The legacy of Mystic Park

While one reads often of the exploits of harness racing wonder Mack Lobell, 3, 1:52.1 ($3,917,594), it’s not often that aficionados of the sport reflect upon the lasting impact of his sire, Mystic Park 3, 1:57 ($480,907).

The son of Noble Gesture-Mystic Sign-Speedster, while best remembered as the horse who sired “Mighty Mack,” was himself, a respectable racehorse, and besides being the sire of many other great trotters, was also an influential broodmare sire.

Foaled April 6, 1979, at Lexington, Mystic Park was an average-sized brown colt, bred by Edward Emerson, Colonial Farm Inc., and Charles Montgomery. He was purchased the following fall at the 1980 Lexington Sale for $58,000 by Allen, Gerald, and Irving Wechter, and Robert Lester and conditioned and driven throughout his career by Frank O’Mara.

Mystic Park trained down well for O’Mara, qualifying at The Meadowlands on May 12, 1981, finishing fourth. He made a break in his pari-mutuel debut but then won his next two starts—in 2:02.2 and 2:03.2—at the Big M. However, he sustained a crack in a pastern bone that necessitated nearly two months off before he was able to return to the races.

When he did, he made numerous breaks before settling down and winning a division of the Ohio Standardbred Stakes at Delaware. He then finished an impressive second to Jazz Cosmos at Lexington first over, after making a break at the start. At the end of his 2-year-old campaign he had $23,887 in earnings from three wins, two seconds, and a third from 13 starts.

It’s not surprising that Mystic Park suffered from foot troubles, as he survived several bouts of Potomac Horse Fever which greatly affected the tenderness of his hooves. However, at 3, Mystic Park filled out and found his stride, winning 13 of 16 starts, and earning $457,020. He won the Yonkers Trot, the Dexter Cup, the American Trotting Championship, the Founders Gold Cup, the Historic Cup, and a Battle of Saratoga division, along with numerous Free For All Trots.

MYSTIC PARK 1982 YONKERS TROT WIN REPLAY

The only scar on his nearly unblemished record that season came when he failed to make the Hambletonian Final—breaking stride in his elimination heat as the heavy favorite.

That season Mystic Park earned another $457,020, pushing his career total to $480,907, and was promptly retired to the Lana Lobell breeding shed, having been syndicated for $5.2 million by Alan Leavitt. standing in New Jersey from 1983 through 1988, and in Kentucky in 1989 before being sold to Ulf Hjorten of Alno, Sweden, on March 12, 1990.

Despite being burdened by minor infertility issues that plagued his sire line, Mystic Park sired 68 trotters stateside, 27 in 2:00, and two in 1:55 or faster, for $6,946,892 in total North American foal earnings. He produced two $1 million earners and ten $100,000 earners, while his European foals procured nearly two million prior to his passing in Sept. 1992, at age 13.

Besides the incomparable Mack Lobell, Mystic Park sired the speedy and ill-fated Park Avenue Kathy 3, 1:56.4 ($553,521), considered to be one of the top trotters in Europe from 1990 to 1993; Prince Mystic 4, 1:56.3 ($473,982); and Star Mystic 3, 1:54.3 ($312,798); among others.  Interestingly enough, of Mystic Park’s ten $100,000 winners, five were out of Speedy Crown mares and two were out of Nevele Pride mares.

His broodmare statistics are a bit more impressive, with 173 foals, (94 colts & 79 fillies) produced from 1987 through 2010, with 108 starters, 49 in 2:00 or faster and ten in 1:55 or better, for total foal earnings of $8,323,589.

One of his top broodmares was Feeling Great (Katie Almahurst-Speedy Somoli) 3, 1:57.3 ($125,379), a dam of 11 foals, who produced Self Possessed 3, 1:51.3 ($1,346,390); Take Chances (Super Bowl) 3, 1:54.2 ($530,248); Celebrity Feeling (Yankee Glide) 4, 1:54.2 ($206,307); and Experience Victory (Valley Victory) 4, 1:54.4 ($139,832).

Another, Mystic Virtue, 3, 1:57 ($168,73), was not only a terrific race mare but also produced nine foals, including Powerful Committee (CR Commando) 6, 1:55.f ($361,729); Electronic Chip (Giant Hit) 4, 1:55 ($170,082); Mystic Splendor 4, 1:55.4s ($165,903).

Mystic Park’s daughter Consuela Lobell 2, 1:59.2 ($154,905) was the dam of 15 foals, including Mister Goal, Miss Goal (Armbro Goal) 3, 1:55.2 ($190,777); Invincible Sun (Yankee Glide) 2, 1:59.4s ($114,959); and Chip’s Nino (Pine Chip) 4, 1:47.3 ($95,666).

Triangle Park 3, 1:56.4 ($164,504) was another standout mare, with 13 foals, including Titan Park and Big Z Raider (Big Z Crown) 4, 2:00.4h ($47,993); Victory Park (Valley Victory) 3, Q1:58 ($12,044); Flirt Alert (Valley Victory) 3, 1:58.2 ($34,703); and Town Park (Mr Vic) 4, 2:00 ($18,250).

Mystic Park’s Dynamite Kosmos 4, 2:07f ($4,490), while not impressive as a race mare, did excel in the breeding shed, with eight foals of note, including Easter West (BJ’s Super Star) 3, 1:56.3 ($399,690); American Leggs (American Winner) 4, 1:59.1f ($137,810); American Dynamo (American Winner) 5, 1:58.4f ($163,720); and Soldier (American Winner) 6, 2:01.3h ($50,655).

His daughter Fleur Lobell produced Iroquoindiantrick (Meadow Road), her third foal, who won $304,687 with a 5-year-old mark of 1:58 and was later exported to Italy in 1996.  Tarport Diana produced 12 foals, her most prolific being Mac Port (BJ’s Mac) 6, 1:58.1f ($82,789); and Baltic Reed (Baltic Speed) 3, 2:01f ($100,989).

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink