Not many in the horse racing game can say that one of their pupils has gone out and lowered a track record in its second-ever charted mile
. For horseman Alain Veilleux, two-year-old Taurus Dream gelding Herbie Drummond has given him a gift of optimism in what has been a dark year for Quebec racing.
Veilleux told Trot Insider that the record mile came in an August 16 qualifier at Sulky Quebec. With Alain's son Richard at the controls, Herbie Drummond fired out from Post 4 and opened up a quick seven-length lead at the opening quarter. The lead was expanded to 10 lengths at the half and 12 lengths by the three-quarter marker -- and that was before the bay decided to show his heels to the rest of the field.
On top by 15 lengths at the head of the lane, the homebred of La Ferme Drummond Inc. of Saint-Hugues, Que. went on to romp by more than 30 lengths in 2:03.2. The performance lowered Jobie Tempest's 1993 track record of 2:04 for two-year-old trotting colt or gelding.
"He had always showed speed and we have never pushed him," Alain told Trot Insider. "Since we haven't pushed him, we weren't too sure what kind of mile he would put in that day. He surprised us -- he did it all himself."
After displaying a bossy side to its personality, Alain told Trot Insider that the decision was made to geld Herbie Drummond. Since the alteration, Alain reports that the bay "has been all right" and has "calmed down quite a bit."
The trainer explained to Trot Insider that if the Quebec circuit was up and running, Herbie Drummond would have a good shot of putting together a really good year. Since the Quebec racing industry is currently in a desperate and murky state of legal and political purgatory, Alain told Trot Insider that the gelding may be on his way to compete in Ontario. "We'll have a better idea of what the horse will be doing next week," he said.
If there is a silver lining in the situation, Alain has said that Herbie Drummond is ensured a solid maturation process. "I don't want to rush him," he said.
"When he was training down on the farm, he always went with the pacers. He doesn't mind to work. Taurus Dream, to me, is a top stallion. His dam (Hit Play) has been well proven in the breeding shed."
Alain told Trot Insider that he also has a yearling full brother to Herbie Drummond, Humphrey Drummond, as well, and that Hit Play is currently in foal to Amigo Hall.