Breeder Carl Becker can clearly remember the day that he saved St Elmo Hero - at the time never imagining the type of racehorse the colt would turn out to be

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“The mare hadn’t thrown anything, and the colt wasn’t broke. Elmo was one phone call away from going to the killers.” That’s what retired announcer and pedigree reader Carl Becker revealed in a recent story in The Pilot about St Elmo Hero – a horse he bred.

Becker sold Crystal Crickett, the dam of St Elmo Hero, while she was in foal to the undefeated superstar, however, he wound up purchasing the mare back with St Elmo Hero at her side for $700. ‘Elmo’ was two-years-old at the time.

Becker then sent St Elmo Hero to an Amish farm where he was picked up by trainer Shawn Nessa, who recommended gelding the pacer and bringing him back as a three-year-old. Things didn’t pan out for the pacer in his three-year-old season, so he was turned out and brought back as a four-year-old.

Now fast forward to 2011. Twenty-four races into his career and St Elmo Hero is undefeated – an amazing story considering what could have happened had Becker not stepped in and bought back the pacer and his dam.

Read more about St Elmo Hero in the March 2011 issue of Trot Magazine.