Supergrit - Open Trot
bay gelding , 6, by Supergill – Gutsy Lobell, by Speedy Somolli
Owner
Dennis A. Doyle
After defending Breeders Crown champ and Horse of the Year Moni Maker became the first American trotter to win the fabled Prix D'Amerique in 24 years, she seemed indomitable, unbeatable and untouchable. When she finished a solid second in the Elitlopp final in May, the effort was in fact a subtle signal that all was not well with the incredible trotting mare.
Upon her return to the United States to compete in the series of races for older trotters at the Meadowlands that culminated in the Breeders Crown, the signal became a clarion call when Mister Goal, a raw but talented son of Armbro Goal, trotted by the multimillionaire mare to an uncontested victory in a simple prep race. The time of 1:52.2 shocked onlookers as much as the fact that Moni Maker was beaten. Who could have guessed that by July, Mister Goal would be the favorite in the Breeders Crown and Moni Maker would not be entered?
In mid-June, in her Titan Cup elimination, Moni Maker made her typical backstretch move to engage the leader and could not clear. Alarmed, driver Wally Hennessey eased her and let her slow to a near walk. After a thorough examination it was determined that Moni Maker was dehydrated and had suffered an irregular heartbeat. Several weeks off were prescribed and the Breeders Crown was out of the question.
In her absence, two trotters supplemented to the Crown. Mister Goal had shown he was capable of handling the best in the land and deemed worthy of the $50,000 supplemental fee. So was Alanjopa, the only horse in the stable of Dr. John Spada, who earned his supplement with a win in the $190,000 Titan Cup at 30-1.
When 12 more eligible trotters entered, a single 14-horse elimination was scheduled for the same day as the final, per the Crown conditions. It was the largest starting field in the 15-year history of the Crown.
Among the entrants was Goodtimes, racing at the very peak of his form at eight years old. He had begun racing in February, made a successful European tour and returned to Canada to capture the Frank Ryan Memorial in a lifetime best 1:53.3. Goodtimes was making his fifth start in the Breeders Crown and was surely overdue for the win.
Trainer | Driver
Carl Conte Jr. | Ron Pierce
Also along was Glory's Comet, another Canadian-bred trotter, who was nearing the $2 million mark in earnings. Glory's Comet was second to Kick Tail in the Cutler final the week before the Breeders Crown and had to be feared on back class alone. Another stalwart of the trotting wars was Supergrit, who was making his second appearance in Crown competition. After finishing second to Running Sea in 1997, Supergrit suffered lameness problems on the eve of the 1998 Breeders Crown and was not entered. Reminiscent of CR Kay Suzie in 1996, Supergrit was making just his third start of the year in the Breeders Crown elim, a tall order for any horse. He had won at Lexington in late April and then started just once at the Meadowlands, finishing a pedestrian eighth.
Also from Canada came Macman, fastest trotter of 1998 north of the border, seeking the respect that foot problems and assorted setbacks had denied him. Mike and Lori Wade, last seen celebrating in the 1991 Crown winner circle with their trotter Billyjojimbob, were back with another oddly-named but equally capable racer, Corn Cob Conch.
Mares have won this event in two of the three years it has been raced, and the crowd favorite was again a female. The swift sophomore filly Fern had faltered in her previous Breeders Crown attempt, but won everything else, including the divisional championship. She had won half her 1999 starts, including two divisions of the Classic Oaks. Fern had done her best racing over the Meadowlands strip, and with red-hot Luc Ouellette at the wheel shared the favorite's role with the blazingly fast Mister Goal. Two-time Crown champion Lookout Victory had also returned from campaigning in Europe to race in the Breeders Crown before retiring to the broodmare ranks for owner Al Libfeld, who also shared ownership on Fern.
With three trotters comprising the mutual field, the gate carried the impressive double tiered field to the starting point and released them. All 14 trotted securely through the first turn, but Fern emerged from the pack like a streak to grab the lead. She fought off a challenge from Jim Doherty and Fool's Goal that resulted in that pair galloping from the pressure. Fern set fractions of :55.3 to the half and 1:24.3 to the three-quarters, with much jockeying for position going on behind her. Glory's Comet was guided safely to the front and trotted along second, never threatening Fern as she flashed under the wire in 1:53.3. The heads-up mile came from Supergrit, who under the capable handling of Ron Pierce dropped back halfway into the bulky field and then trotted sharply for position and a third-place chunk of the $50,000 elimination purse.
Breakers in the mile were Fool's Goal, Super High Test, Magician, and uncharacteristically, Corn Cob Conch who had never made a break before or after that July evening.
Post positions were earned for the final. The entry of Fern and Lookout Victory took all the wagering money, with the public still willing to back Mister Goal and Breeders Crown leading driver, John Campbell. From the rail, Fern once again glided to the front and dispensed with Macman in a 27.2 quarter. Campbell also tried to rush up and bully fern out of the lead but the headstrong mare was having none of it. The pair raced to the fastest half in open trot history, :54.4. Fern displayed courage in keeping her head in front of Mister Goal, but the effort would cost both her and her challenger. Fern held her lead to deep stretch, but behind her Pierce had maneuvered Supergrit to a clear path and had been able to conserve most of the big trotter's fuel. When asked, Supergrit drifted wide and applied himself vigorously to the task at hand. He trotted by Fern and opened up a two and half length margin, recording a 1:53.1 mile to claim the richest trot of the season.
Behind him a tired Fern clung tenaciously to second, keeping a neck in front of Glory's Comet. Mister Goal finished an extremely creditable fourth, and Goodtimes, hampered by post 10 and trotting traffic, saved fifth place.
Owner Dennis Doyle, a Michigan advertising executive, authored the slogan made famous by the US Army, "Be All That You Can Be". Though it took six long years, Doyle saw his faith and patience in his horse pay off, as Supergrit achieved his maximum potential. Doyle was so excited he could barely hold the large crystal trophy in his hands.
Ron Pierce has gained a reputation for his smart drives that seem to pull victory from thin air. The Crown trophy was his fourth in the series. Trainer Carl Conte, a former assistant for the dynastic Bill Robinson stable through the early '90s, claimed his first Crown trophy for his own stable.
Supergrit retained his winning form, besting Moni Maker in the Trot Mondial. That great mare would soon return in full strength to the racetrack, and take aim on becoming the richest standardbred in history. She accomplished that goal in the Classic final at Mohawk in the fall, surpassing Peace Corps record and is now at $4.6 million and counting. Those stats earned Moni Maker a third divisional championship and her second Horse of the Year title.
Purse $630,000
Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ - July 31, 1999
Extras
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