Lazarus 2YO in sub 1:50?

“If he were a tap dancer, he’d be Fred Astaire.” 

That’s how owner Ron Mersky describes his sensational 2-year-old gelding Prince Willie, a son of Lazarus p, Q1:48.3 ($4,125,988) out of the Sportswriter harness racing mare Princess Lala p, 2, 1:55s ($14,729). 

“He’s an average sized horse, but what he is, is incredible athletic,” Mersky said of the chocolate brown freshman, who has quickly amassed $42,100 in earnings thus farm from four wins in five starts.   

Owned by Mersky, a resident of Paris, Kentucky, Prince Willie captured the $50,000 Kentucky Proud 2-year-old Colt Pace Final on July 20 in 1:51.3, destroying his rivals by 9 ¼ lengths. 

PRINCE WILLIE REPLAY

Bred by the M T Pockets Stable and Victoria Howard, Prince Willie was foaled Mary 13, 2023 at Mersky’s Paris facility and spent his early days romping in the paddocks alongside his mother.  

Paired with trainer Roger Cullipher, Prince Willie made his first start on June 18 of this year at Oak Grove, where he finished fifth in 1:59.1 with his trainer at the lines in a $12,000 Kentucky Proud leg for freshmen pacing colts. United with driver Joey Putnam for the first time on June 28 at Lebanon, KY, he scored his first career victory in a $9,000 leg of the series in wire-to-wire fashion in 1:59.3.   

He then captured the next $10,500 leg in 1:55.4 on July 5 at Highbramble Park Fair, winning by five lengths, before taking the $13,500 leg at The Red Mile on July 12 in 1:54.1, besting his rivals by two lengths in another wire-to-wire effort, and posting a :26.3 final panel, before winning the final of the series on July 20 in that commanding performance. 

“Joey (driver Putnam) told me he could go a sub-1:50 mile if he had asked him to,” Ron noted. 

Unfortunately, Ron did not make the necessary stakes payments due for the upcoming sires stakes season. 

“I didn’t make any payments to any of his eligible sires stakes because we thought he was injured at the time,” Ron said. “So, because he does seem to be a very special colt, we’ve decided to stop with him and wait to bring him back for his 3-year-old career. Right now, he’s enjoying life here at the farm, and we’ll start back with him on February 1 of next year. He’s proven himself and if I had staked him, I’d probably go on with him, but that didn’t happen, so we’ll just start up with him next year and go from there.” 

Prince Willie is the third foal out of Princess Layla, herself a daughter of Janns Bid (by Jenna’s Beach Boy). Her first foal was Princeandthedragon (Fear The Dragon), now 4 and her second was Lyons Dukey (by Stay Hungry) p, 3, 1:52.3s ($7,341).  Bred by Lloyd Arnold, Princess Layla was a Maryland bred that Ron purchased in 2012.  She is a half-sister to Chasethecoudsaway (by Sunshine Beach) p, 5, 1:52.2f ($222,439); Jann And Dean (Art Major) p, 3, 1:51.2 ($82,767); and One Tough Nut (Roll With Joe) p, 5, 1:52 ($69,815).  

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink