It was announced earlier this week that two of the top pacing mares in North American harness racing have set foot on the track for the final time

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Southwind Tempo, who set a world record of 1:48.2 in winning a division of the Allerage on closing day at The Red Mile, will be joined in retirement by stablemate and fellow award-winning mare, Tug River Princess.

“We’d talked about it with Southwind Tempo, before the Lexington race,” Cherry told harnessracing.com. “But to have her go out with a world record was fantastic.”

Even though Tug River Princess is one year younger than her stablemate in the Jeff Webster barn, Cherry felt the time was right to shut down both champion distaffers.

“They each have had issues that have troubled them throughout their career and we really didn’t want them to ever race below the top levels or hurt them, so even though Tug River Princess is a year younger (five, as opposed to Southwind Tempo’s six), she’s had slightly more serious problems, and we’re retiring her too.”

Southwind Tempo, who owns two of the sport’s fastest miles for pacing mares (1:48.2 at Red Mile and 1:48.3 at Chester), won 38 of her 67 starts while banking $2,445,541 along the way. The six-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight-Tsunami Hanover is owned by Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY and Let It Ride Stables Inc of Delray Beach, FL.

Tug River Princess, a five-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover-Aucryifiwanto, went 28-for-55 in her career while banking $1,858,219 along the way. She retires with a mark of 1:49.3 which was earned earlier this season in the Golden Girls at the Meadowlands. She is owned by the Let It Ride Stables Inc, Robert Cooper Stables LLC and Jerry Silva.

Southwind Tempo will be bred to Rocknroll Hanover while Tug River Princess is going to Bettors Delight.