Captaintreacherous, who won eight of 10 races and earned $911,277, on Wednesday became the first two-year-old pacer in 25 years to be named U.S. Pacer of the Year, earning the nod over three-year-olds Michaels Power and American Jewel and defending champion Foiled Again in a wide-open contest.
A two-year-old male pacer, Captaintreacherous received 48 of 146 votes in Dan Patch Awards balloting by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Michaels Power was next with 24, followed by American Jewel with 21 and Foiled Again with 20. Ten horses received at least one vote for Pacer of the Year, with seven getting at least eight.
Captaintreacherous, who also was named harness racing’s best two-year-old male pacer, joins Camtastic (1987) and Niatross (1979) as the only two-year-olds to be named Pacer of the Year. Niatross garnered the first of two consecutive Horse of the Year honours in 1979.
This season’s U.S. Horse of the Year will be announced Thursday.
Although Michaels Power finished second in the Pacer of the Year voting, he failed to receive the Dan Patch Award for best three-year-old male pacer. That honour went to Heston Blue Chip, who defeated Michael’s Power, 68-50, in the voting. Heston Blue Chip received nine votes for Pacer of the Year.
Other pacers to receive Dan Patch Award divisional honours were Somwherovrarainbow (two-year-old female), American Jewel (three-year-old female), Foiled Again (older male) and Anndrovette (older female).
Captaintreacherous, trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Tim Tetrick, won the $1-million Metro Pace in 1:49.2, equalling the stakes record, and the $309,050 Woodrow Wilson by ten and a quarter lengths in a stakes and track-record 1:49.3. He became the first two-year-old pacer in history to win with three sub-1:50 miles, also capturing his Metro Pace elimination in 1:49.3.
He also won divisions of the Bluegrass, International Stallion and Nassagaweya Stakes.
“I never thought I’d see the days when two-year-olds were going those kinds of sub-1:50 miles,” said Michael Parisi, whose White Birch Farm bred Captaintreacherous and was one of the horse’s owners. “He just kept doing it and bounced back.
“The Metro was a great race, but in the Wilson when he just turned it on and went the 1:49.3 and won by (ten and a quarter lengths), I wondered to myself 'How fast is he?' He was just amazing. I’m really proud of him.”
Captaintreacherous, a son of 2008 Horse of the Year Somebeachsomewhere, was purchased for $250,000 as a yearling at the Lexington Selected Sale. He was the first foal out of the lightly raced stakes-winning mare Worldly Treasure, who is a full sister to two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Worldly Beauty.
Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Joe Sbrocco also share in ownership of Captaintreacherous.
“When I sold him in Kentucky, Myron Bell (Brittany Farms’ racing manager) purchased him for Tony Alagna and he wanted me to buy a small piece,” Parisi said. “Both Myron and Tony had such high hopes for this colt. They loved him from Day 1; from the day they saw him on the farm. I loved the colt, too. He did look special.
“I wasn’t surprised when he brought the $250,000 in Lexington because he was just gorgeous. He was probably one of the best looking yearlings I’ve ever raised, and I’m not saying that because he performed the way he did. That was just a bonus. But he was very, very good looking as a yearling. I just wish my father (Joe) was here to see him. He always loved to see a good horse.”
Foiled Again and Anndrovette were repeat winners in their respective divisions.
An eight-year-old, Foiled Again earned $1.20 million this season and broke his own record for oldest pacer to have a million-dollar campaign. His win in the Canadian Pacing Derby made him the richest North American pacer in history and he finished the year with career purses of $4.62 million.
Somwherovrarainbow is a daughter of two Horse of the Year winners. Her sire, Somebeachsomewhere, was Horse of the Year in 2008 and her dam, Rainbow Blue, was the 2004 honouree. Only one other mating of Horse of the Year winners has resulted in a divisional champion, when trotters Victory Song (the first Horse of the Year in 1947) and Emilys Pride (1958) produced Noble Victory, who was the 1964 two-year-old trotter of the year.
These champion pacers will be honoured at the Dan Patch Awards banquet, Sunday, March 3, at the Westin Beach Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, the climatic event of Harness Racing Congress VI that will run throughout the weekend. Information about the banquet, the Congress, and related topics can be obtained by going to the harness writers’ website (ushwa.org).
2-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
PACER OF THE YEAR
Captaintreacherous (144 votes)
Somebeachsomewhere – Worldly Treasure – Artsplace
Breeder: White Birch Farm, Allentown, N.J.
Owners: Brittany Farms, Versailles, Ky.; Marvin Katz, Toronto; Joe Sbrocco, Brecksville, Ohio; White Birch Farm, Allentown, N.J.
Trainer: Tony Alagna. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 10-8-1-1. Purses: $911,277. Mark: 1:49.2 at Mohawk.
Top wins: $1-million Metro Pace, $309,050 Woodrow Wilson, $109,206 Nassagaweya division, $86,800 Bluegrass Stakes division, $86,550 International Stallion Stakes division.
2-YEAR-OLD-FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
Somwherovrarainbow (80 votes)
Somebeachsomewhere – Rainbow Blue – Artiscape
Breeders: K&R Racing, Houston, Del.; Teague Inc., Harrington, Del.
Owners: George Teague Jr. Inc., Harrington, Del.; K&R Racing, Houston, Del.; Ted Gewertz, New York, N.Y.
Trainer: George Teague Jr. Drivers: Andy Miller, Montrell Teague.
Races: 11-7-2-1. Purses: $522,437. Mark: 1:51.2 at Woodbine.
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown, $160,650 Matron.
3-YEAR-OLD-MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Heston Blue Chip (68 votes)
American Ideal – Shot Togo Bluechip – Cam’s Card Shark
Breeder: Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., Wallkill, N.Y.
Owner: Ken Jacobs, Baldwinsville, N.Y.
Trainer: Linda Toscano. Drivers: Tim Tetrick, George Brennan.
Races: 18-14-1-1. Purses: $1.02 million. Mark: 1:48.0 at Dover Downs.
Top wins: $555,000 Breeders Crown, $270,400 Empire Breeders Classic, $270,000 Progress Pace, $176,663 Matron.
3-YEAR-OLD-FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
American Jewel (141 votes)
American Ideal – Trim Hanover – Camluck
Breeder: Brittany Farms, Versailles, Ky.
Owner: Brittany Farms, Versailles, Ky.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 16-9-4-2. Purses: $1.16 million. Mark: 1:48.2 at Mohawk (world record).
Top wins: $629,160 Fan Hanover, $500,000 Breeders Crown, $250,000 Lynch Memorial, $207,930 Simcoe, $145,000 American-National, $71,000 Bluegrass Stakes division.
OLDER MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Foiled Again (60 votes)
Dragon Again – In A Safe Place – Artsplace
Breeder: Barbara Matthews, Aiken, S.C.
Owners: Burke Racing Stable, Fredericktown, Pa.; Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Canonsburg, Pa.; JJK Stables, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Races: 24-7-8-5. Purses: $1.20 million. Mark: 1:48.3 at Mohawk.
Top wins: $794,870 Canadian Pacing Derby, $291,000 Molson Pace, $200,000 Indiana Pacing Derby.
OLDER FEMALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Anndrovette (72 votes)
Riverboat King – Easy Miss – Big Towner
Breeder: Golden Touch Stable, Fair Lawn, N.J.
Owners: Bamond Racing, Brick, N.J.; Joseph Davino, Clarksburg, N.J.
Trainer: P.J. Fraley. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 23-7-4-5. Purses: $696,799. Mark: 1:48.1 at Mohawk.
Top wins: $387,090 Roses Are Red, $331,500 Breeders Crown, $101,750 Overbid.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.
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