Each year must come to an end, and when it does harness racing must say goodbye to a few classy veterans that have competed till mandatory retirement.
Every horse’s birthday is January 1 and per the rules of the United States Trotting Association, a harness horse faces mandatory retirement the day they turn 15 years old.
Thursday at Northfield Park three horses will compete for their final time because they each turn 15 years old on Wednesday (January 1). Among the trio saying “Au revoir” to the racing scene is T Red.
T Red has been one of the most reliable horses racing on the Michigan and Ohio circuits for about a decade. Thursday will mark his 477th race. T Red is one of just 16 pacers to win 100 times. He enters Thursday with 104 wins, 66 seconds and 73 third-place finishes, earning $479,673. T Red’s lifetime mark was taken as a five-year-old when he won in 1:51.1 at Indiana Downs.
Henry Gully of Cement City, Michigan purchased T Red as a four-year-old and has also been his trainer for the past 10 years. He may have spoiled Gully because he is the first horse that the 72 year-old Michigander ever owned, and was a mere $800 purchase.
T Red has competed on 37 different racetracks throughout his career and has been piloted to victory by 33 different drivers.
He goes to post in the eighth race on Thursday from the dreaded eight-hole and is 25-1 morning line.
Thursday’s second race marks 14-year-old veteran trotter Pembroke Snapshot’s 351st and final race. He has 45 lifetimes wins, 45 runner-up placings and 52 thirds. He has earned $391,454 and has a 1:54 career best at The Meadows at age six. He is owned by Mikel Decker of Adrian, Michigan and trained by Jennifer Carpenter.
The evening’s third race will be 14-year-old Electric Lad’s final race. He starts from post-7 and is 25-1. He is owned and trained by Brian Bellamy of Anderson, Indiana. Thursday will be his 381st race with 54 wins, 52 seconds and 46 third-place finishes, earning $453,908. His 1:51.2 mark was paced at Hoosier Park at the age of nine.
The three are scheduled to compete as part of Northfield Park’s 15-race program beginning at 6 p.m.
(Northfield Park)