In 2011, Nancy Takter was the caretaker of Metro Pace Champion Simply Business, while still working for her father, Jimmy. A few days before Christmas, 2023, Kimberly Ann Hale of New Start Standardbreds discovered that the very same horse, now 15 and in a killpen, needed help if he was going to survive. Michelle Crawford, of Crawford Farms, shared Kim’s Facebook post, and hours later Nancy paid the money that set the wheels in motion to bring Simply Business home, where he will live out his life in style at the Takter farm. This story has a happy ending, but many don’t. There’s no perfect answer, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep trying. By John Rallis.

On September 3, 2011, when Simply Business stood in the winner’s circle at Mohawk Racetrack, after capturing the $1,000,000 Metro Pace, he had just put himself on the map as one of harness racing’s premier performers. A long racing career eventually saw him bounce around several barns, and recently, nearing age 15, he found himself headed for a grueling end. But after being identified on a Facebook Live stream, in a direct shipping pen, just days before Christmas, Simply Business was given a miracle, thanks to the efforts of three women: Kimberly Ann Hale, Nancy Takter and Michelle Crawford.

After founding New Start Standardbreds four years ago, Kimberly Ann Hale’s goal was clear: she wanted to save as many horses in dire situations as she could. Though a daunting and seemingly impossible task, her philosophy is simple: knowing you can positively impact the life of one horse holds a lot of merit. It has many challenges, but Kimberly does the best she can. And since she began, in 2020, New Start has successfully adopted out 179 Standardbreds.

“This is the fourth year of New Start Standardbreds, and with each passing day, it never gets any easier,” admits Kim. “It’s the part of the business that is so unfortunate - that horses can find themselves in these spots - but my team and I do our best to try and make sure we find them a good life.”

For Kimberly, who also works full time and helps care for both her mother and grandmother, she often goes countless nights without sleep, due to her tireless efforts in trying to aid these equine athletes. But it’s the pursuit of a better life for the animals she has such an affinity for, that forces her to drive on. There’s a lot of difficult decisions to be made along the way however.

“On the day-to-day, I’m often identifying five to six Standardbreds… who could eventually be headed to a really bad place,” says Kim. “It’s draining because it likely won’t change anytime soon, but it’s so much worse if you stop trying entirely.

“You want to save everybody, but you can’t,” she admits. “You know if you save one, you’ve made a difference for that horse, but you still can’t help but feel terrible for the others. I lose plenty of sleep on a weekly basis because sometimes you’re in a position where you have to choose between a few… and that’s one of the toughest parts for me.”

Based in Campbellford, Ontario, Kim  is always surveying rescue groups in the United States, where she tries to tie those horses with Canadian connections, in hopes of finding them a safe home. In addition to that, she watches live streams held via Facebook, where she will mark down every freeze brand, so she can easily identify each horse.

KIMBERLY ANN HALE

On a December 23rd Facebook livestream held by Penny Parker (founder of Horse Angels Rescue), Kim was cross-referencing all the freeze brands of the horses in the direct-ship pen, when she came across one that she had thought deceived her eyes. Even after triple-checking, she still couldn’t believe what she had seen.

“There were about thirty Standardbreds in the group, and Penny was going through each of them one-by-one,” recalls Kim. “I was doing what I always do, writing down all the freeze brands and looking them up individually. Typically, I’m never able to catch her livestreams in real time, because they always take place whenever I’m in the middle of work, but this one was during the holidays,so I was able to watch it as it was taking place… I was shocked.

“As I was going through each brand, I thought I came across Simply Business, a $1 million dollar earner who had won the Metro Pace at two… immediately, I figured it had to be wrong,” admits a frustrated Kim. “I kept thinking that there was no possible way a horse of this caliber could be there… there was just no way. The livestream took place at 9pm, so it was dark and the lighting was really bad, which meant there was a chance I wasn’t seeing things clearly. So I triple-checked and had others verify. Soon enough, I realized that I wasn’t wrong… it was, in fact, Simply Business. All I kept thinking to myself is how could a horse who accomplished what he did at the races end up there?”

After getting confirmation, Kim immediately went to Facebook and shared what she had identified on Penny Parker’s livestream: that a former Metro Pace winner was in dire need of help. Though Kim was somewhat confident that the horse would be rescued, it still didn’t make her feel any better.

“Just think about it… a former Metro Pace winner who was headed to a horrible end, in an environment surrounded by horses who weren’t sound and were really, really sick,” she says. “I knew someone would save him. I’ve seen some really poorly conditioned horses throughout my time, but this was one that really upset me. Listen, being in a direct pen should never happen to any horse, but it really shouldn’t happen to horses who have accomplished what he did on the racetrack.

“I had to put my phone down to take a moment and breathe,” admits Kim. “After a little bit of time passed, I saw that Michelle Crawford had shared my post. Shortly thereafter, Nancy Takter reached out and posted his bail. Like I said, I was confident that he was going to be rescued, I was just relieved it happened so quickly. I was able to go to sleep that night knowing he was going to be okay.”

* * * *

Nancy Takter, one of the sport’s most prominent trainers, did indeed step up to pay Simply Business’ $1,100 bail that same night. For her, it wasn’t just the deed itself that meant a lot to her, this was a horse who she rubbed on during his Metro-winning two-year-old campaign. For Nancy, this was personal.

“I was at my sister’s 40th birthday party that night, celebrating with friends and family,” she recalls. “I got home after midnight and I had trouble sleeping, so I did what I usually do, I scrolled through Facebook on my phone.

“As I was scrolling through, I came across a post shared by Michelle Crawford that a Metro Pace winner was in a kill pen, and all I thought to myself was ‘Geez, I wonder who that could be?’

“Lo and behold, it was Simply Business, a horse I rubbed on at two and my father trained. We had all just left my sister’s party about an hour earlier, and right away I texted my family group chat and said, ‘Um, guys… Simply Business is in a kill pen…”

Simply Business had provided some great memories for Nancy and her family, both on and off the racetrack, which is why saving him was a no-brainer to her. She owed it to him, and he earned the right to live a rockstar life in retirement.

“I just knew I had to be the one to get him out of that situation,” says Nancy. “Of course, no horse deserves to be in that situation, but he made $1 million and he paid his way. He did what he was supposed to do on the racetrack - he was a good racehorse. My family and I were all pretty shocked when we heard about it, which is why I acted on it so quickly. I just don’t want to be given too much credit for what I saw as just doing the right thing.”

A $350,000 Lexington yearling by Rocknroll Hanover and out of Cathedra Dot Com, high-priced pacers were not something Nancy’s dad, Jimmy Takter, usually went shopping for, but Simply Business’ pedigree, looks and conformation were easy to fall in love with. The Hall Of Fame trainer took his chance.

“That was a lot for my dad to pay for a pacing colt,” admits Nancy. “He was so well put together though, and he had the makings to be a quality racehorse. I rubbed on him as a two-year-old, a year before I ventured off on my own in my training career, and he was an absolute sweetheart. He was such a classy horse and his mannerisms were really incredible… you could bring him around anyone. My daughter was only five or six-years-old at the time and she would ride her bike around him all the time. She even jogged him, which speaks volumes of his character. He was so easy.”

Those mannerisms translated well on the racetrack, where his racing career started off on a positive note. After winning his pari-mutuel debut by a half-length in 1:54.3, in a NJSS event, and then finishing second in the $317,800 Woodrow Wilson, he made his way north of the border, where he would try his hand in Canada’s biggest event for rookie pacing colts.

“When we took Simply Business to Canada for the Metro Pace eliminations he finished third, which was just enough to get him into the final,” recalls Nancy. “He raced okay, but we weren’t overly pleased. Honestly, it was a subpar performance for his standards, and Ron Pierce, who drove a lot for my dad, felt the same as well.

“There were three eliminations that night and Ronnie drove A Rocknroll Dance in one of them… they scored in 1:49.1, which might’ve been a track record. Once we saw that, my dad and I knew we’d be looking for a new driver ahead of the final (laughing).”

Team Takter awaited their post position fate ahead of the final, and then learned that Simply Business drew the 9-hole. While disappointed with the draw, their pilot, Ron Pierce, was very confident.

“My dad and I figured that after the eliminations - and especially the draw - that Ronnie would commit to A Rocknroll Dance. I remember my dad and I were about to go through some of our options, but before we even got a chance to, Ronnie turns to my dad, looks at him and says, ‘We’ll be alright from out there, Jimmy’. My dad was shocked, but it showed Ronnie’s loyalty.

That loyalty and faith paid dividends for Pierce and the Takters, as Simply Business overcame his elimination performance, to take the $1 million Metro in the final strides, over A Rocknroll Dance and Yannick Gingras, in 1:50.1.

“Ronnie had so much faith in the horse and it really showed,” says Nancy. “He was always loyal to us but in that scenario we really didn’t think there was any way he would take our colt… we’re glad he did. We made a shoeing change and some bridle adjustments, and he was able to deliver off a perfect, two-hole trip at 20/1. Not only did it mean a lot to me because I rubbed on the horse, but it was also the only $1 million race that my dad ever won with a pacer, so that meant even more to us.”

Despite it being 13 years ago, Nancy is often reminded about that special night, thanks in part to a picture she has hanging inside her office bathroom.

Nancy’s daughter Ella (front-middle) enjoys her family’s big win

“The winner’s circle photo from that night is hanging in the bathroom of my barn office,” shares Nancy. “My daughter Ella was in the winner’s circle, and she was six-years-old at the time. I don’t know what came over her at that moment, but she made the funniest face in the photo (laughing). I always crack a smile whenever I see it. (See photo above).

“It’s funny, because whenever I’d look at that photo, I’d stop and wonder what he was up to in his career, but ending up in a killpen was not something I had on my bingo card.”

Despite a stellar campaign as a rookie, Simply Business wasn’t able to take the next step as a sophomore. In 23 starts, he found the winner’s circle just twice, while earning $161,477. For the Takters, they felt it was time to move on.

“Selling horses after their three-year-old campaign is a common theme for us,” says Nancy. “If we feel as though they’re exceptional racehorses, we’ll keep them and have them stand stud or be broodmares. We set really high standards for our stable, and unfortunately, he wasn’t as impressive at three, so we decided to sell him. He had big Grand Circuit owners, so they wanted to move on. We entered him in the Harrisburg [Mixed] Sale and he found a new home.

“I wish the best for every horse that enters and leaves my barn,” says Nancy. “At the end of the day, we spend so much time getting them ready, and you develop a connection with some of them, but there are so many that come and go, and we have to shift our focus to the ones we feel like are going to be champions. When you go from being a Grand Circuit horse to being a regular horse, it’s tough for me to keep tabs on what’s going on. I don’t remember the last time I watched an overnight race (laughing). However, regardless of how Simply Business progressed after his two-year-old campaign, if you told me I’d be bailing him over a decade later, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

* * * *

One person who wasn’t surprised to find out that a horse like Simply Business could find himself in a kill pen, is the woman that shared Kimberly Hale’s Facebook post that night - prominent owner and breeder Michelle Crawford. Michelle is an advocate for horse rescues, and uses her voice in hopes the industry can come up with solutions to improve this troubling issue.

“I hate to say it, but it didn’t shock me when I saw Kimberly’s Facebook post that a Metro winner was in a pen,” admits Michelle. “There’s a lack of responsibility from so many individuals and the system itself; we need to be better.

“It really falls on our industry - and quite frankly - it’s also our responsibility,” says Michelle. “You should not play in this sport if you don’t truly care about the horses, and their well being after they’re done. You can’t just discard them as if they’re trash… but unfortunately we see that in many instances, and it’s sickening.”

Michelle, who successfully owns and operates Crawford Farms, has been in the industry for sixteen years and counting. It was a few years in, when she was made aware of a side of the horse industry that she’s unhappy with, and ever since she’s made a point to be a voice and advocate for change. She knows however, that it’s going to take time, resources and commitment.

Nancy (R) and Michelle celebrate their 2023 Breeders Crown victory with Karl

“I’ve been in the industry for 16 years now, and within three or four years of being in the business, I was exposed to what a kill pen was,” says Michelle. “Someone told me that one of my own horses found their way there, and I saved them immediately. From that day forward, I’ve been a heavy advocate… and I vowed to fight for as many as I can.”

Though she has farms, resources and the passion, like Kimberly, Michelle can’t save them all, and she knows that. But she understands that she has a responsibility to look after her very own.

“I’ve bred so many horses over the last 16 years that I know what’s coming my way in the future,” admits Michelle. “At the end of the day, because I’m breeding them, I’m technically responsible for them. I feel an obligation to look after them when it’s all said-and-done because I played a role in bringing them into this world. It’s hard for me to go and try and save so many others [in the meantime], when I could be looking at a surplus of horses who might need aftercare when it’s all said-and-done… but even so, it’s still too tough for one person.”

Not only is Crawford vocal about this subject matter, she has some ideas that she feels would be necessary in guiding this ship in the right direction.

“For starters, I think there should be $5 entered into an aftercare fund everytime a horse is registered,” says Michelle. “Just think about all the money you could accumulate.

“In the Thoroughbreds [purse] cheques, the first line item is for ‘TAA’ (Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance),” says Michelle. “Seriously, that’s the first debit that’s removed from anyone’s cheques in that breed. In harness racing, we don’t even have that, and I strongly think that’s something we should do. Every little bit counts. Crediting from a cheque would have to be mandated, because I don’t know if everyone, or the majority would agree to it.”

As for horses who are extremely sick or unsound, Michelle believes in giving them the ending that they deserve.

“Some horses are going to be either too sick, or physically unable to keep going, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give them a proper end,” says Michelle. “What would be even better if we could pull our funds and create a safe place for these horses. Think about it, if we could pull our funds, and designate a place that would be a crematory for those who are too sick or too injured to find another home, this would help create a bigger and more efficient system to humanely euthanize a horse.

“There’s something about giving them one last meal, rubbing them and hugging them before they go,” says Michelle. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not something anyone wants to do, but it’s more humane than shoving them in a loaded truck when they know they’re going to be in a bad place. It’s not easy, we’re fighting an uphill battle, but we can’t give up.”

Aside from financial funding, Michelle is adamant that freeze brands become mandatory. Without it, she says it becomes increasingly difficult to identify horses, which lessens their chances of being rescued.

“I can’t stress enough that we need to make sure we’re all still freeze branding,” says Michelle. “I joined a campaign two years ago called ‘Stand For The Brand’ and for good reason. It makes it very hard for people to go into these pens and identify horses without a brand. A lot of people complain that it’s pricey, but they don’t realize that it’s an insurance policy for those animals.”

Michelle knows this is an ongoing issue that she and a few others are up against, but that won’t stop her from trying until she no longer can. She’s passionate and optimistic by nature, which is the way she’s always been.

“My commitment level stems from my passion,” says Michelle, “Truthfully, ‘It’s my why.’”

“I’m very passionate about the world and trying to make it a better place as a whole - especially for these horses. The legacy I want to leave behind is the change I hope to make in this business… because I love it. Horses are my be all and end all… I want to do as much as I can while I’m still here, because I love them.

“I’ve always been optimistic by nature, maybe to a fault,” admits Michelle. “I still think they’re going to find a way for humans to live forever and I still believe they’re going to find a cure for cancer [Michelle is a breast cancer survivour]. The same way I believe they’ll create an infrastructure to ensure this breed is in good hands, and I want to be there to see it. Just because we can’t save them all, doesn’t mean we can’t save a few.”

It’s because of that sentiment, that Michelle Crawford expresses, that Simply Business experienced some holiday cheer - and the 15-year-old’s former groom has some ideas for him going forward, once he’s home.

“I have to see just how sound he is when he makes it back to the farm from quarantine, but I have some ideas,” says Nancy Takter. “I have a nephew named Alexander who is 12-years-old, and he absolutely loves the horses, which is funny because his parents have zero involvement with them. I think he’d be a great horse for my nephew to work with, in hopes of being comfortable around them hands-on. I’d love to foster his interest for the sport and I think it’s imperative that we inject more youth in this game. Realistically, I can’t ask a 12-year-old to jog a $200,000 yearling of mine, but Simply Business would be a great start. And who knows, maybe they, too, can develop a bond.”

Michelle with some of her rescues and retirees • Simply Business in quarantine (R)

Most of all, Nancy is just pleased she was able to do right by the horse who brought her so much joy all those years ago - especially around the holiday season

“A couple of days after Penny took him into quarantine, I noticed that his head started lifting up more and his ears were pricked again,” shares Nancy. “His spirit is slowly coming back to life and he could feel the love again. I can assure you one thing, he’s going to come back to an environment where he will be loved and cherished for the rest of his life.

“With this all happening around Christmas time, if there’s someone who’s going to believe in Santa Claus, it’s Simply Business (laughing).”

 

This feature originally appeared in the February issue of TROT Magazine. Subscribe to TROT today by clicking the banner below.

 

​