Soon after New Jersey-based trainer Bruce Lauer moved his stable to New York’s Vernon Downs for the summer of 2021, he found himself looking for horses to add to his group. He bought a 13-year-old named Peter Pumpkineater with the intention of racing the pacer for the remainder of the meet and then selling him prior to returning home to New Jersey.
But Peter Pumpkineater won over Lauer with his class and determination, so the horse traveled back to the Garden State with the rest of the stable. He competed for Lauer throughout 2022 and ended the year — and his career — with a win on Dec. 31 at Freehold Raceway. It was the 74th victory of Peter Pumpkineater’s career.
“That was a great way to end it, for sure,” Lauer said. “I was really hoping it would work out for him. It was very special.”
All Standardbred racehorses reach mandatory retirement, with limited exceptions including races for amateurs, when their 14-year-old season is completed.
More than a hundred 14-year-olds made at least one start in 2022, and 35 still were in action when the calendar reached December. Peter Pumpkineater was the last of the soon-to-be retirees to get a win. His 74 triumphs ranked second to only trotter Waiting On A Woman’s 82 among the 109 14-year-olds to compete last year.
In addition to Peter Pumpkineater, four other 14-year-olds over the last two weeks of the year won their final career start: Putnams Attack, Grand Master, Forward Bliss, and Personnel Space. None of their victories came in races exclusively for 14-year-olds.
Peter Pumpkineater won his race, restricted to horses ages 12 through 14, by 1-1/2 lengths over fellow 14-year-old Texican N in 1:58.2 with Tyler Miller in the sulky. Among Peter Pumpkineater’s other wins last year was a victory at The Meadowlands in a GSY Series event. It was the gelding’s first-ever start at The Big M. He finished his career with $431,162 in earnings despite never racing for a purse of more than $22,350 in 437 starts.
“He was just a neat horse to have around,” said Lauer, who owns the son of Camluck-Disney Dawn. “When you show up in the barn in the morning and there’s that one horse that’s got its head out waiting for you, he was that one.
“He did really well, and I really liked him, so I decided I wanted to see him through to the end. He was just a class horse. If he got the trip, he didn’t disappoint. If he didn’t do well, it wasn’t from a lack of effort. He’s a very small horse, but he always gave you everything he had.”
For the moment, Peter Pumpkineater is staying with Lauer. He eventually could end up with Lauer’s daughter, Jennifer, who is a veterinarian in North Carolina.
“We did break him to saddle, so he would make a nice little riding horse for somebody,” Lauer said. “Not somebody big because of his size, but for a kid just starting out. He would be perfect. He’s so well-mannered.”
Putnams Attack finished as the second richest 14-year-old of 2022, with his $61,359 in purses trailing only Texas Terror N’s $102,805. It was the most lucrative season of Putnams Attack’s career.
The son of Cookie Dough Boy-All Out Attack won his final career start by 7-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4 on Dec. 30 at Hollywood Dayton Raceway for driver Tyler Smith, trainer Peter Redder and owner Therl Hensley. The pacer will remain in Hensley’s family as a riding horse.
“He’s the friendliest horse ever,” said Ricky Redder, who assists his brother with the Redder Stable. “Anybody could do anything with him. He’s a barn favourite. He’s buddies with everybody. He loves other horses.”
Putnams Attack was claimed from Redder/Hensley multiple times over the previous three years, only to be reclaimed by the stable. His disposition was a big factor; the gelding was a turnout buddy for the stable’s top horse, Fan Of Terror.
“He’s Fan Of Terror’s best friend,” Redder said. “It just kind of worked out and (Putnams Attack) kept doing good and making money the whole time. He’s just a good horse. A lot of wins, a lot of effort. He just tries all the time. Therl never hesitated getting him back.”
For his career, Putnams Attack won 54 of 408 starts and earned $381,662. His most lucrative victory, for a purse of $16,000, came last year.
“He liked racing,” Redder said. “There are faster horses, but not like how this horse wants to do it. He’s pretty cool.”
Grand Master notched his final win at Monticello Raceway on Dec. 30. He won by two lengths in 1:57.3 for driver Mike Merton, trainer Tom Merton, and owner Evan Katz. The son of Goliath Bayama-Vedas Dragon ended his career with 46 victories in 389 starts and $551,597 in purses.
“I’ve won a lot of races, big races, but I’ve never had a horse where I could take him to the end and retire him,” said Katz, who purchased the pacer in April 2021. “Winning his last race was like winning the Art Rooney. It was just a great feeling to see him go out like that.
“All (the 14-year-olds) deserve the respect. Those kinds of horses give you everything. You take care of them, they take care of you.”
Grand Master is being retrained as a riding horse.
“He was always a nice horse,” Katz said. “In the barn, he basically taught people what they’re supposed to do. He was easy to jog, easy to train, easy to take care of; they all should be as nice as he. He’s just a good ol’ horse.”
Forward Bliss and Personnel Space both got their final win on Dec. 22 at First Tracks Cumberland in Maine.
Personnel Space, a son of I Am A Fool-Movealittlecloser, won by a length in 2:00.2 for owner-trainer Mike Girouard with Bruce Ranger in the sulky.
“I told Bruce it was the best win I had all year,” said Girouard, who bought Personnel Space in 2017. “It was probably the lowest purse I went for all year with all my horses, but it was definitely special. It was excellent.”
Personnel Space closed his career with 46 wins in 349 starts and $234,794 in earnings.
“Not that he was the fastest horse, but if you classified him right, he would always be knocking on the door,” Girouard said. “He’s one of those horses that if you’re having a bad week, he races and brings home some money for you. He’s just a nice hard-hitting horse. He made a quarter-of-a-million (dollars) the hard way.
“You know when you send him to the track, he might not win, but he’s going to give it his all.”
Personnel Space will spend his retirement with Girouard, or possibly with a cousin as a riding horse.
“He went out on a high note, which is pretty cool,” Girouard said.
Two races after Personnel Space went out on his high note, so did Forward Bliss. The pacer won by a length in 2:02, also with Ranger driving, for owner-trainer Adam Gray. The son of Blissfull Hall-Soul Sister finished his career with 37 wins in 381 starts and $158,044 in purses.
“It was very special, very awesome,” said Gray, whose father, Doug, purchased Forward Bliss in 2017. “I think he knew this was his last hurrah and he was done after this. He’s just a good ol’ warhorse, a great horse to be around.”
Forward Bliss will become a riding horse for Gray’s niece and her two young girls.
“He’s a happy horse; nothing bothered him,” Gray said. “He’ll be spoiled rotten over there. He’s got a good life ahead of him.”
For a complete alphabetical list of all 14-year-olds that raced in 2022, with their lifetime North American stats, click here or scroll thrrough the PDF below.
(Photos of horses, clockwise from left: Personnel Style (Stephanie Gray), Peter Pumpkineater (Vicki Wright) and Grand Master (Geri Schwarz). USTA)