Marcia Hamilton Reflects on First Breeders Crown 3-Year-Colt Trot

by Marcia Hamilton for Breeders Crown 

Thirty years ago, on a similar fall Saturday afternoon, Marcia Hamilton was doing what so many caretakers around the country are doing right now: getting their horses ready to race. But in her case, she took care of the morning-line favorite in the inaugural $481,000 Breeders Crown sophomore trot, one in a three-horse Nordin Stable entry, named Baltic Speed. 

No one knew at the time whether the fledgling Breeders Crown would achieve what its creators hoped, and no one would have guessed that Baltic Speed would subsequently go on to galvanize the Standardbred breed by siring Valley Victory and Peace Corps in his first crop. 

Baltic Speed winning the 1984 Breeders Crown

In the winner's circle alongside his caretaker Marcia Hamilton & trainer Jan Nordin.