It’s not like it was totally unexpected, but Monticello Raceway’s Au Revoir, the race exclusively for 14-year-olds that will be forced into retirement on January 1, 2014, failed to attract enough entries this year.
“When we opened the [entry] box this morning we only had three entries,” noted Eric Warner, the track's Director of Racing. ”Actually I was somewhat surprised because we worked hard on filling the race and there seemed to be quite a lot of interest.”
However, Warner shouldn’t be too surprised since after the Mighty M first staged the race for the retiring crew back in 1991 only four other times in the 22 following years did the Au Revoir fill.
Although the race was presented three times in the last four years, still getting enough entries is never a given.
“We are asked from time to time why don’t you include 12 and 13-year-olds, but it wouldn’t be the same race. That it doesn’t always fill every year makes the Au Revoir that much more special,” Warner explained.
Of all five of the Au Revoir’s that were raced, the most exceptional occurred last year when Whitlock N and driver Kevin Switzer Jr. turned back the much hyped and race favourite, Tattlers Jet, in a time of 2:01.3.
To say that the 2012 Au Revoir was much hyped would be an understatement. That $5,000 race drew a full page story with a photo of Tattlers Jet and his trainer Gene Miller on the opening page of the sports section sports page in the New York Times and there was a follow-up story the next day, also of huge proportions.
The USTA’s Ellen Harvey, whose unwavering assistance helped get the story published, said a few days after the event, “Never did a $5,000 race get so much coverage.”
A race exclusively for 14-year-olds near the end of the year is unique in that not only is it hard to find enough 14-year-old standardbreds still competing in late December, but it is the final race in the careers of the entrants because every January 1 all horses become one year older, no matter when they were foaled, and at 15 years old all standardbreds have to hang up their racing shoes.
“Although we are discouraged by not being able to fill the Au Revoir this year, we’ll definitely try again next season,” Warner promised.
(Monticello Raceway)