It can be difficult to follow in the footsteps of a renowned sibling. Just ask Jan Brady.
But five-year-old pacer Safe From Terror, a half-sister to harness racing’s all-time richest horse, Foiled Again, is doing her best to secure her own unique place in family lore.
On Monday (December 18), Safe From Terror won her 22nd race of the year, and she now leads all harness racing horses in North America in victories this season. Foiled Again might have $7.55 million in purses and a half-dozen Dan Patch and O’Brien awards, including a Pacer of the Year trophy, but he never led the continent in wins.
Safe From Terror has won 22 of 35 races this year and earned $239,630 for owner Ed Telle’s Winchester Baye Acres. She is on a five-race win streak and has won 10 of her last 12 starts, dating back to August.
“She’s a monster,” Telle said. “She’s just rocking and rolling. I think the cool weather came in, and she just loves it that way. Off tracks don’t bother her, nothing bothers her. She’s a racehorse.
“Of course, look at her family.”
Telle, who purchased Safe From Terror as a broodmare prospect, paid $210,000 during the mixed sale portion of the 2015 Standardbred Horse Sale. The mare was trained previously by Ron Burke, who still campaigns Foiled Again, and prior to changing hands won the Nadia Lobell Stakes and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship at age three.
Although Safe From Terror (pictured) currently leads North America in wins in 2017, she has a long way to go if she wants to take a run at some of her sibling’s stats (Chris Gooden Photo)
For her career, Safe From Terror has won 47 of 105 races and earned $889,457. She is a daughter of Western Terror and is out of the mare In A Safe Place.
“I was looking for quality and she’s got quality,” Telle said. “She’s demonstrated that.
“She’s not the biggest horse in the world, she’s nice-sized, but she’s got a reach (with her stride). She reaches like the big horses do. And she’s got a motor. When you turn for home, you don’t have to do anything and she just goes into a different gear.”
Safe From Terror has raced in Ohio and Pennsylvania, primarily in the open or preferred handicaps for fillies and mares. She has been trained this year by Mike Conklin and the wife-and-husband team of Diana and Bruce Riegle.
Entering Wednesday, Safe From Terror held a one-win lead over 13-year-old Australian-bred female pacer Quicksilvercandy in the race for most victories this year. Lous Game N Match and Tell Us More were tied for third, with 18 wins each.
Telle expects Safe From Terror to finish this year at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway before heading to the east coast to race in early 2018.
“I try to do right by them and they do right by me,” Telle said. “I try to put them where they’re not going to be over their head every week. I don’t know what horses think, but she just likes being a winner. She’s got a heck of a record and she’s done it against open horses. She’s taken on some pretty tough horses. She’s just a wonderful horse.”
Telle’s previous successes in harness racing include campaigning 2011 Little Brown Jug winner Big Bad John, who earned $1 million in his career. Telle’s Winchester Baye Acres still owns the stallion, who stands in Ohio.
“I’ve got two horses like this in my lifetime. I’ve been blessed,” Telle said. “Maybe I’ll get another one someday. I’ll try.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.