I may have seen the past and future of free-for-all trotting in North America within about 30 minutes yesterday.
I was at The Red Mile and I was standing in the doorway of a barn when a big, bay horse lumbered toward me. I stepped out of the way as the female caretaker took him out to be hooked. He was hooked to a power cart instead of a regular jog cart.
When she slipped into the seat, her dog jumped onto her lap and the trio – horse, caretaker, and dog – ambled away. It was a cute scene, but there was something familiar about that horse. But the racetracks of North America are full of plain bay horses with no markings, so who's to say?
As I walked up to the track, the girl and horse were walking through the barn area and I couldn't resisting asking, "What horse is that?"
She said coyly, "I think he's the richest horse in training."
Ah, yes. It was Mr Muscleman. I knew there was something familiar about that big dude, but I can't recall when I last saw Mr Muscleman race. I do know that no one has seen him race for 14 months because his last start was on June 22, 2007. He went lame again after that race and hasn't started back.
Mr Muscleman is now eight years old and I don't know what kind of future he has. I do know about his past. It's a past in which a $2,000 yearling became a horse that earned more than $3.5 million, and that's certainly a good enough past.
Shortly thereafter, I may have seen the future of free-for-all trotting in North America as Jean-Pierre Dubois of France unleashed the Italian-bred trotter Infinitif in an easy-does-it 1:55 mile at The Red Mile. This horse stood in Kentucky and bred mares this spring, but he looked like the real deal in his effort today.
Infinitif is a son of Pine Chip out of the French mare Island Dream, a daughter of Coktail Jet. Coktail Jet is a champion trotter and sire by a French stallion from the Super Bowl mare Armbro Glamour by Super Bowl.
Infinitif won the Italian Derby last year and he looks to be primed to take on the best older trotters in North America later this year. He might also return to Europe for some races, but Dubois is concentrating his operation in North America in the future and don't be surprised if that name Infinitif pops up in some big trotting races in the future.
He's fast and handsome and, if he stays sound, he just might be the future of free-for-all trotting in North America.
Dean Hoffman, one of North America's most prolific harness racing journalists and member of the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame, offers SC website readers his weekly look at international standardbred racing through his eyes.