Former Maine pacing sire Sweet Dragon, 33, was laid to rest on Monday, Sept. 2 from the infirmities of old age at Olive Branch Farm in North Carolina.
A former leading Maine pacing sire Sweet Dragon p,2,1:54.4 ($232,392) was a multiple sub-1:53 sire and sired the winners of more than $4.7 million in the Pine Tree State.
A half-brother to U.S. Hall of Fame broodmare Sweet Future, he was a son of Breeders Crown winner Dragons Lair and was the first foal from the Nero mare Sweet Dahrlin p,3,1:55.4 ($169,163).
Olive Branch Farm owner/operator Chris Coyle stated, "He was a special horse that I helped raise during my years at Walnridge Farm in New Jersey. I got to watch him finish second in the 1993 Woodrow Wilson with Jim Doherty driving for trainer Polie Mallar and owner Dr. Binette. He went on to be a leading Maine pacing sire for many years under the management of Lynn-Marie Plouffe at her Dupuis Farm in Saco."
In 2012, he was adopted by Coyle, his breeder Seth Rosenfeld and trainer Polie Mallar, and got to live a long, happy life at Olive Branch as a babysitter to many yearling colts.
Coyle added, “We adopted him from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation of NJ, an organization that does a wonderful job placing horses in good homes lead by Judy Bokman.”
(Olive Branch Farm; photo of Sweet Dragon with former trainer Polie Mallar, Chris Coyle and Mr. & Mrs. Pat Leavitt)