He was one of the thousands of Orlov trotters exported from Russia in the golden age of the breed. Kozyr found a new home in France, was one of the best aged trotters in France for several years and is today found in every French pedigree.
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The little big champion
He was a slight two-year-old who was sold off in the belief that he had no future. However, the 15 hands/152 cm trotter grew to...
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The big amiable klutz
Bred by Almahurst Farm in Lexington and named for a famous golfer, Arnie Almahurst was a near identical clone of his sire –...
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The race of the century
He won one of the most prestigious races of all time, then retired to become an elite stallion. His performances in Europe in...
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The origins of the ghost
The gray mare Molly J was 3/4 thoroughbred, but her daughter Mary Bales was a trotter like her sire Montjoy. In fact, Mary Bales...
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The disparaged family head
He was discredited and a victim of manipulation of historical facts. As head of the family carrying his name, Henry Clay was the...
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The expensive horse who couldn’t win
He had a fantastic pedigree and came off a two-year-old season in which he set a world record. That did not prompt the owner to...
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He was one of Norway and Scandinavia’s best trotters for years and hailed from an exceptional group of siblings that included several elite trotters. Though described as “the most intelligent trotter I have ever dealt with”, Scott Protector could be grouchy and a handful at times. Regardless, he was an excellent trotter – and when that wasn’t enough, his trainer employed team tactics against the opposition.
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The first World War took an especially heavy toll on Ukraine as well as the Russian Empire as almost all horses perished. One US import survived, however, and after the war gave birth to one of a good trotters who turned out to be one of the best stallions ever seen in Eastern Europe. While he was very good on the tracks, as a stallion Gildeets dominated Soviet trotting for many years.
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He was the world’s first 1:56 trotter and a prized possession of Lawrence Sheppard’s fledging Hanover Shoe Farms. Peter Manning was a natural talent who improved quickly with little work. In fact, the legendary gelding was so good it required a horse of Greyhound’s caliber to beat his world record.
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He was designated as a wedding gift to circumvent export restrictions after WWII, then caused despair when he refused to train. In stepped Count Orsi Mangelli to restore Mighty Ned’s career, starting a fantastic turnaround that lead to two Prix d’Amerique-wins and a reputation as one of the best American imports in Europe ever.
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In 1938, Good Time Stable owner William Cane sold McLin, shortly after renamed McLin Hanover, just one week prior to the Hambletonian. In 1946 he repeated that by selling Chestertown to Walter E Smith of Los Angeles, president of the Western Harness Racing Association, just three days prior to the biggest race. Both horses, of course, went on to win the Hambletonian.
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The first of the champions to have an unblemished career, Maud S was one of the best trotters in the high wheel sulky era and lowered the world record a whopping six times.
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When Soviet trainer Maria Burdova wanted to drive Apex Hanover in the Prix d’Amerique in 1965 she was denied with the explanation that sitting in a sulky “is an unnatural position for a woman.” 30 years later the world had finally moved forward and Helen Ann Johansson became the first female driver to win the Prix d’Amerique when she drove Ina Scot to victory.
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A $2,000 yearling at the Tattersalls Select Yearling Sale in September 2001, the price tag gave no indications of what was to come from Mr Muscleman. The gentle giant overcome numerous problems enroute to stardom and left a lasting impression on every life he touched.
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He had to wait until he was almost 40 before he had enough money to buy a horse, and ended up with broodmares others didn’t want. Then he was refused to breed these mares to the stallions of his choice and had to settle for an untested and relatively cheap debut stallion. Despite all this, Charlie W Williams bred an undefeated superstar of his time in Axtell, who in turn sired one of the sport’s foundation sires.
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