A year ago at this time, Bythemissal was sidelined by illness, leaving the future of his campaign in doubt. But after missing nearly two months — and racing only once upon his return before the calendar turned to August — the pacer put all uncertainty to rest. He won his division of the Sam McKee Memorial in a career-best 1:47.1 on Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands, launching a season-ending march to Dan Patch Award honours.

This weekend, the five-year-old gelding will begin his quest to become only the seventh older male pacer in 60 years to repeat as a Dan Patch Award winner when he competes in Sunday’s US$100,000 Joseph Auger Memorial Invitational at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Bythemissal heads to the race having hit the board in 31 of 33 career races, winning 25 and earning $2.23 million.

“This is the best horse I have trained since Sweet Lou,” trainer Ron Burke said earlier this year after Bythemissal was named Ohio’s Horse of the Year for the second consecutive time. “As a three-year-old, he was outstanding. As a four-year-old, he was great. I honestly think as a five-year-old he’ll be the best horse in America. This is a great horse.”

Bythemissal won 11 of 16 races last year, including the Breeders Crown Open Pace, Aria Invitational, Allerage Farms Open Pace, Potomac Pace Invitational, and aforementioned McKee. He finished second in the Canadian Pacing Derby and FanDuel Open Pace Championship, missing by a neck in both.

“He got really sick at the beginning of the year, so at that point we didn’t even know if he was going to race, or what the situation was going to be,” said Yannick Gingras, Bythemissal’s regular driver. “To be able to come back and have that kind of year, it was hard not to be impressed. There’s definitely no complaints there.”

Bythemissal will enter Sunday’s start off two qualifiers at The Meadowlands. He finished third in the first one, when he was timed in 1:50.2 with a :26 last quarter. He won the most recent, on May 10, in 1:51.1 with a :26.3 last quarter over a track labeled ‘good.’

“I was really happy with both of his qualifiers,” Gingras said. “The first one, I was trying not to go too fast and just get him around the track; try to keep the mile under control. They were going pretty fast up front, so I wasn’t trying to keep up with that pace. Last time, I thought he was really good. He followed a good horse (Allywag Hanover), and it was exactly what we were looking for him to do, to finish strong. We were happy with that.”

Bythemissal will leave from post eight in the Auger Memorial and is the 3-1 morning-line second choice. Post eight is the least favourable starting position at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with a 7.1-win percentage.

Desperate Man, who has won five of six races this season, is the 9-5 favourite from post one. The field also includes Ruthless Hanover, who won last year’s Auger with a world-record performance, leaving from post five. Bythemissal is the only starter in the race making his seasonal debut.

“He’s going there to race, but post eight makes it tough,” Gingras said. “That’s a group of horses I have respect for, they’re nice horses, so showing up against them, he’s at a little bit of a disadvantage having not raced yet this year. But I think he’s the most talented of the group, so it’s kind of an equalizer.”

Bythemissal, whose wins at age three included the Little Brown Jug and Adios, will try to join the following horses to receive the Dan Patch Award for best older male pacer in consecutive seasons since 1963: McWicked (2018-19), Foiled Again (2011-13), Won The West (2009-10), Mister Big (2007-08), Red Bow Tie (1998-99), and Rambling Willie (1975-77).

Burke trained Foiled Again and Won The West.

Bythemissal, a son of Downbytheseaside-Dismissal, is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing, and Weaver Bruscemi.

The Auger is one of three US$100,000 Grand Circuit races on Sunday’s card at Philly, along with the Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational for older trotters and the Betsy Ross Invitational for older female pacers.

Gingras will drive Hillexotic in the Maxie Lee. The tandem won last year’s race with a world-record effort and will leave Sunday from post two. Hillexotic, coming off a sixth-place finish in the Cutler Memorial on May 18 at The Meadowlands, is 9-2 on the morning line.

“I was disappointed with his last race; hopefully, he bounces back,” Gingras said. “The five-eighths-mile track (like Philly) is really his cup of tea. That’s an equalizer for him. I was at the farm Thursday morning, and he trained really, really good. He was strong. Maybe it was just one of those races you throw out. We’ll see how he is.”

Cutler Memorial third-place finisher Dover In Motion is the 2-1 favourite in the Maxie Lee.

In the Betsy Ross, Gingras will drive Sweet Amira, a newcomer to the Burke Stable who is making her seasonal debut. She will leave from post eight and is 7-1. Always B Naughty is the 2-1 favourite followed by Twin B Joe Fresh at 5-2.

Racing begins at 12:40 p.m. (EDT) at Harrah’s Philadelphia. For a free TrackMaster program courtesy the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association website, click here.

(USTA)