“You have to respect him. He was so big, so good looking. Size, conformation, attitude -- he’s flawless in all those areas. He could go on any sized track. He’s definitely a horse that loved to do his work.”

Mypanmar, a 10-year-old pacing horse who won more than $1.5 million during his harness racing career, has been retired. Trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. said Mypanmar’s future as a stallion was undetermined.

A son of The Panderosa--Road To Pandalay, Mypanmar was bred and owned by Bob Glazer’s Peter Pan Stables. He won 44 of 191 races and finished second or third a total of 55 times.

“I’ve trained thousands of horses and he’s one of my favourites of all time, that’s for sure,” Morgan said.

Mypanmar’s biggest win came in the $480,000 Monticello-OTB Classic at Monticello Raceway in 2007. With John Campbell in the sulky, Mypanmar paced the fastest mile in the history of the half-mile oval, 1:51.2, and beat stablemate Mister Big by one and a quarter lengths.

“He was unbeatable the way he raced that day,” Morgan said. “He was extremely good on a half (-mile track). He’s a big horse, but he was real clean gaited. I think that shows his versatility.”

Another memorable mile came in 2006, when he won his elimination for the Canadian Pacing Derby by three-quarters of a length over Lis Mara in a career-best 1:48.3 at Woodbine Racetrack. A week later at Mohawk Racetrack, he finished second to Lis Mara in the $830,370 final of the Canadian Pacing Derby.

“I think the elimination took a little out of him,” Morgan said. “The mile he went at the elim was a scary mile that night.”

In 2005, Mypanmar won by 12 lengths in 1:50.1 at Scioto Downs, missing Gallo Blue Chip’s track record by one-fifth of a second.

“The day he won there he was under wraps,” Morgan said.

Other top finishes for Mypanmar, whose family included 1931 Hambletonian winner Calumet Butler, were a second-place finish in the $390,000 Levy in 2008, second in the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational in 2006 and third in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace in 2005.

“I can’t say enough about him,” Morgan said. “He’s been a model of consistency. He’s been a pleasure to train. I’m thankful to Bob Glazer for the opportunity to train and race the horse.”

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.