Harness Horseman 120-850 (ISSN 0194-7842) Is Published Four Times Annually by the Ohio Harness Horsemen’S Association, 2237 Sonora Drive, Grove City, OH 43123
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HTHEarness BUCKEYE HorsemanSPRING 2021 | VOLUME 51 | NUMBER 1 The Ofcial Publication of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association ACTION UNCLE 2020 Horse of the Year Lost In Time P, 2, 1:50.1S $718,723 A ROCKNROLL DANCE • SUMMER MYSTERY • ARTISCAPE Discounts Available: • Mult-mare Discount • Duel Eligible Discount • Pedigree and Producton Discounts • Race Record Discount Standing at Ohio State ATI for $2000 Contact Andrew Bets 724-986-1416 • [email protected] Table of Contents 4 Action Uncle: Horse of the Year 13 Sectionline Bigry: 2020 Aged 20 Kaltenbach Award Winners/ Pacer of the Year Dan Patch Awards/Corrections/ 6 Charlie May: 2020 Two-Year-Old Condolences Pacing Colt of the Year 14 Pass The Vape: 2020 Aged Trotter of the Year 22 Be There 7 Summer Touch: 2020 Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year 16 OHHA Outstanding Groom/ 24 Catch The Fire Sold Terry Holton Youth Award 8 Street Gossip: 2020 Two-Year-Old 25 Track Notes/Driver Standings/Ohio Trotting Colt of the Year 17 OHHA Special-Service Breeders Awards Requirements to Harness Racing Award/ 9 Merry Ann: 2020 Two-Year-Old Trot- 26 20 Questions Bill Rhoades Hagemeyer Significant ting Filly of the Year Contribution Award 27 A Tough Man to Winter 10 Ocean Rock: 2020 Three-Year-Old 18 Virgil Morgan Jr. Elected to 28 Pacer Contributions/Calendar Pacing Colt of the Year Ohio Hall of Fame of Events 11 Penpaperpaige: 2020 Three-Year- 19 Ohio Chapter of USHWA Selects 29 Little Girl Big – Dreams Old Pacing Filly of the Year Award Winners 30 State Racing Recap 12 Guinevere Hall: 2020 Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year Ofce Staf Track Representatives Executive Director Renée Mancino Benefits Administrator Linda Nance Miami Valley, Scioto Downs Ofce Administrator Cheri Johnson Project Coordinator Susan Schroeder & Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Brett Merkle Outreach and Public Brand Ambassador Roger Huston Relations Coordinator Frank Fraas Northfield Park Amy Hollar OHHA Board of Directors President Steve Bateson Vice President Randy Leopard 2022 2023 2024 Track Directors Advisory Committee Breeders Breeders Breeders Miami Valley Gaming Active; Past Presidents Scott Hagemeyer Randy Haines Senena Esty Mike Polhamus Dr. Al Gabel Dr. Randy Hutchison Dr. Lauri Gallatin Joe McLead MGM Northfield Park R. Kevin Greenfield Jacob Mossbarger Ayers Ratlif, Sr. Brad Wallace Kurt Sugg Donald “Skip” Hoovler Owners By District Owners By District Owners By District Hollywood Gaming (3) Mary Jo Bross (2) John Ryan John Konesky, III (1) Scott Cox Dayton Raceway (6) Randy Leopard Melsheimer (4) Suanne Kochilla Mike Polhamus Steve McCoy (9) Kent Saunders (5) Dr. Jason Melillo (7) Steve Bateson Dr. John Mossbarger (8) Paul Sunderhaus Eldorado Gaming Trainer / Driver Trainer / Driver at Scioto Downs Robert Sidley Jim Arledge, Jr. Dan Ater Trainer / Driver Hugh "Sandy" Chris Beaver Rick Martindale Brian Brown Beatty, Jr. Roy Burns Ryan Holton Scott Mogan Mark Winters, Sr. CHANGE OF ADDRESS If your mailing address has changed or is changing, please contact the OHHA at 614-221-3650. Without an updated mailing address, you will not receive OHHA publications and delivery of breeder’s award checks may be delayed. The Buckeye Harness Horseman 120-850 (ISSN 0194-7842) is published four times annually by the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, 2237 Sonora Drive, Grove City, OH 43123. Phone 614-221-3650 or 800-353-6442. Single and back issues, if available, $2.50. Periodical postage paid at Columbus, OH. Postmaster, send address changes to OHHA, 2237 Sonora Drive, Grove City, OH 43123. THE BUCKEYE HARNESS HORSEMAN The Ofcal Publication of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association 2237 Sonora Dr. Grove City, OH 43123 614-221-3650 | 800-353-6442 | (f) 614-221-8726 www.ohha.com | Facebook: OhioHarnessHorsemensAssociation Cover Photo: Mark Hall | Layout/Design: Brelsford Creative SPRING 2021 • THE BUCKEYE HARNESS HORSEMAN 3 ACTION UNCLE Horse of the Year BY FRANK FRAAS Morgan knew he had something special early on, and that Action Uncle had extreme talent and was not a typical sire stakes horse. Te frst start of Action Uncle’s career is his worst fnish of his career. In a leg of the Ohio Sire Stakes, he got of to a slow start, 12 lengths back at the half but rallied to fnish third by two lengths, covering the last quarter in 27.4 seconds. In his next race, the Ohio State Fair Cham- pionship, Action Uncle went to the lead and led the entire way, winning easily in 1:57.2. After two second-place fnishes, he fnished the year winning the next two races on the way to the Ohio Triple Crown. Action Uncle won the $300,000 Ohio Sire Stakes in 1:55.1 and then closed out the Action Uncle 2020 Ohio Horse of the Year year setting a world record in the Ohio Breeders Championships in 1:54. Action Uncle picked up in 2020 where he “When he came into the barn at the be- left of on his way to being named the Ohio ginning, he was a little smaller than what I Coming into his three-year-old season, Horse of the Year. thought,” Morgan said. “His mother was a Morgan said he saw a big diference. medium-sized mare, feminine, but she had “He was much more mature and profession- Te son of Uncle Peter out of Action- a big strong rear on her. He was built the al,” he said. “I didn’t see any of the goofng Broadway won nine of 10 races in 2020, same, but just smaller.” winning the Ohio Triple Crown and be- around stuf that he would do as a two-year- coming a two-time world-record holder in During early training as a two-year-old, old. He was all business.” the process. He fnished second in his other Action Uncle would show signs of being Te one change around the Action Uncle start and earned $351,960. excellent, but he wasn’t paying attention and camp was a new ownership group. the slightest thing could set him of. In his career, he has won 12 of 16, never fn- Ken Sommer, who bred Action Uncle, ishing outside the top three. Action Uncle’s “He was a little ornery at frst,” Morgan passed away in August 2018. His children lifetime earnings stands at $577,535, aver- said. “He would see a tractor and make decided to sell the horse, which caught aging a little more than $36,000 per start. a break. If a leaf blew the wrong way, he Morgan by surprise. would make a break.” For Hall of Fame trainer Virgil Morgan Jr., “I thought they would have wanted to race it has been a thrill to train Action Uncle. Morgan remembers the day he considered Action Uncle, but they came to me and told gelding the colt. “He is a special horse, arguably the best me they wanted to sell him,” Morgan said. trotter I have ever trained, and I have “He had an enormous amount of talent, but He asked for a day to think about it and trained some very nice trotters, including his he wouldn’t stay focused the whole mile,” he that allowed him to hand pick an ownership mother,” Morgan said. said. “I remember driving in that day and group. Morgan said he approached Larry saying that if he acted up, I was probably Wills, who is a partner in the Winning Action-Broadway earned $1.1 million going to have to geld him,” during her seven-year career, which in- Circle Training Center, Carl Howard, who cluded being named the Dan Patch Older As luck would have it, Morgan said Action has horses in Morgan’s barn, and Joyce and Trotting Mare in 2011. Uncle trained fawlessly. Dick McClelland, who own trotters that Morgan trains. Morgan said he was a little biased toward “From that day on, he was focused and Action Uncle early on because he trained started to get really good.” “I thought they would make a good part- his mother. nership together,” Morgan said. “It’s been 4 THE BUCKEYE HARNESS HORSEMAN • SPRING 2021 “It was a week before the sire stakes fnals and I wanted to keep him mentally fresh ACTION UNCLE and physically ready,” Morgan said. 2020 Horse of the Year Action Uncle was trapped on the rail and 3-Year-Old Trotting BY FRANK FRAAS could not fnd racing room. Colt of the Year “He was loaded,” he said. “If he could have UNCLE PETER – ACTION- gotten out, he would have won for fun, but BROADWAY – BROADWAY HALL Action Uncle’s connections celebrate winning just racing luck he couldn’t get out and ran the Ohio Sires Stakes (Left to Right) Carl out of real estate.” World Champion Howard, Brian Southward, Dick McClelland, Larry Wills, Virgil Morgan Jr., Brett Miller, Steve Next up was the fnals of the Ohio Sire Ohio Triple Crown Jarmuz, Senior Vice President and General Manager Eldorado Scioto Downs Stakes and Action Uncle bounced back in a big way. He took control at the half and 1:52.4H an excellent partnership and I couldn’t be won by three lengths in 1:53.0. $351,960 happier for them.” Action Uncle wrapped up his second Ohio Owner: Carl Howard (Powell, Action Uncle was turned out for two-and- Triple Crown with another world-record Ohio), Joyce McClelland a-half months before returning to training performance at the Delaware County Fair- (Zanesville), Larry Wills for his three-year-old season. grounds, setting the three-year-old mark on (Columbus) a half-mile track in 1:52.4.