A Racetrack Potpourri

Bob Marks once wrote—perhaps in Trotlines—that Perretti’s Muscles Yankee filly, Aerobics, who made only six starts, winning a split of the Hanover at Balmoral in her only win, was somehow covered by the claiming pacer Do Not Disturb at the Meadowlands when she was a two-year-old. The surprise issue of that illicit rendezvous was the forgettable pacer Rude Awakening, who earned about $3,500. Aerobics then produced two fillies, Endorphan Annie and Aerobic Linda, who didn’t amount to much, but in 2007 she gave us Lucky Chucky, who of course was Trotter of the Year in 2010 and earned two million dollars. The fact that Chucky’s first crop hit the sales this year, with a half to Muscle Massive and Muscle Mass bringing $450,000, brought that to mind.

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When it comes to being a success buying ready-made horses it’s tough to top Norman Woolworth who purchased the great Meadow Skipper for $150,000 early in his three-year-old campaign, but in the modern era it’s hard to outdo the Bellino family. Rocknroll Heaven, who earned more than 2.7 million dollars and was voted HOY in 2010, was purchased for $300,000 after he started in a couple of Q races as a two-year-old. He’s being received like royalty at the sales.  And Pet Rock, the world record holder on half and 5/8 mile tracks, with more than 1.7 million dollars banked, was purchased for $220,000 in July of his two-year-old campaign. The latter will apparently be retired to stud after this season.

Pet Rock has started 15 times this year, but that first one at M1 stands out, for all the wrong reasons. Simon Allard left with him and tried to wrestle the top from Golden Receiver. Sorry. He appeared to turn down a seat and pushed on through fractions of :25.3 and  :52.3, eventually finishing a spent fifth. Virgil Morgan ripped his driver in the press after the race, which is something we don’t see very often.

Pet Rock’s connections wanted that mile mark to go with the other two. French Chef retired as the world record holder at two over all three sized tracks. His dam was by Nevele Pride and he wanted to be a trotter and would trot while wearing hobbles. Goo has the opposite configuration, a pacing sire and trotters on the bottom. I guess the mix imparts great speed. And just as Goo fell apart in the middle of his sophomore season and has never regained his form, French Chef went from being a great two-year-old to being a very ordinary three-year-old. He sired Beach Towel, Pace winner Frugal Gourmet and three-year old POY Amity Chef. Beach Towel sired the dam of SBSW. Direct Scooter was out of a Noble Victory mare who paced and was only bred by pacing stallions. He also had serious speed.

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In 1987 Abercrombie, an Adios line stallion, was the leading NA pacing sire. That was the first time since 1974 that a non-Meadow Skipper line stallion topped the list. Since 2004 those Meadow Skipper line stallions have taken over the top spot, with all of them running through Most Happy Fella. SBSW, with only two crops racing, has been closing fast on the outside, despite having far fewer performers than Bettor’s Delight or Rocknroll. Pretty soon we’ll once again see a non-Skipper line stallion lead the way.

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Looking at the discrepancy between the prices commanded by colts and fillies at the sales, one wonders why the two-tier system of pricing with regard to stud fees isn’t given a shot by one farm or another. Direct Scooter got $10,000 for colts and $5,000 for fillies in 1994. In 1989 Blue Chip offered On The Road Again at $1,500 for a colt and $7,500 for a filly. Precious Fella was $5,000 for a colt and half that for a filly, and Brand New Fella was $3,000 for a colt and $1,500 for a filly.

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Yesterday at Plainridge the 2,500 claimer, HH Blackjack, won. He’s an eleven-year-old Cam’s Card Shark gelding who has more than 200 starts under his belt. His dam is the Distant Thunder mare, HH Shadow, who finished second to Barberry Spur in the 1986 Cane Pace. Amity Chef was third. HH Shadow was the first filly to enter the Cane in 19 years. Her elimination win was the fastest of the three, in fact, it was the fastest mile ever paced at Yonkers by a filly or mare—1:54.4. It also equaled the world record set by Amneres at Delaware.

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Brittany has fired a preemptive strike in the stud fee adjustment game. American Ideal had his stud fee raised 25% to $10,000. This may or may not signal a trend. In 2011 they stepped American Ideal up from $6,000 to $7,500. This was on the heels of Peelers’ very successful two-year-old campaign. The others didn’t line up behind them; in fact, many stallions, including SBSW, had their fees lowered, although his was raised to the original level the following year.

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It has been widely reported that Daylon Magician and Santana Blue Chip have embarked on the road back to the track, but Winning Mister can apparently be added to the list. He Q at The Meadows yesterday. He was retired for the 2013 season in PA and his fee was set at $8,000. In the blink of an eye it fell 44% to $4,500.

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Many were convinced that we’d see a sub-1:50 trotting mile this year, but it hasn’t happened. The weather didn’t cooperate at the Red Mile for the GC meet or at Pocono for the BC and overall the four and up group hasn’t lived up to expectations. Sevruga and Uncle Peter did win in :50.3 at Pocono this year, but with a chill in the air it’s unlikely we’ll see that :49 mile in 2013.

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Rina Rekila drives EL Titan, the Muscle Hill colt she won a split of the ISS with in Lexington, in the first division of the Madison County tomorrow…..The American Ideal filly, Sweetnsinful, who cleaned up in the NYSS with 7 of 8 board finishes, but didn’t race at the Red Mile or in the BC, starts in the Madison County for two-year-old pacing fillies…..They have two weeks to rehabilitate Somwherovrarainbow’s image before she hits the sales ring in Harrisburg. She takes on Charisma Hanover and Social Scene in the first Lady Maud elimination tomorrow night…..Only 10 of the 66 nominees to the Messenger are entered in tomorrow’s two five-horse eliminations. They made it cheaper to participate this year but they still didn’t come; only two of them are what would be considered top tier colts. Back in the day Yonkers routinely featured 10, 11 and even 12 horse fields—especially in the NYSS.

Joe F