For Perfetto, defending Older Male Trotter of the Year, routine and a familiar face in the barn are what keeps him happy in his quest for more O’Brien bronze.
Trained and driven by Dagfin Henriksen for owner Gerald Haggerty of Camden East, Ont., 2021 O’Brien Awards finalist Perfetto was a model of consistency, hitting the board in 18 of his 24 seasonal starts while competing against the top trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park. A seven-time winner during his six-year-old campaign, he earned more than a quarter of a million dollars to boost his bankroll over the $650,000 mark.
But the highlight of the season for Henriksen was not one that landed him in the winner’s circle.
“The third-place finish in the Maple Leaf Trot, definitely -- that was pretty big,” said Henriksen. “That's probably the biggest race I've been in.”
Drawing in to start from post eight after a late scratch in the $546,000 Maple Leaf Trot on September 4 at Mohawk, Perfetto used a :27.1 bullet at the end to rally from ninth at odds of 141-1 and finish third behind multiple-stakes winners Forbidden Trade and Lindy The Great. (Forbidden Trade, Canada’s 2019 Horse of the Year who was named the 2021 divisional champion in the U.S., and Lindy The Great were not eligible for the O’Brien Awards with less than three starts in Canada during the season.)
The Grand Circuit stakes appearance marked a turning point in Perfetto’s season, as the Majestic Son-Perfect Prelude gelding went on to win six Preferreds through the fall and took his lifetime mark of 1:51.4 on October 11.
“He developed a lot since the year before, but he really came around after the Maple Leaf there,” said Henriksen. “Before the Maple Leaf and after that, he really kind of found a new gear, but... he's been consistent all year, really.”
From one O’Brien-worthy season to the next, Perfetto continued to show his versatility and determination on track.
“He can race from anywhere you really want but he certainly likes to be close to the front,” said Henriksen. “And he's very, very easy that way. You don't have to race a certain way to [to get a good effort]. He always gives it 100 per cent. He's always been like that.”
The Norwegian horseman credits his partner Laura Trask in keeping Perfetto content.
“He's very, very easy to manage. He's a very routine-based horse,” said Henriksen. “Laura Trask, she takes care of him. He's really attached to her, and she gives him the same routine every day. He's really responding well to that. Kudos to her for doing a great job with him.
“The routine keeps him happy. He's very, very happy with pretty much everything he does. He loves to race, loves to train so it's very easy when you have a horse that loves everything he does.”
A year-end O’Brien Awards celebration is becoming another routine for the talented trotter. Perfetto is seeking his second O’Brien Award as a finalist with Oney Hall. The national award winners will be revealed at the virtual gala on Sunday, Feb. 6.
The last O’Brien Award winner to repeat as top older male trotter was Mister Herbie in 2012 and 2013. Others to earn back-to-back divisional honours – all during the first decade of the awards – include No Sex Please, Billyjojimbob, Earl, Impeccable Image and Glorys Comet. San Pail holds the record with a three-year streak in the category, dominating from 2009 to 2011.
Henriksen admits he hadn’t really thought about the potential for another O’Brien nomination until the awards season chatter but is thrilled about the honour.
Missing out on attending the popular in-person Black Tie Gala for the second time as the event was forced to go virtual again due to COVID-19 precautions, Henriksen quipped, “We just have to make him better and maybe we get nominated next year.”
After a spring break, plans for Perfetto could potentially include more stakes action.
“We're going to race him not too hard the rest of the winter here and probably give him a little break in the spring, early spring, and then try to get him ready for the big ones in the fall,” said Henriksen of the trotter’s schedule for 2022. “We've got the Breeders Crown up here this year and I know the owners want to put him in there, so we'll see. He has to be racing the way they race if he were to go for sure, but we'll be staking him up a little bit this year too.”
For now, the connections will take a moment to enjoy their success at Baycairn Training Center.
“There's a good group of people on the farm here and I figured we'll do something for the people on the farm,” said Henriksen, who manages the Campbellville, Ont. training facility with Trask in addition to his own eight-horse stable. “You know, we have two nominees on the farm, that's pretty big.”
The Baycairn community will also be represented by Older Trotting Mare finalist Power And Grace, who is trained by Ron MacDonald.
The 33rd edition of the O’Brien Awards will be streamed live on February 6 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. (EST) on standardbredcanada.ca.