The hybrid

The idea of crossing trotters and pacers is nothing new, and every so often a star trotter with this background emerges. In the 1970s the foremost trotter-pacer cross was Zoot Suit, bred by Norman Woolworth. His oddball pedigree meant he wasn’t an attractive stallion to US breeders upon retirement, but in Sweden he was welcomed with open arm and became a stallion sensation.

When Zoot Suit was 2, the breeding experiment did not look like a star. He was good, but nothing more. Winning the Harriman Challenge Cup at Goshen was his top achievement that season, and in many races against the best he often had to settle for last money – or no money at all. He won a heat in the Ohio Standardbred, where he set his two-year-old record of 2:04.4 (1.17,6) and was second in Arden Downs Trot, Batavia Downs Trot, Hanover Colt and the Harriman Cup. He also managed a 3-3 finish in the International Stallion Stake at Lexington. With his $56,159 in freshman earnings, Zoot Suit was considered an outsider, but nothing more, for the upcoming Hambletonian. In the experimental ratings he was predicted a 1:58.1 (1.13,5) time as a three-year-old. At the top of the experimental ratings, with 1:57 (1.12,7), was the top two-year-old Nevele Thunder, who had won 18 of 21 starts in 1975, and was the fastest colt trotter on all size tracks and the richest two-year-old with earnings of $150,487.

Better and better

Waiting until June 9, he made his season debut at Scioto Downs. Zoot Suit went to the lead and set the fractions but was nipped at the line by the fast closing Steve Lobell. With both Zoot Suit and Nevele Thunder trained by Stanley Dancer, the duo raced as an entry in many races. Nevele Thunder had dominated at two, but failed to follow up at three. However, the much improved Zoot Suit gave Dancer a candidate in all the big races anyway. In one of the first big tests of the year, the Yonkers Trot, Quick Pay took the early lead but was beaten by 3/4 lengths by Steve Lobell. Zoot Suit finished third, just a neck ahead of Nevele Thunder. With hindsight it may seem Zoot Suit was the better of the stablemates, but going into the Hambletonian he had only won one race that year, while Nevele Thunder had won 5 of 15. Consequently, Stanley kept faith in Nevele Thunder, while brother Vernon Dancer drove Zoot Suit.

In the first heat, Zoot Suit got post position 1 while Nevele Thunder got the awkward 18 position. Zoot Suit surprised everybody by winning in 1:58 1 (1.13,5), one of the fastest times the crop of three-year-olds had trotted thus far. There was some luck involved, however, as Steve Lobell lost a shoe after taking the lead into the stretch, then broke and finished 14th. The Canadian filly Armbro Regina finished 17th of the 18 horses. In the second heat Steve Lobell again displayed his trademark strong finish, winning by 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Armbro Regina in 1:56 2 (1.12,3), equaling Super Bowl’s race record. Zoot Suit faded down the stretch and finished sixth. In the third heat Armbro Regina won in 1:56 3 (1.12,5) ahead of Zoot Suit. Steve Lobell suffered a cut leg, and for a time he was even a doubtful starter in the final heat. In the fourth, and final, heat Zoot Suit took the early lead but gave way to Armbro Regina at the half. In the final quarter Steve Lobell, always the strong finisher, rallied from third place and won by half a length ahead of Armbro Regina, who beat Zoot Suit by a head. But with judges placing the filly third for interference, while Zoot Suit was moved into second spot.

In the Colonial Trot two weeks later, Zoot Suit was back to take on the same trotters he had excelled against in the Hambletonian. Armbro Regina got revenge on the colts, though, and came from behind to win by a length ahead of Zoot Suit in 2:00 4 (1.15,0).

Not ready to retire

After putting $239,000 in the bank in his 3-year-old season, Zoot Suit was not ready to retire at the end of his three-year-old season. His pedigree was probably the biggest stumbling block: no stallion farm really wanted to gamble on a trotter out of a pacing mother. Not that she was a natural pacer, anyway. According to Woolworth, Glad Rags, the p1:59 (1.14,0) dam, needed hobbles to pace or she would otherwise have trotted. By Greentree Adios out of Jewel Rosecroft, both her parents were pacers. Grandam Miss Pearl, however, was a trotter who was bred to pacer Symbol Gantle to produce Jewel Rosecroft. It is therefore not all that surprising how Glad Rags’ foals trotted when bred to a trotting sire. Miss Pearl was also the sister to Sir Walter Scott, a popular stallion in Sweden in the 30s and 40s.

As a four year old Zoot Suit raced with mixed success in the aged elite group. He did managed to win the American National Open Trot in 1977 at Sportsman’s Park in Illinois in 2:01 (1.15,2). He also won the Challenge Stakes at Scioto, and picked up several wins in overnight races, making 1977 by far his best season with 7 wins in total.

Taking the chance

With no American stud farms wanting to take him, Woolworth turned to his European friend Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg, owner of Menhammar Stuteri. She had no qualms about the pedigree and was willing to give Zoot Suit his chance. Zoot Suit came to Sweden in 1978 and stood stud, at Menhammar Stuteri, from 1979. Scandinavian breeders were not too worried about the pacing dam in his pedigree. In the first stallion advertisements from 1978 Menhammar used a letter/statement from Stanley Dancer to promote him. Stanley wrote and signed the statement:
“He has a perfect gait and a perfect behavior. His competition results in terms of consistency speaks for itself. He should have won the Hambletonian. He won the first heat, eventually took second money and ran a brilliant fourth heat – which showed the great stamina he had. I think that he, with his pedigree, his conformation, size and gait, is the best stallion prospect ever sent across the Atlantic.”

Now, stallion advertisements aren’t exactly delivered under oath, and they are generally known for exaggerations, inaccuracies, lofty claims and ricidulously optimistic predictions. But in this case Stanley Dancer happened to be spot on the money. Zoot Suit excelled at stud in Sweden, and has been awarded the coveted Elithingst (Elite stallion) award in Sweden. His son From Above was the first horse to win the Swedish Kriterium (for three-year-olds), the Swedish Derby (for four-year-olds) and the Elitlopp in three consecutive years. He also sired Zoogin, one of the best European trotters in the late 90s, as well as numerous top trotters.

In Sweden Zoot Suit got a reputation as a macho horse who absolutely refused to wear a blanket or coat. He also generally refused to be photographed, and when somebody pulled out a camera he would usually run off to the other side of his paddock and demonstratively turn away – which he generally also did to anybody who offered carrots, apples or other goodies. Who said colts lacked diva attitude? Zoot Suit died at Menhammar in 2005, 32 years old. When he died, Menhammar’s press release included the words “The king is dead.”