Matricentric Stallions

Joe F., offers his opinion regarding what he calls Matricentric Stallions.

More often than not a sire’s best performer is one of his sons. Maven, the Glidemaster mare who gave us another dominant performance in winning her Armbro Flight elimination in :52.4 at Mohawk last night, is an exception to that rule. When her paternal brother, Blue Porsche,  won the Valley Victory at the end of his two-year-old campaign, it looked like he’d be in contention for sophomore leadership, however, aside from a win in the Goodtimes, he never fulfilled his promise. Maven is markedly better than any other son or daughter of her sire: she’s Speedy Rodney’s Green Speed and that one’s Duenna.

Maven is essentially the lone piece of good news for ten-year-old Glidemaster. He is about as trendy as the paper map at this point. In 2009 his 44 yearlings averaged a robust $53,000 at the sales. His top went for $270,000, followed by a 170, 150, 145 and 140. Very nice. In 2010 his average dropped to $24,000; his top went for $90,000, followed by an 87, 65 and 47. Then in 2011 his average fell to less than $19,000, with a top of $50,000. His stud fee has been reduced 78% since 2009; it dropped 48% between 2012 and 2013. He now stands for $4,000 in PA.

Anndrovette, a daughter of the Cams Card Shark stallion, Riverboat King, is also an exception to the rule that a sire’s top performer be male. She is far and away the fastest, richest offspring of that New York based stallion. Miss Easy, a member of the Living HOF, who won the BC twice along with the Countess Adios, Three Diamonds, Shalee and Debutante, is another mare who was clearly the top performer by her sire, French Chef. That sire’s paternal brother, Frugal Gourmet, was also matricentric, although he produced no memorable offspring. (Beach Towel was a different story.)  In both of these cases there is no room for discussion.

Delinquent Account was the only millionaire by the Happy Motoring stallion, On The Road Again. She won the Bluegrass at two and three, and went on to win the BC as an older mare; she won her division in 1991. An as a bonus, DA was the dam of Artiscape as well as Arterra, the dam of Western Terror and If I Can Dream. She also gave us the dams of Strike An Attitude and Authorize. OTRA was a much more prolific stallion—in terms of numbers—than Riverboat King or Amity Chef, but he failed to produce an outstanding son, so as was the case with Anndrovette and Miss Easy, there wasn’t much competition for the crown.

Merger, the Albatross stallion who won the 1982 Jug, was a typical son of that one in that he wasn’t a very productive sire, but his best was L Dees Trish, who won the Lady Maud and the Bronx Filly Pace. Another from the Meadow Skipper line who hasn’t lived up to the hype is Jereme’s Jet. He’s come up especially short in the area of producing exceptional sons. I guess the OSS mare, Apogee Hanover, is his best.

Allamerican Native is another stallion with son issues. The mare, A And Gsconfusion, two-year-old filly pacer of the year in the US and Canada in 2007, and winner of the Great Lady, Bluegrass, Three Diamonds and BC, is probably his best.

How about the Western ideal stallion, American Ideal? Heston Blue Chip won the Dan Patch last year, but so did his paternal sister, American Jewel. The top four performers by American Ideal are those two along with Romantic Moment and Idyllic. The mares have dominated thus far.

Reaching back into the past for another dominant pacing mare, how about Glad Rags. While most sons and daughters of Greentree Adios raced in the fledgling NYSS, Glad Rags took on the best. When True Duane beat Bret in the Classic at Hollywood Park, Glad Rags was in the field, in reign to Joe March Jr, along with Adios Vic, Cardigan Bay and several other heavy hitters.

Check Me Out is easily the best issue of Donato Hanover. His oldest are four and no dominant son has emerged. Figuring out which Dewey is best is a chore; that’s not a good thing.

For all the great sons Speedy Crown produced, is Moni Maker his best? Is Peace Corps Baltic Speed's best performer on the track?

Fresh Yankee was the fastest and richest offspring of Hickory Pride.

Scenic Regal was the best of the Lindys Prides in NA.

Duenna, who was the handy winner of the 1983 Hambletonion for Stanley Dancer and Norman Woolworth, takes top billing for the New York based stallion, Green Speed. She was voted Trotter of the Year in 1983. Green Speed’s son, Wayne Eden, did break new ground when he was the upset winner ($36) of the 1974 Realization for George Sholty. The $141,000 purse was the biggest open payday ever for a New York bred horse. Wayne Eden went on to be very successful in Europe, but his biggest claim to fame in NA was being found wandering on an Italian beach after a ransom was paid to his kidnappers the year after that Realization win. For NA purposes Duenna would have to be considered the dominant offspring of Green Speed.

CR Kay Suzie was Royal Troubador’s best.

Crys Dream was Taurus Dream’s best.

Cash Hall is matricentric: Cowgirl Hall, Evil Urges, Kristen’s Victory.

Speedy Count? Steve Lobell took the Hambletonion and Yonkers Trot and won his division, but no, it’s got to be Delmonica Hanover or Dream Of Glory. Delmonica has a more impressive resume: she won her division at two, three and four and was voted HOY the following year. She won the International twice as well as the Prix d’Amerique. Del Miller guided her career.

Dream Of Glory, who won 33 of 44 at two and three, only earned half as much money and kept a lower profile, but he was very fast and talented. DOG was handicapped by the presence of the owner’s son, Pius Soehnlen, in the bike. Pius was the author of “Life On The Rim.” Late in his career the Armstrong’s syndicated Dream Of Glory for $810,000 and turned him over to Joe O’Brien. It has to be Delmonica, but DOG coulda, shoulda, woulda…..

Most breeders would just as soon not have a mare serve as the standard bearer for their stallion, but it’s preferable to having none at all.

Perception is Reality

Of course, this is not true.  The problem is for most people, perception is the truth and that spells problems for racing.

Since I have been doing this blog and hanging out on something called Facebook, I have got to meet some standout people in the industry.  People who have a new pet when someone tells them they have a horse about to go to a dealer because they couldn't find a new home for their retired horse.  People who spend every waking moment with retired horses and sacrifice personal time once their 'paid' job is done, taking care of these pensioners.  People who feed their horses before they will feed themselves.  Those who have formed their own horse rescues, whether formally or not.  All who do good work basically in anonymity because the truth is good deeds are not 'sexy' with respect to the word getting out.

On the other hand, bad news spreads quickly and when it does, all of racing is evil.  The good people get forgotten or lumped together in the same group as the bad apples, or are dismissed as being the exception to the rule.  We can promote every good compassionate person in the industry and it doesn't matter; they certainly must be a minority and everyone else must be drugging or tubing their horses, selling them off to slaughter, treating horses as merely a widget in the drive to make money.  Yet for every person who is rich in this industry, how many trainers are there making do with old vehicles, skipping vacations, doing without (many) grooms to save money, sacrificing those niceties so they can be caring and training their horses eighty hours a week yet care for their families?

Let's not kid ourselves, there are bad people in this industry, the same way there are bad people in every industry.  Unfortunately, where most industries live and die on their own merits, racing depends on the government in some way or the other be it slot support or just regulatory and when government runs things, it means they respond to the whims of the people (or the public with the largest bankroll). 

The point is racing can't afford to have bad people because the bad people unfortunately drive the narrative when it comes to racing.  This is why the industry can't take a 'hands off'' approach when it comes to horse welfare, claiming  they can't tell people what to do with their horses.  I realize not everyone can keep their horses forever, but depending on a network of good hearted people without providing financial support is not sustainable.  The industry must finally get the courage up to demand swift justice (yet fair) when it comes to cheats for they will ruin it for those who play by the rules.  Racing commissions settling cases by having someone agreeing not to renew their license and set up shop elsewhere doesn't solve the problem, it has the problem moving elsewhere.

Perception is reality and you can talk yourself blue in the face trying to convince people otherwise.  We need to work towards making perception being the truth.


While the vast majority of Americans are against horse slaughter, the horse industry is not well served when the New York Farm Bureau rises in opposition to the bill in New York which basically does what New Jersey's law against horse slaughter does, bans the selling or transporting of horses for slaughter, which also was opposed by farm interests in New Jersey to no avail.  If racing horsemen had any sense in the Empire State, they would distance themselves from the Farm Bureau's stance.  Unfortunately, they likely will not.  Talk about shooting oneself in the foot.

Other Doings

Today is the Currier and Ives for three year old filly trotters at The Meadows and HANA Handicappers have made their picks which may be found here.  I don't dispute the fact the race is on the Grand Circuit, but this race makes a good case for the grading of stakes.  This stakes should be no more than a grade three race. 


Watch and Wager, LLC, a subsidiary of Webis, the company who operates the harness meet at Cal Expo is moving on with its second phase, that is getting an online account wagering license in the Golden State.  It will be interesting to see if they get it for their current plan is to accept wagers on horse and greyhound racing.  I can't say for sure, but my guess is due to the black eye dog racing has, it will not be allowed to take wagers on greyhound racing.


There was a horrible accident at Monticello Raceway on Monday which took out seven of the eight horses in the race which was declared a no-contest.  This story contains a link of the race for those who insist on seeing the race (discretion is suggested).  Drivers Jimmy Marohn Sr. and Michael Forte went directly to the hospital, later joined by Brad Clouser.  Other drivers suffered injuries as well.  Only three of the drivers escaped without any serious injury; two continued to drive the rest of the card while Jimmy Marohn Jr., took off his drives to go with his father to the hospital.

Amazingly, all the horses came out of the race with nothing more than scrapes and bruises.

While the race was declared no-contest, Halfpipe won the race in 2:11.2, most because he had to avoid horses who were loose all over the track.


Valley View Downs is dead.  Long live Lawrence Downs Casino and Racing Resort.  Endeka Entertainment has secured the funding needed thanks to a partnership with Penn National Gaming which will manage the facility with the option to purchase 1/3 of the company (at present a company can only own one casino within Pennsylvania.  Now starts the process to get a casino license.  It actually looks like this racino will be built.  Like in Ohio, let's see how many seats the provide for racing.  You know where the emphasis is going to be when a project is named 'Casino and Racing' instead of 'Racing and Casino'.  When racing made the move to get slots at racetracks, they made a deal with the devil.  Right now things may be going well but in the end, horsemen are going to regret it.

Bits and Pieces

VFTRG frequent contributor Joe F. offers his take on things in a column he calls Bits and Pieces.

The qualifying card at The Meadowlands on Friday might be better than the main event. Royalty For Life, who came on strong at the end of last year, faces Detour Hanover, the full brother to Donato who has beaten nw1 thus far and is making folks forget about Good Humor Man. RFL, who was stuck at Vernon during the quarantine, is one of many contenders from that division not to be entered in the Goodtimes eliminations scheduled for Saturday at Mohawk. Division kingpin Wheeling N Dealin, a Canadian based colt, wasn’t even nominated to the Goodtimes. Smilin Eli, Time To Kill, Aperfectyankee, Murmur Hanover, Corky, Major Athens and Fashion Blizzard are a few more from the list of the missing.

Last year longshot Beer Summit beat longer shot, Prayer Session. The final went for $351,000; this year the purse for the final has been trimmed 30%. The fourteen nominees who are entered in the two eliminations are a forgettable bunch.

It’s apparent that all the big dogs are on board for the NA Cup eliminations on Saturday, but Friday’s Elegantimage prelims also drew the division leaders. To Dream On broke stride while being raced conservatively by Yannick Gingras in last week’s EBC elimination. As a result, she failed to make the final and is slated to face Bee A Magician in the first EI elimination. Mistery Woman is also in that race.

I Luv The Nitelife, last year’s O’Brien winner, is also in to qualify for Tetrick at M1 on Friday. She’s also entered in that night’s single elimination for the Fan Hanover at Mohawk. The latter sounds like the more likely and lucrative option. Jewel won the Fan last year and Peelers took it in 2011. Last year 16 fillies raced in two eliminations and there were ten in the final. On Saturday there is a single elimination with a field of ten. One will be culled from the final, which already includes Jerseylicious.

Somwherovrarainbow was nominated to the Fan but her connections chose to beat up on a field of PASS also rans in Tuesday’s Adios Betty instead. The purse for the Fan is off almost 40% from the $642,000 offered last year, but $400,000 is still a lot more than the $78,000 available  for each split of the Adios Betty. Charisma Hanover and Novascotia Hanover, neither of whom was nominated to the Fan, were the short-priced winners of the other Adios Betty splits. I think the 2011 BC elimination, where Montrel took Custard out in :26.1, and after parking Pierce and RWJ, backed into the field finishing up the track, was the last time he drove at a WEG track. Tetrick drove Rainbow in the Great Lady and Eternal Camnation while Andy Miller won the BC with her.

Casie Coleman’s L Dees Lioness, the other big dog in that division at season’s end, hasn’t raced since finishing third in the BC.

Heston Blue Chip, who finished third behind Dynamic Youth and Bettor’s Edge in his lone 2013 start, is also in to qualify at M1 Friday, along with the winner of the last two BCs for older pacers, Bettor Sweet. It’s June and HBCs only start is in an oddball four–year-old open at M1 consisting of five horses, two of them from the Toscano barn. Heston finished third. She skipped last week with him; now he’s gonna qualify? The Roll With Joe is Sunday, right in his backyard. No RWJ for HBC? He’s staked to it. Maybe this is the new normal under Gural’s stallion rules: piddle around at four, then head for the stud barn. Market Share has also been out once; he was given the three post in an A-1/FFA handicap.

HBC and Market Share figured to make some noise in the TVG series—and they more than likely will. However, who would have guessed that after two rounds, Fred And Ginger would have 43% more points than any other pacer and Sevruga would be leading the trotters.

Cheddar, Sweet Lou, Foiled, Duer, Razzle Dazzle, Pet Rock, Golden Receiver, ARNRD, Heston and Bettor’s Edge are the ten pacers that qualify, according to their earnings, for Sunday’s Roll With Joe at Tioga;  and Anndrovette, Feeling You, Economy Terror,  Rocklamation, Romantic Moment, Bettor B Lucky, Camille, Cee Cee, Darena and Big McDeal are the mares that qualify for the Artiscape. And there are plenty of other good ones nominated, in case some of the above choose not to enter.

Michaels Power and Panther Hanover haven’t been heard from this year.

Lots of high dollar Muscle Hills going in baby races at M1 on Saturday. Ivory Pearl, a $135,000 Tattersalls purchase who is out of Pure Ivory, the O’Brien winner at two and three, is one of them. Quikwit, another Lexington purchase, this one only $100,000, is out of the unraced Conway Hall mare, Twitty. Quikwit is half to Smarty Pants. Great Society, Fortunes Of Fables and King City are three others in the $50,000 range. Plain Cheddar, the colt who represented the bottom for Muscle Hill at $6,000, also races on Saturday. Well Said’s half brother to Rockin Amadeus and Rockin Image, Tellitlikeitis, also goes.

The Hambletonion Society/BC Poll is a mess. Is it any wonder? No horse really stands out at this point. That pipsqueak, Wishing Stone, is at the top. Who woulda thunk it? …..Golden Receiver, badly beaten last time out, is number two. The cold weather is finally gone and GR will be too, soon enough.

 Who can argue with Feeling You at number three?......Captainifidontracetheycantbeatme holds down the fourth spot off a single win against a soft field in the PASS. Albatross had six starts in him at this point in his sophomore campaign.…..Razzle Dazzle is a perfect example of voting the bankroll. He won the high dollar Levy final as well as a couple of prelims. This puts him up near the top moneywise, but give us a break? He looked great executing that three-deep sweep in the TVG a few weeks ago, but not so good fading into the night at the end…..Duer is number seven off of a tripped out win in the Hoosier. What? Sweet Lou looked a lot better winning the Maturity and finishing second in the TVG.

Delaware Becoming Atlantic City?

Could Dover Downs go broke, threatening harness racing there?  It is not out of the realm of possibility as they continue to contend with a high state tax, looking at the possibility of layoffs to help reign in expenses and cutting back on capital spending.  The track has already gone through three bank loans for capital expenditures as they invested in their facility; it is highly unlikely another bank would come to their rescue.

In a bit of irony, Dover Downs, Delaware Park, Harrington Raceway are suffering the plight Atlantic City has gone through (Harrington has gone to a four day a week schedule to cut expenses).  Investing in their properties as if they were the only game around only to find their spending to have been too much as they have lost convenience gamblers to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other states.  The only difference is unlike Atlantic City, they realize it is hard to get convenience gamblers to travel two hours when they only need to go fifteen minutes away.

Are you listening Governor Christie?


In the meanwhile, Saratoga horsemen heard about the casino expansion at Saratoga Raceway the same way everyone else heard, through the press.  The horsemen will be losing their training track but it turns out things will work out, this time around.  Who knows what happens next time.