cambest, Cam Knows Best, amply represented Bob Glazer’s Peter Pan stable. George Segal’s Brittany Farms, which tops the Crown owner standings, sent out Western Ideal, a son of Western Hanover and former Crown champ Leah Almahurst. Western Ideal was hurt in a racing accident in 1997, missed an entire year of competition and was back against older and far more seasoned contestants.
Trainer Ross Croghan was the current leader at the Meadowlands, set to break the singe season victory mark at that track. He had brought out the best in BJ’s Whirlwind, winning the Battle of Lake Erie and the Dan Patch Memorial with the gritty little pacer, who seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of 26 second last quarters at his disposal.
Two of the most intriguing horses in the race were Color Me Best and Taser Gun, both hailing from the Land of Lincoln. Taser Gun did not possess a blue-ribbon pedigree but luckily he couldn’t read the Sires and Dams books to know that. After a stellar 1998 season, Taser Gun had won three of his six starts this year with $33,875 on his card, which maybe the least amount of earnings shown by any older pacer in the Crown. A 1:51.4 spin around Maywood’s half-mile oval in mid-July made up the minds of owners Tom and Bob Cunningham, and trainer Bob Walker, a retired schoolteacher.
Color Me Best was a $33,000 claim for owners Tim Wilson and Charles and David Yohe. When Wilson realized the kind of horse he had claimed he happily handed the lines to top horseman Joe Anderson when the pacer was ready to head east and try the ultra-competitive Meadowlands circuit.
Anderson, once dubbed the “California Comet”, has called Chicago home for many successful seasons and is one of the last trainers who also drives most of his stock. On this occasion he left Mike Lachance in the bike as he had been through Color Me Best’s incredible tour of the Meadowlands racetrack. The four-year-old gelded son of Cambest joined the select group of Jenna’s Beach Boy, Riyadh and Red Bow Tie as the only horses with four sub 1:50 career wins on the year when he paced to a unexpected 1:48 clocking in early July. Color Me Best ripped off his first sub-1:50 mile in May, followed with two in June and was supplemented by the owners to race in the Breeders Crown with the strongest of credentials as the most likely candidate to upset Red Bow Tie.
Trainer | Driver
Monte Gelrod | Luc Ouellette
But Red Bow Tie had already proven he was no mortal racehorse by winning his Crown title last year. Two weeks before the Breeders Crown and while the $50,000 supplemental fee was due, Red Bow Tie was scratched sick from the Pacing Classic, with a bout of colic. Though surgery was not necessary he was kept for several days for observation at New Bolton Equine Center. He raced, and won the Breeders Crown with a 29-day layoff.
The post draw put Red Bow Tie on the rail, and he was the definitive favorite at post-time. After the first Crown event had produced a 108-1 winner, the chalk players were looking for relief. They got it as soon as Red Bow Tie cleared the pace-setting Color Me Best just before the half in :54.4. Once driver Luc Ouellette put Red Bow Tie on the lead, the battle was joined. Color Me Best came back at him and the pair paced for the glory down the stretch with Red Bow Tie’s lead diminishing as the track unrolled. Ouellette had the finish line measured and waved his whip in triumph, knowing no one could catch him.
On Crown day he was perfect, and the time of 1:50 belied the ease with which he dominated his peers, holding off the pocket-sitting Color Me Best. Even BJ's Whirlwind impetus of three straight wins could not carry him past the Red Bow Tie in the stretch, and that top challenger had to settle for third. Taser Gun was a most creditable fourth and gutty Western Ideal picked up the fifth place check.
Red Bow Tie’s lifetime bank account moved up to $2,171,663 to date for the partnership of Clifford Siegel, d'Elegance Stable IX, David Scharf, and TLP Stable. The connections announced they had in mind to pass Nihilator’s all-time record of $3.2 million. Certainly they had the horse to do it.
It was the second Crown trophy for the Marfisi/Gelrod stable, who sent Red Bow Tie postward in 1998 as well. For Luc Ouellette, the heads-up drive resulted in his fifth Crown trophy. More importantly, the victory helped cement his lead in the Meadowlands drivers standings, where Ouellette finished the meet with 243 wins and more than $5.7 million in earnings. For the first time in six years the driving title went to someone other than John Campbell. Even more remarkable, Ouellette pulled it off in just his third full season of driving at the nations most competitive track.
Though Red Bow Tie continued to race and win after the Crown, he suffered a minor injury that cut short his year. His connections have promised, to the chagrin of all the Breeders Crown eligibles out there, that he’ll be back in 2000. The veteran pacer picked up his second Dan Patch divisional title and Nova Award honors as well.
Purse $380,000
The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ - July 31, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Shore By Five - Mare Pace
bay mare, 4, by Shore Patrol – Lilith Lobell, by Oil Burner
Owner
Ferme Carillon
By late summer the older divisions in harness racing usually sport a clear leader, and the Breeders Crown serves as a means to punctuate that claim. But the open mare pacers of 1999 were uniformly strong and of the 19 mares eligible, only two were not racing at Crown time. Armbro Romance, the fastest distaffer ever, had retired earlier in the year after suffering an injury, and Western Azure, put off her racing schedule by an attempt at embryo transplant, was not quite ready to face the Crown competition. The 10 mares who did enter boasted three Crown titles among them. Galleria, the defending 1998 Crown and divisional champ was oddly winless on the year for trainer Jim Campbell and owners Jules & Arlene Siegel. After roaring through her sophomore season and wresting the divisional title from Armbro Romance in her final start - the Breeders Crown - Galleria did not return to the races till June and had not managed a win in her seven previous starts.
Extreme Velocity, the 1997 Crown winner from Indiana, had missed starting in the event in 1998 due to illness, but was back in fine form as a six-year-old, winning her Breeders Crown prep race and four of her eight starts on the year. Also returning was reigning champ Jay’s Table, who stole the ‘98 race out from under the likes of Western Azure and Jules Jodoin, an iron gray mare whose color matched her constitution. Jules Jodoin was part of a two-horse entry from the powerful Joe Anderson stable, which topped all stables in purse money earned last year. Ohyouprettything was the second and supplemental part of the entry. A daughter of Sportsmaster and therefore not Crown eligible, her connections paid the $40,000 supplemental fee only to scratch her from the race before the post position draw with a cyst on her hind leg. Sanabelle Island, who suffered the same fate - withdrawn before post draw - the previous year, was in perfect health and even better form, with nine wins or seconds in 11 tries.
Also entered was Movie Star Laag from the wily trainer-driver team of Monte Gelrod and Luc Ouellete, who simply won most of the races they contested; Hot Shot Michelle, a daughter of Crown winner Artsplace and Five O’Clock Cindy, who produced the only triple Breeders Crown pacer in history, Jenna’s Beach Boy. Hot Shot Michelle hailed from the same ownership and trainer, Joe Holloway, who won this event in 1996. Ross Croghan, a runaway atop the current trainers standings at the Meadowlands, sent out Miss Kitty Hanover with Meadowlands newcomer Dave Miller at the reins.
Trainer | Driver
Bob McIntosh | Daniel Dube
A Quebec-bred mare from the Bob McIntosh stable bore immediate watching. Despite carrying odds of 53-1, Shore By Five deserved consideration for the following reasons. She was one of four homebreds Trainerin the field, and they have won this event six out of 13 times. No entry of Bob McIntosh can ever be disregarded. He won this event in 1991 in addition to 10 other Crowns and $3.5 million in purse money. Lastly, and in fairness, only the numerologists in the grandstand could have picked this angle, but when Shore By Five drew post five in the Breeders Crown the fickle finger of fate was pushing the BET button with all its might. Shore by Five was born at the farm of Jennifer and Roger St. Germain at 5:00 a.m. on April 5 (5/5/95). On top of that the St. Germains have five sons and the clerk who stamped their NJ racing license was named Albert Five (???!!!!). How did ANYONE let this mare off at 53-1?
A last minute driver change saw Daniel Dube, who had driven Shore By Five successfully in Quebec where she spent most of her racing career, in the bike. In his attempt to break into the Meadowlands driver colony, Dube benefited from his “French” connection. At post time the favorite was Sanabelle Island, a mare looking to break the $800,000 earnings mark.
But it was the iron mare, Jules Jodoin who was in front as the gate sped away. Anderson drove her hard for the lead, knowing he would end up with the desirable two-hole trip. Steve Warrington, driving Sanabelle Island obliged Anderson, snatching the front past a quarter in a breath-taking :26.4. Sanabelle Island kept that lead through a blistering pace that saw her rocket by the three-quarter pole in 1:22.1, faster than the horse pacers would go later in the card. Behind her lay the double threat of Jules Jodoin and Galleria, and if ever there was a time for Galleria to post her first win of the year and regain her divisional position, it was now.
Also on the stalk was John Campbell, ready to unleash the lethal stretch kick of Extreme Velocity, the same kick that carried her to victory two years prior. Jay’s Table was jammed hopelessly behind mares who were not advancing, and would have had to sprout wings and fly to get into striking position. In deep stretch Jules Jodoin, weakened, unable to take advantage of her garden spot. Galleria came out of the three hole like a locomotive and paced by Sanabelle Island with authority. But behind that pair came John Campbell and Extreme Velocity, who had enjoyed a easy trip and had all the late pace at a moment’s asking. Extreme Velocity replaced Galleria on the lead and appeared headed fore a second Crown title....when in the last five strides, Daniel Dube working over Shore By Five in a frenzy lunged past Extreme Velocity to confound the handicappers and claim a Crown title by a mere head.
The $108.20 mutuel was the third highest in Crown history, and marked the fourth time in the five editions of this event at The Meadowlands that an outside horse has shipped in and made off with the money. Not many drivers can call their first Breeders Crown drive a winning one, but Daniel Dube is one who can. McIntosh, who did not even see his mare on the racetrack monitors till the last strides of the race, picked up his 12th trophy, which ties him with Chuck Sylvester for number of crystal blocks.
Shore By Five also provided the St. Germains with their first Crown winner, from just their second starter. It was also St. Germain's first visit to the Meadowlands, and the retired insurance executive nearly didn't make it to the ground floor in time for the trophy presentation, as he and his wife got lost trying to find their way from the Pegasus to the winners circle. Shore By Five is a daughter of Shore Patrol, a Breeders Crown starter who did not advance to the final of his sophomore Crown event in 1992.
Shore Patrol earned the first Breeders Crown credit for the province of Quebec, where the sire first stood at the Quebec Stallion Station. The dam, Lilith Lobell, by Oil Burner, was purchased by St. Germain for $17,500 and her offspring have earnings that total more than $1 million. Shore By Five dropped her lifetime mark by nearly four seconds to 1:50.4. She also entered the event with just one win in eight starts this season, and had the least amount of money made on the year of any previous Breeders Crown Mare Pace winner -- $19,345. The winners share of the purse, $141,250, jumped that amount considerably.
Extreme Velocity was second and Galleria third, with Sanabelle Island holding tough for fourth and Jay’s Table grabbing the last check after a frustrating dead-end tour of the track.
Through the remainder of the fall Shore By Five did not remain at the level she sought on the final day of July...but the Crown title was hers...and next year she turns....five!
Purse $282,500
Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ - July 31, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Supergrit - Open Trot
bay gelding , 6, by Supergill – Gutsy Lobell, by Speedy Somolli
Owner
Dennis A. Doyle
After defending Breeders Crown champ and Horse of the Year Moni Maker became the first American trotter to win the fabled Prix D'Amerique in 24 years, she seemed indomitable, unbeatable and untouchable. When she finished a solid second in the Elitlopp final in May, the effort was in fact a subtle signal that all was not well with the incredible trotting mare.
Upon her return to the United States to compete in the series of races for older trotters at the Meadowlands that culminated in the Breeders Crown, the signal became a clarion call when Mister Goal, a raw but talented son of Armbro Goal, trotted by the multimillionaire mare to an uncontested victory in a simple prep race. The time of 1:52.2 shocked onlookers as much as the fact that Moni Maker was beaten. Who could have guessed that by July, Mister Goal would be the favorite in the Breeders Crown and Moni Maker would not be entered?
In mid-June, in her Titan Cup elimination, Moni Maker made her typical backstretch move to engage the leader and could not clear. Alarmed, driver Wally Hennessey eased her and let her slow to a near walk. After a thorough examination it was determined that Moni Maker was dehydrated and had suffered an irregular heartbeat. Several weeks off were prescribed and the Breeders Crown was out of the question.
In her absence, two trotters supplemented to the Crown. Mister Goal had shown he was capable of handling the best in the land and deemed worthy of the $50,000 supplemental fee. So was Alanjopa, the only horse in the stable of Dr. John Spada, who earned his supplement with a win in the $190,000 Titan Cup at 30-1.
When 12 more eligible trotters entered, a single 14-horse elimination was scheduled for the same day as the final, per the Crown conditions. It was the largest starting field in the 15-year history of the Crown.
Among the entrants was Goodtimes, racing at the very peak of his form at eight years old. He had begun racing in February, made a successful European tour and returned to Canada to capture the Frank Ryan Memorial in a lifetime best 1:53.3. Goodtimes was making his fifth start in the Breeders Crown and was surely overdue for the win.
Trainer | Driver
Carl Conte Jr. | Ron Pierce
Also along was Glory's Comet, another Canadian-bred trotter, who was nearing the $2 million mark in earnings. Glory's Comet was second to Kick Tail in the Cutler final the week before the Breeders Crown and had to be feared on back class alone. Another stalwart of the trotting wars was Supergrit, who was making his second appearance in Crown competition. After finishing second to Running Sea in 1997, Supergrit suffered lameness problems on the eve of the 1998 Breeders Crown and was not entered. Reminiscent of CR Kay Suzie in 1996, Supergrit was making just his third start of the year in the Breeders Crown elim, a tall order for any horse. He had won at Lexington in late April and then started just once at the Meadowlands, finishing a pedestrian eighth.
Also from Canada came Macman, fastest trotter of 1998 north of the border, seeking the respect that foot problems and assorted setbacks had denied him. Mike and Lori Wade, last seen celebrating in the 1991 Crown winner circle with their trotter Billyjojimbob, were back with another oddly-named but equally capable racer, Corn Cob Conch.
Mares have won this event in two of the three years it has been raced, and the crowd favorite was again a female. The swift sophomore filly Fern had faltered in her previous Breeders Crown attempt, but won everything else, including the divisional championship. She had won half her 1999 starts, including two divisions of the Classic Oaks. Fern had done her best racing over the Meadowlands strip, and with red-hot Luc Ouellette at the wheel shared the favorite's role with the blazingly fast Mister Goal. Two-time Crown champion Lookout Victory had also returned from campaigning in Europe to race in the Breeders Crown before retiring to the broodmare ranks for owner Al Libfeld, who also shared ownership on Fern.
With three trotters comprising the mutual field, the gate carried the impressive double tiered field to the starting point and released them. All 14 trotted securely through the first turn, but Fern emerged from the pack like a streak to grab the lead. She fought off a challenge from Jim Doherty and Fool's Goal that resulted in that pair galloping from the pressure. Fern set fractions of :55.3 to the half and 1:24.3 to the three-quarters, with much jockeying for position going on behind her. Glory's Comet was guided safely to the front and trotted along second, never threatening Fern as she flashed under the wire in 1:53.3. The heads-up mile came from Supergrit, who under the capable handling of Ron Pierce dropped back halfway into the bulky field and then trotted sharply for position and a third-place chunk of the $50,000 elimination purse.
Breakers in the mile were Fool's Goal, Super High Test, Magician, and uncharacteristically, Corn Cob Conch who had never made a break before or after that July evening.
Post positions were earned for the final. The entry of Fern and Lookout Victory took all the wagering money, with the public still willing to back Mister Goal and Breeders Crown leading driver, John Campbell. From the rail, Fern once again glided to the front and dispensed with Macman in a 27.2 quarter. Campbell also tried to rush up and bully fern out of the lead but the headstrong mare was having none of it. The pair raced to the fastest half in open trot history, :54.4. Fern displayed courage in keeping her head in front of Mister Goal, but the effort would cost both her and her challenger. Fern held her lead to deep stretch, but behind her Pierce had maneuvered Supergrit to a clear path and had been able to conserve most of the big trotter's fuel. When asked, Supergrit drifted wide and applied himself vigorously to the task at hand. He trotted by Fern and opened up a two and half length margin, recording a 1:53.1 mile to claim the richest trot of the season.
Behind him a tired Fern clung tenaciously to second, keeping a neck in front of Glory's Comet. Mister Goal finished an extremely creditable fourth, and Goodtimes, hampered by post 10 and trotting traffic, saved fifth place.
Owner Dennis Doyle, a Michigan advertising executive, authored the slogan made famous by the US Army, "Be All That You Can Be". Though it took six long years, Doyle saw his faith and patience in his horse pay off, as Supergrit achieved his maximum potential. Doyle was so excited he could barely hold the large crystal trophy in his hands.
Ron Pierce has gained a reputation for his smart drives that seem to pull victory from thin air. The Crown trophy was his fourth in the series. Trainer Carl Conte, a former assistant for the dynastic Bill Robinson stable through the early '90s, claimed his first Crown trophy for his own stable.
Supergrit retained his winning form, besting Moni Maker in the Trot Mondial. That great mare would soon return in full strength to the racetrack, and take aim on becoming the richest standardbred in history. She accomplished that goal in the Classic final at Mohawk in the fall, surpassing Peace Corps record and is now at $4.6 million and counting. Those stats earned Moni Maker a third divisional championship and her second Horse of the Year title.
Purse $630,000
Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ - July 31, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |
Tyberwood - 2CP
Bay gelding, 2, Western Hanover -- Tyber Flight, by Tyler B
Owners
Leon Machiz & Barry Rubenstein
The 1999 season was a real dogfight between the freshman colt pacers as to who among was the leader of the pack. With 24 entered in the Breeders Crown at Mohawk, the eliminations themselves were hard-fought affairs. Tyberwood, a son of Western Hanover who was gelded early in the year, was also for that reason a bit of a late starter.
Tyberwood was not, stressed trainer Gary Machiz, a mean or dangerous stallion. Instead he was merely full of himself and inclined to get into trouble when he indulged his studly feelings. When Tyberwood did hit the racetrack, he authored a record of 10-5-4-1, never off the board in his young career, including wins in the Battle of Freehold and Goshen Cup. Tyberwood was second in his elimination behind The Firepan, who broke his maiden in his third lifetime start—the $600,000 Metro Stake at Woodbine. The Firepan's time of 1:51.2 was a new world record over a seven-eighths-mile track.
The son of Artsplace won his next two starts, the Nassagaweya and Bluegrass-Meadow Lands Farm before getting impeded in his next start to finish fourth. He was back in the winner’s circle in his Breeders Crown elimination, going first-over to win in 1:55.1. Owned by Bob Glazer, whose Peter Pan stable was in the midst of an incredible year -- one that would end with more than $5.4 million in earnings (to which The Firepan contributed more than half a million), The Firepan, with John Campbell aboard was the solid favorite at racetime.
Astreos, whose name is Greek for "man of the stars' was trained and co-owned by Chris Christoforou Sr. and driven by his son Chris Jr., the same pairing that produced 1994 Crown winner Earl. He won his Crown elim in smart fashion, needing only a mile in 1:56.4 to advance to the final.
The third elimination was won by Kirk Diggler, a son of 1990 Crown champion and Horse of the Year Beach Towel. Ontario stars Intrepid Seelster and Twin B Champ were also looking to vault into the national spotlight with a Crown victory.
Carl Jamieson and Kendal Sprocket caught everyone by surprise when they burst from the 10 post to the lead. Life's Not Fair and Luc Ouellette sprinted out in pursuit, then settled against the pylons. Intrepid Seelster was also hustled away, and when Campbell sent The Firepan out after for the lead at the half, he gained it but was forced to pace a 26.4 quarter to get it. Still the race looked about over as The Firepan sailed around the last turn with a comfortable margin.
Trainer | Driver
Gary Machiz | Richie Silverman
Richie Silverman, driving Tyberwood, wasn't so ready to concede the race. Silverman had worked out a good trip with the flow of horses leaving him forwardly placed. He requested action from Tyberwood as they straightened out for home and the request was answered as Tyberwood rocketed past a tiring The Firepan and made a mad dash for the wire. Silverman must have felt the breath of Astreos on his neck as he urged his colt forward…and indeed it was the merest of noses that named Tyberwood the winner and Astreos the runner-up. I Scoot Hanover had also closed well for third while The Firepan salvaged a fourthplace finish.
Richie Silverman last visited the Crown winner circle in 1986, when the free-legged Masquerade upset Amity Chef in their Crown event. He was then and remains, at 21, the youngest driver ever to win a Crown event, and his 13-year hiatus is the longest in Crown history. For trainer Gary Machiz and his parents Leon and Lorraine, along with co-owner Barry Rubenstein, it was their first Crown victory, though they have been involved in the sport for more than 30 years and won many other prestigious events.
Tyberwood went on to win the Governor's Cup and his sparkling slate of 13-7-4-2 and $871,876 on the year was all the voters needed to accord him Dan Patch and Nova award honors.
Purse $823,347
Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, ON - October 29, 1999
Extras
| Speed Records |