Harness Racing's Best of the Decade (2010 - 2019) - Racehorse
A gelded son of Dragon Again out of the Artsplace mare In A Safe Place, Foiled Again raced for trainer Herman Heitmann at two, three and into his fourth year before being purchased by Sylvia Burke, Weaver Bruscemi LLC (Mark Weaver and Michael Bruscemi) and JJK Stables LLC (the late Joseph Koury Sr. and his sons Joseph Jr. and Kevin). Mickey Burke, Sylvia’s husband and Ron’s father, was transitioning from raceway activities to overseeing the younger horses and he handled the conditioning of Foiled Again until Ron took over full-time training responsibility in November 2008.
Foiled Again reached his full potential under his new connections, staying a vital member of the free-for-all pacing community for the better part of the decade. He was Older Pacing Horse of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2013, during each of which he earned over $1 million. Foiled Again took his mark of 1:48 in 2013 at the age of nine in the elimination race of the Ben Franklin Pace at Pocono. He returned the next week to win the Franklin Final and then later in the year to sweep the Breeders Crown over the red clay.
Fans grew to embrace Foiled Again as he battled on at a high quality of performance over the years; they latched onto this “evergreen pacer” who they knew would always give them every ounce of his energy. Once he broke the record for earnings ($5.8 million by the trotter Ready Cash), he gained even more cache and attracted media attention like few other Standardbreds.
As he entered his 14th year, perhaps a step or two off his peak speed but still competitive every time behind the gate, his connections decided to establish a “Foiled Again Farewell Tour,” matching him against local horses and letting fans around North America give one last salute to the gallant pacer. He raced at eighteen different tracks during 2018, in ten different states and provinces, and seemed very little the worse for wear.
Foiled Again’s 331st and final start came on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at The Meadows, the home track of the Burkes and Weaver Bruscemi. He finished fifth in that event, retiring with a 109-70-46 summary from his 331 lifetime starts with more than $7.6 million in earnings.
What They Said About Foiled Again:
"Foiled Again is in a league of his own when you consider how long he competed at the sport’s highest level while smashing the all-time earnings record. I doubt we will ever see another quite like him and it was an absolute pleasure to watch him ‘Wow’ us year in and year out."- Greg Blanchard, Director of Marketing & Communications, Western Fair District
"The obvious choice for horse of the decade: he raced nine out of the 10 years at the highest level on his way to becoming the richest Standardbred of all time. Not only the horse of the decade, probably the horse of the century." - Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky, Executive Vice President, Hanover Shoe Farms
"I think Foiled Again was the ultimate warrior, competing at the highest level for such a lengthy period. He gathered a following of fans, and races with class and dignity throughout. He was fun to watch!" - Paul MacDonell, O'Brien Award winning driver and driver of Racehorse of the Decade for 2000-2009, Somebeachsomewhere
1. Foiled Again
2. McWicked
3. Always B Miki