At this point, trainer Jimmy Takter is looking for some answers with Father Patrick. He has gone on the record as saying that he will probably be consulting some specialists due to the recent sub-par performances from the accomplished $2.6-million career earner.

Takter has told harnessracing.com that after back-to-back dull efforts he plans on having the two-time divisional champion examined by veterinarians. Takter said late Sunday afternoon that while he is still unsure of where he will take the four-year-old trotter, he believes there is an unresolved issue.

"I don't know, it has to be something, but I can't find anything,” Takter said the day after Father Patrick finished last in the six-horse $443,000 Hambletonian Maturity at the Meadowlands. "I have to take him to a university and find out what's going on because there is something bothering him right now. He was super coming into his last two starts and then he was just empty.”

Father Patrick won his season debut in 1:52.1 in the $150,000 Maxie Lee Memorial on May 25 at Harrah's Philadelphia, besting a field of older trotters that included the 2013 Horse of the Year Bee A Magician, who was two lengths behind in second. Father Patrick then finished second by a neck to JL Cruze in two legs of the Graduate for four-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands.

In the $250,000 Graduate final on July 11, Father Patrick finished sixth by six lengths behind JL Cruze. In the Hambletonian Maturity, driver Yannick Gingras tipped Father Patrick from fourth early to take the lead, but he was quickly overtaken by JL Cruze, who went on to the 2:04.2 victory in the 1-1/8-mile race. Father Patrick was eased down the stretch, eventually finishing 21-3/4 lengths behind the winner.

"I know the other horses are racing great, but to be honest with you, he should not be getting beat by those horses,” said Takter. "But it's tough racing; it's a tough game.”

(Harnessracing.com)