Champion Standardbred Staying Together passed on Monday (Oct. 28) at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he had been retired after a successful pacing career.
At the age of 30, the gelding was euthanized due to infirmities of old age. The champion known as "Stanley" came to the Kentucky Horse Park in September 1995.
“Staying Together became a close member of the Kentucky Horse Park family during his years at the Hall of Champions,” said Laura Prewitt, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “As a member of the family, he will be missed terribly, and never forgotten.”
Sired by Panorama, out of Happily Involved, Staying Together was foaled on April 16, 1989, by Kentuckiana Farms of Kentucky. Staying Together last raced in 1995 and completed his four-year racing career with 46 wins in 95 starts, earning $1,692,832.
When Staying Together retired from racing in the spring of his six-year-old season, he did so with remarkable credentials. He was voted harness racing’s Horse of the Year, as well as Aged Pacing Horse of the Year in 1993. That year will be remembered as one of the greatest seasons in harness racing, as Staying Together won five races in a row, defeating the best older pacers on the continent in the opening legs of the Graduate Series at The Meadowlands, Rosecroft and Freehold Raceway in New Jersey and Maryland. In the entire 1993 season, Staying Together won 21 of 26 races, three of them faster than 1:50. One of those wins, the June 19 leg of the Driscoll Series at The Meadowlands, was at the time the fastest race mile in harness history, 1:48.2. In August 2002, he was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Staying Together took his mark of 1:48.2 in the 1993 Alfred E. Driscoll at The Meadowlands.
Staying Together shared the Kentucky Horse Park Hall of Champions with other champion horses including fellow Standardbreds Western Dreamer, Won the West and Mr. Muscleman; Thoroughbreds Go for Gin, Funny Cide, Point Given and Da Hoss; and American Quarter Horse Be A Bono.
Like the other great Hall of Champions horses that passed in retirement at the park, Staying Together was buried in the Memorial Walk of Champions near Standardbreds Cam Fella and Rambling Willie.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Staying Together.
(Kentucky Horse Park)
Well Said Mr. ODonnell,
Well Said Mr. ODonnell,
I had the pleasure of you and Stanley blowing by me up the backside in the 90's in the Frank Ryan Memorial. The moment you pulled on his right line from behind me, the race was pretty much over before the 3/4 pole! .. with nothing more than a quick blur of brown, red and blue driving away! I was given the honor of driving CKS for an American lad and finished third to you that evening. It was a privilege to line up on the gate with Staying Together. RIP Stanley and Thanks for the memories.
Staying Together was a
Staying Together was a champion on the racetrack who gave his all in every race. The race I remember most was when he won on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands coming from far back in the last quarter to defeat the best pacers in North America. He was loved by all who knew him. Thanks for the memories Stanley. RIP.
Fond memories of this guy. I
Fond memories of this guy. I used to go to the Big M with my Dad and saw him race against the best older pacers in the early 90s. Back in 2016 I visited the KY Horse Park and got to pet Stanley and talk to him. He was a kind fellow and although he was blind at that time he still got around fine.
My condolences to the people
My condolences to the people that owned Staying Together, the trainers and especially Billy O'Donnell whom I had the chance of meeting when I was at Saratoga Raceway with Kevin Murphy. He always stayed one of my special drivers.