4th Annual - Breeding in New Brunswick - The Best of All-Time

I have to admit that I have always been somewhat of a statistical geek. I have an affinity for numbers and when you combine that with an interest in harness racing - a business that almost exclusively uses numbers to gauge itself - it provides an opportunity to evaluate it from different points of view. After all, we offer race patrons a program full of numbers and statistical data. Whether it is a horses time in their last race; the number of wins or dollars earned or maybe just the betting information, numbers and statistics can play a large role in this sport.

When Niatross time-trialed in a world record 1:49.1 in 1980, I remember the harness racing periodical The Harness Horse arrived in the mailbox with nothing on its cover but the numbers :27.3-:54.3-1:21.4-1:49.1. I was a teenager just starting to follow harness racing and the significance of that cover was not lost on me. I had already memorized the family tree of all of my relative’s horses and I understood the importance of Meadow Skipper, Bye Bye Byrd and Adios in a pedigree. Now harness racing took on a new perspective for me. Niatross was now the fastest horse of all time and I wanted to know whose record he eclipsed and how fast they had gone.

I took that interest to Fredericton Raceway and when I started to work there in 1982 I went about ensuring that all of the track records were current and that a list of the Walter Dale winners was easily accessible. Scott Green has been very helpful in maintaining the integrity of the track records and assembling timed track records for trotters and pacers since the track opened in 1887. I also put together a chronological history of the track.

So with that all said I decided to take a look at New Brunswick’s most prolific horses and their breeders of all time. I solicited harness racing guru Patrick Eastwood of Saint John and he provided me some interesting information on New Brunswick breeding. We categorized some of the data and came up with the following.

Top 7 Maritime-bred pacing horses and geldings by New Brunswick breeders - by lifetime record

1:50.2s   Kickin’ Up Dirt      Breeder: Robert Hume, Hay Settlement

1:50.4f   Untouchable One      Breeder: Cheryl Geldart Greer, Norton

1:51.0s   You’re Going Down      Breeder: Milton Downey, Saint John

1:51.2f   Clinton Debriefed      Breeder: Hugh Baird, Hampton

1:51.2s   Chatham Hoochee      Breeder: Mike Melanson, Shediac

1:51.2m   Jaguar Knight       Breeder: Thomas McMaster, Saint John

1:51.4f   Sun Vals Thunder      Breeder: Johannes Wuhrman, Mount Hebron

Kickin’ Up Dirt and You’re Going Down are by Drop Off while Untouchable One (Carlspur), Clinton Debriefed (Quick Comeback), Chatham Hoochee (Chatham Light), Jaguar Knight (Knightly Blue Chip) and Sun Vals Thunder (Largo) are 100% “New Brunswick-bred,” which for this purpose means that both stallion and broodmare were from New Brunswick at the time of breeding.

Top 7 Maritime-bred pacing fillies and mares by New Brunswick breeders - by lifetime record

1:51.4s   Honey Do Jigtime      Breeder: Blaine & Donna Hannay, Upper Rexton

1:52.1f   Scootin For Joy      Breeder: Joe Connors, Scoudouc Road

1:52.1s   Spudland Sierra      Breeder: Alfred Moeller, Mount Hebron

1:52.1s   Charlottes Trick     Breeder: Alfred Moeller, Mount Hebron

1:53.0s   Charlottes Abby      Breeder: Alfred Moeller, Mount Hebron

1:53.0m   Cookies Lighting      Breeder: Melvin Land, Hopewell Cape

1:53.3s   Some Nice Ketch      Breeder: David Kileel, Fredericton

Alfred Moeller dominates this list with all but Honey Do Jigtime, Scootin For Joy and Some Nice Ketch by stallions that stood at Moeller’s Charlotte Ranch at the time of breeding. Largo sired two performers, Charlottes Trick and Cookies Lighting. Knightly Blue Chip was the sire of Spudland Sierra and Sherwood Abe sired Charlottes Abby. Some Nice Ketch was sired by Willow Bird.

Top 7 New Brunswick-FOALED pacing horses, mares and geldings by lifetime record

1:49.3s  Pronger       Foaled: Mount Hebron

1:50.0f   Astronomical      Foaled: Mount Hebron

1:50.2s   Kid Carson       Foaled: Mount Hebron

1:50.2s   Kickin Up Dirt       Foaled: Hay Settlement

1:50.2m   Charlottes Maggie      Foaled: Mount Hebron

1:50.4f   Untouchable One      Foaled: Norton

1:51.0s   You're Going Down      Foaled: Quispamsis

1:51.0s   Easy Feelin      Foaled: Mount Hebron

Charlotte Ranch in Mount Hebron had foaled out four of the five fastest horses in New Brunswick.

Top 7 Maritime-bred trotting horses and geldings by New Brunswick breeders - by lifetime record

1:55.2s   Final Balance      Breeder: One Black Horse Stable, Moncton

1:56.2f  Buddywhatshisname      Breeder: George Irving, Irishtown

1:59.4m   Bulletin Board       Breeder: David Kileel, Fredericton

2:00.1h   Duvar Road      Breeder: Robert & Grace Corlett, Miramichi

2:01.3f   Elmwood Express     Breeder: George Irving, Moncton

2:03.4f   Policy Maker      Breeder: Donald Canning, Moncton

2:04.1f    Janard Valley       Breeder: Noreen Bowlin, Fredericton

The top two, Final Balance and Buddywhatshisname, are full brother and sister (Balance Of Trade-Summer House). Both Elmwood Express and Policy Maker are by the double-gaited producing Horton Hanover.

Top 6 Maritime-bred trotting fillies and mares by New Brunswick breeders - by lifetime record

2:01.3f   Ithadtobeme      Breeder: Louise Turner, Bellisle Creek

2:02.3f   Elmwood Galaxy      Breeder: Elmwood Stable & Farm, Moncton

Q2:03.1h   Kims Balance      Breeder: Joseph & Geraldine Leger

2:03.2h   Sno Trump      Breeder: Robert & Grace Corlett, Miramichi

2:04.3h   Magic North       Breeder: Robert & Grace Corlett, Miramichi

2:05h    Power Anne      Breeder: Dolores Doyle, Bloomfield

The trot-bred Sno Trump was double gaited but never took a record on the pace. She is also the dam of Duvar Road (who took his record in Summerside this past summer) on the previous list. Power Anne is 100% pacing bred (Power Baron-Bye Bye Sheralee-Bye Bye Andy).

Top 7 New Brunswick-FOALED trotting horses and geldings by lifetime record

1:54s   Seawind Pascale     Foaled: Mount Hebron
1:55.2f   Final Balance       Foaled: Irishtown

1:56.2f   Buddywhatshisname      Foaled: Moncton

1:59.4h    Darowen      Foaled: Wakefield

1:59.4m   Bulletin Board      Foaled: Fredericton

2:00.1f   Duvar Road      Foaled: Napan

2:00.1f   Safe House       Foaled: Irishtown

The presence of Safe House at the top of this record gives the prolific trot broodmare, Summer House, four spots on these trot lists – the others being Final Balance, Buddywhatshisname and Elmwood Galaxy. Summer House had produced foals with earnings of $648,217.

Top 12 New Brunswick-BRED horses, mares and geldings by money earnings

$468,696  You’re Going Down      Breeder: Milton Downey, Saint John

$432,608  Clinton Debriefed      Breeder: Hugh Baird, Hampton

$431,787  Kickin’ Up Dirt      Breeder: Robert Hume, Hay Settlement

$360,367  Christopher C Down      Breeder: Milton Downey, Saint John

$342,630  Flaming Moe      Breeder: Hugh Baird, Hampton

$298,985  Sun Vals Thunder      Breeder: Johannes Wuhrmann

$273,197  Chatham Hoochee      Breeder: Mike Melanson, Shediac
$255,527  Honey Do Jigtime (M)      Breeder: Blaine & Donna Hannay, Upper Rexton

$254,931  Harry Sherwood      Breeder: Clarence Glynn, Miramichi City

$245,060  Final Balance (T)      Breeder: One Black Horse Stable, Moncton

$241,720  Cocagne Battle       Breeder: Leo & Gerard Gallant, Cocagne

$233,036  Cookies Lighting (M)      Breeder: Melvin Land, Hopewell Cape

Top 12 New Brunswick-SIRED horses, mares and geldings by money earnings

$432,608  Clinton Debriefed      Sire: Quick Comeback

$360,367  Christopher C Down      Sire: Timely Robin

$342,630  Flaming Moe      Sire: Quick Comeback

$298,985  Sun Vals Thunder      Sire: Largo

$273,197  Chatham Hoochee      Sire: Chatham Light

$261,877  Guyonthego       Sire: Willow Bird

$260,203  Kissmelass      Sire: Lisryan

$254,931  Harry Sherwood      Sire: Sherwood Abe

$241,720  Cocagne Battle       Sire: Shuttle Mission

$233,036  Cookies Lighting      Sire: Largo

$233,021  Some Nice Ketch      Sire: Willow Bird

$231,722  Diplomat Katie      Sire: Willow Bird

All but You’re Going Down, Kickin’ Up Dirt, Guyonthego, Kissmelass and the only trotter, Final Balance, are 100% New Brunswick-bred.

Clinton Debriefed (Quick Comeback-Mayflower Madam) is 100% New Brunswick-bred and is the richest of all time as well as having the second-fastest lifetime record. He was the Atlantic Sires Stakes champion as a two and three-year-old and was Horse-of-the-Year in 2003.

Is Clinton Debriefed the greatest horse ever produced in New Brunswick?

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Here is one more notable fact for New Brunswick. Bayside Katfish (Knight Champ-Bayside Empress), who was raised at Johnny Rae’s farm in Dumfries, is the winningest New Brunswick horse in the modern era with 86 lifetime wins. Next on the list is Galen Dempsey’s homebred Laurels Curly (Crafty Shadow-Star News) with 81.

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New Brunswick breeding has produced five Maritime Horse-of-the-Year winners over the past 30 years.

Gemini Risk (1983)

Angels Shadow (1986)

Seltzer Blue (1989)

Clinton Debriefed (2003)

Flaming Moe (2005)
Jackson K Down (2015)

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ATLANTIC SIRES STAKES Champions from New Brunswick

1967  Miramichi Dot

1970  Elmwood Glenn

1971   Louie J Adios

1975  Aaron's Adios

1978  Aaron's Blazer, Crafty Larry

1985  Tobique Power

1986  Horton's Thunder

1988   Some Nice Friday

1989  Seltzer Blue

1990  Charlottes Buddy

1991  Some Nice Ketch

1994  Calgary Flutie, Charlottes Britt, First Quest

1997  Chatham Hoochee

1999  Buddywhatshisname, Buster Buttons

2000  Seawind Alpha, Buddywhatshisname

2001  Quick Flow, Le Win Skied

2002  Clinton Debriefed, Black Bowtie, Charlottes Best

2003  Charlottes Trick, Clinton Debriefed

2004  Flaming Moe, Admiral’s Firstlady, Parallax, Final Balance

2011  Honey Do Jigtime

2012  Untouchable One

2013  Untouchable One, Ramblinglily
2015  Jackson K Down

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Rothman's Sires Stake - Dairy Queen Futurity - Maritime Breeder's Futurity Champions

1985  Big D

1986  Uta's Smokey

1987  Courtney Bay

1989  Seltzer Blue, Diplomat Katie, Some Nice Friday

1990  Tom Boy Knight, Elmwood Galaxy, Charlottes Buddy, Diplomat Katie

1991  Some Nice Ketch, Tom Boy Knight

1992  Some Nice Ketch

1993  Swift Risk

1994  For Men Only

1996  Chatham Hoochee

1999  Argo Flutie

2001  Quick Flow, Cookies Lighting

2002  Clinton Debriefed, Charlottes Best

2003  Charlottes Trick

2004  Admiral’s Firstlady, Final Balance

2005  Flaming Moe

2006  Hardcore

2007  Emily J Down

2008  Absolom

2013  Untouchable One, Ramblinglily
2015  Jackson K Down

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For more blogs on New Brunswick harness racing go to thefrederictonscene.blogspot.ca

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