Hall of Fame broodmare Country Kay Sue, the dam of 1995 US Horse of the Year CR Kay Suzie, passed away on Monday (January 15) in Ocala, Fla. at the age of 32, according to owner Rod Allen.

Country Kay Sue was limited to nine lifetime races because of injuries, but made her name as a broodmare. In addition to being the dam of CR Kay Suzie, she produced CR Renegade, who counted the 1999 Breeders Crown for three-year-old male trotters among his stakes wins. Both were homebreds by Royal Troubador, the Allen family’s Dan Patch Award-winning colt and later stallion.

Last August, on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands, Country Kay Sue was found in the maternal line of four horses competing on the card – Allen’s filly Dream Baby Dream in the Hambletonian Oaks and Dover Dan in the Hambletonian, plus Cufflink Hanover and Italian-born Tuonoblu Rex in the Open.

“If there can be such a thing as good timing in a situation like this, she might have had it,” Allen said. “She had more of her offspring racing at the Grand Circuit level last year, so it was kind of fitting.

“We stuck it out with that family for a long time. I was criticized at times for it, with people saying it was more for sentimental reasons, but it really worked out.”

Country Kay Sue, a daughter of Speedy Somolli out of Pams Key, was purchased for $25,000 under the name Molli Pam by Allen and his father, Carl. She was renamed after Rod’s daughter, Kaylie Suzanne. She actually was the second horse named in Kaylie’s honour – the first, Country Kaylie, was sold.

“She was upset because we sold her horse,” Allen said. “My dad said we were going to buy another horse and we would never sell her. And she never left the farm.”

Country Kay Sue was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.

To read more about Country Kay Sue and CR Kay Suzie from the book ‘Standardbred Old Friends,’ click here.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Country Kay Sue.

(USTA)