Triple millionaire Boulder Creek passes

Boulder Creek (Pacific Rocket), two-time Breeders Crown champion with harness racing earnings of more than $3.4 million, passed away at 23 due to colic last week.

The champion pacer had been living at Olive Branch Farm since 2021. He is in the top 10 for all-time earnings among pacers.

The gelding got his start in the Ontario Sires Stakes, winning the 2002 Super Final as a two-year-old and 2003 Gold Final. His next major win came as a 20-1 upset in the 2004 Breeders Crown Open Pace. His 2005 season was one of his best; he won the Classic Pacing Series Final, the U.S. Pacing Championship, and the Breeders Crown Open Pace again. He also finished second in the Graduate Series Final and the William R. Haughton Memorial Pace.

Bill Budd and Mark Silva trained the champion, while Rick Zeron drove him at two and Ron Pierce and Brian Seers did the piloting in the horse’s aged seasons. He was cared for by Chris Coyle at Olive Branch Farm since 2021.

“I was fortunate to care for him here at my farm for the last few years of his life and wan to thank Mark and Tammy Silva along with his Canadian breeders Barry and Debbie Bird for allowing him to come here,” said Coyle. “I also wan to thank Brian Sears who came to visit him here in 2021. He was laid to rest here at our farm. RIP Big Horse.”