Seaman and Perfect Bet, an unbreakable bond

Hightstown, NJ — It is not uncommon for a caretaker to develop a bond with a horse. Sometimes, the bond is strong. Other times, it is unbreakable. This is one of those times.

Stefanie Seaman is Perfect Bet’s best friend forever. A 10-year-old male pacer, Perfect Bet entered Stefanie’s life around March 2014, several months before he made his debut at age 2. Since then, caretaker and horse have remained together through the ups-and-downs of harness racing, and several barn changes.

Perfect Bet, a son of Bettor’s Delight-Perfectionist, has overcome numerous obstacles during his career, both in terms of illnesses and injuries. Despite the setbacks, he has won 25 races and $370,830 lifetime. He’s competed on the Grand Circuit, won on the state-bred stakes level, and beaten millionaires.

But his most-enduring accomplishment is winning Stefanie’s heart, which in good part has to do with the heart of Perfect Bet himself.

“He tries every week,” Stefanie said. “He goes out there and he gives everything he’s got. That’s why he is my favorite. I do everything I can to help him, and in return he does everything he can for me.

“He might not be a world champion, but he deserves to be.”

Stefanie’s attachment to Perfect Bet, though, started to form before the horse ever competed in a race.

“Since I first got him as a 2-year-old, we’ve just always had a bond,” Stefanie said. “He was just the coolest horse. He always had his head out, looking for attention, wanting somebody to do something to him. I just loved his personality.”

Not much has changed in eight years.

“You would hate him if you walked into the barn because he’s a spoiled brat,” Stefanie said with a laugh. “He stands at the gate and paws all day long hoping somebody will give him something. Most of the time, he gets what he wants.”

As for what he wants, Perfect Bet isn’t fussy, especially when it comes to food.

“You put it in front of him, he will eat it,” Stefanie said. “He likes peppermints, and he really loves apple-and-oat treats, but he will eat anything. Donuts, candy bars, crackers. As you can tell, he’s not skinny.”

Perfect Bet and Stefanie have shared many winning moments. All have been special. One recent triumph, at Freehold Raceway in December of last year, was particularly satisfying.

“I really thought, he hadn’t been himself in a while; I thought he was getting to the end of his career,” Stefanie said. “It was a cheap class, but he went out there and won, and I thought, oh, wow, he really does still have it in him.

“Every year, he comes back.”

So far this year, Perfect Bet has a win, a second, and a third in eight starts. Owned by Aimee Scheid, the gelding has been in the New Jersey-based barn of trainer Travis Kolaczynski, who is Stefanie’s boyfriend, since March 2018. No matter where Perfect Bet was stabled previously, Stefanie was with him.

“If they were ever to sell him, I’d ask for a job wherever he went,” Stefanie said. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for him. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. I’m about ready to do something else. I want to move to Florida and get a real job, have days off, vacation days.”

And what about Perfect Bet?

“One day I will own him,” Stefanie said with a smile, “and he will live in Florida with me.”

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA