Lindy Farms of Connecticut, the legacy breeding and racing operation of the Antonacci family which has seen subsequent generations grow and support the sport of harness racing, has been voted the Stan Bergstein/Proximity Award, the highest award the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) votes on solely.
Cousins Frank and Guy “Sonny” Antonacci, both members of harness racing’s Hall of Fame, started Lindy Farms in partnership with the Lomangino family, finding instant success with 1969 Horse of the Year Lindys Pride. Frank and his brother Tom then partnered in the Crown Stable, whose first purchase was the great Speedy Crown, he the sire of Moni Maker, whom Lindy Farms bought into mid-sophomore season and saw her become a champion racehorse, then added to their broodmare band.
Brothers Frank and Jerry Antonacci have been involved with and managed Lindy Farms of Connecticut for 40 years, including racing as amateur drivers during the 1990s. They also were at the forefront during this period in the development of frozen semen usage in cross-continental matings. In 2000, Frank and Jerry became operating partners of Lexington’s famed Red Mile and owners of the Tattersalls Sales Company.
Frank is also a partner in Meadowlands Racetrack. He has been a director of the Hambletonian Society since 1993, and is a vice president and member of the Society’s executive committee. He has been a trustee of the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame since 2011, and served as a United States Trotting Association director for 18 years.
The family has contributed greatly to the reinvigorating of the racing and breeding programs in Kentucky, home of The Red Mile, and of Massachusetts, next door to Connecticut and whose racetrack Plainridge Park is often a “finishing school” for the Farm’s racing prospects.
The next generation of the Antonacci family is gradually assuming positions of higher importance in the sport. Frank’s sons Frank M., Christopher, and Philip, alongside Jerry’s sons Guy and Matthew and daughter Sara, actively participate in Lindy Farms operations and on the boards of other harness organizations. Lindy Farms received the 2020 Service To Youth Award from the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.
The Antonacci family’s largesse also extends beyond the borders of the racetrack and the breeding shed. The Antonacci Family Foundation sparked the Millions of Meals Initiative for The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts with a sizable donation, helping many suffering from various hardships imposed by COVID. The Foundation also supports other charitable operations, such as the Baystate Health network of hospitals.
Lindy Farms and the Antonaccis will be honoured at USHWA’s Dan Patch Night of Champions Awards Banquet, to be held on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida.
(USHWA)