When an unbeaten juvenile pacing filly has won in 1:53.3f and her trainer describes her talent as being “untapped,” people in the industry tend to perk up and take notice. “She hasn’t even been asked to ‘go’ yet. I thought from Day 1 that she was something special.”

Earlier this year, Mike Deters told people that Prairie Sweetheart “might be the best horse I ever threw a harness on,” and the two-year-old female pacer has done nothing so far to make the trainer regret his words.

The Pompano Park-based Prairie Sweetheart is 6-for-6 this year, with every win coming by a margin of more than three lengths. Her most recent triumph was an 11 and a half-length romp in 1:53.3 in the FSBOA-sponsored Melvyn Aylor Memorial for two-year-old female pacers on November 22.

Next up, she will face five rivals in the $54,600 Florida Breeders Stakes championship for two-year-old female pacers as part of Sunday’s (November 29) FSBOA-sponsored Super Night at Pompano Park. Prairie Sweetheart is one of the Deters Stable’s seven horses entered in six separate finals for Florida-bred pacers and trotters.

“She’s an untapped talent,” Deters said about Prairie Sweetheart. “She hasn’t even been asked to go yet. I thought from Day 1 that she was something special. There’s nothing not to like about her. She has a great gait, she has a tremendous personality, she loves her job, and she’s an absolute sweetheart to be around. I can’t say enough about her.”

Deters owns Prairie Sweetheart with Laurie Poulin and John Spindler. Poulin, who received the 2014 R.D. Ricketts Award from the Florida chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association as an owner who has made outstanding contributions to the state’s racing, bred Prairie Sweetheart.

The filly, who has earned $35,974 this year, is a daughter of stallion Royel Millennium out of the mare Taylors Lady. She is a full sister to Owosso Flash, who was a Florida Breeders Stakes champion last year at age two and is a contender again Sunday in the race for three-year-old male pacers.

Deters will drive Prairie Sweetheart, as he has in each of her previous six races.

“You put up a little skinny catch-driver and push on the gas and there’s no telling how fast she might go, because I’m a big guy,” Deters said, laughing. “She’s got a lot of ‘go’ left. I told people early on that I thought she might be the best horse I ever threw a harness on, and I’ve had a couple pretty good horses over the years.”

Another of Deters’ top contenders is Prairie Fortune in the Florida Breeders Stakes for three-year-old male trotters. Deters and breeder Poulin share ownership of the gelding, who has won 11 of 15 races this season and earned $70,783. Prairie Fortune, who earlier this year won in 1:53.4 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, brings a five-race win streak to Sunday’s event. His average margin of victory during that span is nearly 11 lengths.

“Prairie Fortune is a freak of nature,” Deters said about the son of Arapa Victory-Finalyrollen. “He’s an absolutely unbelievable horse. He won in (1:) 53.4 at Pocono this summer and basically jogged. He had a couple little issues with breathing and I think we’ve got that squared away. If he minds his manners, he’ll be very hard to beat.

“He’ll probably be staked a little bit at (age) four. I think Prairie Fortune and Prairie Sweetheart are very special horses. I think they have real potential to go forward in this game. They’re pretty nice horses, period, and not just for Florida.”

Deters will drive Prairie Fortune, as well as Owosso Flash. For the year, Deters has won 19 of 34 starts as a driver and finished off the board only five times.

“When you drive the best horses, driving is easy,” Deters said with a chuckle about his success in the sulky. “That’s the truth. I only drive the ones that I own, because then no one can complain at me. I’m fortunate enough that they’re very good horses. They’re going to excel, period.”

Deters’ remaining hopefuls are Conman’s Dream in the Florida Breeders Stakes for two-year-old male pacers, Livy M in the event for three-year-old female trotters, Gold Star Dynasty in the final for three-year-old female pacers, and Harrison, who joins Prairie Fortune in the championship for three-year-old male trotters.

“If nothing goes wrong, they all have legitimate chances to do well,” Deters said. “They’re pretty good, all of them. I’m just hoping to have success. I hope everyone goes into the races healthy and sound and I hope trips work out. If I do my job and everything goes right, we’ll have a good day.”

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