John Berry: There’s no doubt when it comes to Confederate

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Confederate will be the three-year-old harness racing pacer of the year and, possibly, Pacer of the Year and, quite possibly, Horse of the Year.

With hardly a blemish on his 2023 resume—just It’s My Show in the North American Cup at Woodbine and his attempt to conquer the older set in his last start—his season left no mercy on the others in his class…and a great one he was.

Here’s a look at that “Class of ’23.”

Confederate (Sweet Lou) Beginning in early May with a couple of qualifiers, Confederate began his sophomore season at The Meadowlands in a condition event and put his cards on the table with a 1:50.1 win that featured a final quarter in :25.4.

That’s the last time we’d see a mile in 1:50.1 by Confederate.

From there, he went up north of the border  for the North American Cup, winning his elimination in 1:48.4 before he found his :26 second final panel in the $760,000 Final left his a head back of It’s My Show in 1:47,4, After that—now just think about this—1:47.3, 1:47, 1:47.3, 1:48.3, 1:46.1, 1:49, 1:47.3, 1:48.2, 1:49, 1:47.3, 1:48.2, 1:49.4, 1:48.1 (sy) and 1:49…and, if you’re out of breath reading this, just remember Confederate hardly took a deep breath.

With The $668,000 Meadowlands Pace, $315,000 Cane, $300,000 Hempt, $400,000 KYSS Final, $236,000 Tattersalls, $600,000 Breeders Crown in his hip pocket, among others, he won $1,633,844 this semester and concluded his season being a “one percent-er” in the Fan Duel against older rivals proving, simply, that horses are not machines. But Confederate was close!

Seven of his wins featured final quarters in :25 and a piece and his versatility on or off the pace was hypnotizing. Quite possibly, two of his most memorable performances were in the Meadowlands Pace and Bluegrass as he wired together halves of :55.1 and :51.4 in the former and :54.1 and :53.2 in the latter. Every year, when we see domination such as this, we wonder if there will ever be another to come along to exceed this year’s performances. Maybe yes…but they sure will have to go some to do it!

It’s My Show (Sweet Lou) This outstanding gelding was in an exceptional class, wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone and won nine times in 16 starts while racking up $1,073,334, great enough to win the title in most years.

He, too, began his season at The Big M with a pair of qualifiers—one of them in 1:50 and both featuring final panels in :25.3.

On to the serious stuff, his first race was in NW2CD in the slop, winning in 1:51.1—:26. He followed that with another win in that same company in 1:50.3 featuring a final “two furlongs” in :25.4. After a PASS win, it was up to Woodbine-Mohawk for the $760,000 North American Cup, by far his toughest assignment, and won his elimination in 1:48-:26.2 before gutting out the win in the final—out in :54, home in :53.4—in a 1:47.4 performance.

On to The Meadows for the Adios, he won his Elim in 1:47.4, tried cutting the mustard in the $350,000 final but hot middle fractions of :53.3 and 1:21.1 took a toll late as Cannibal won it with It’s My Show fourth, 1 1/2 lengths away.

It was on to Lexington next for KYSS action and, off-the-pace this time around, it was It’s My Show picking up the pieces after the leader put up a 1:19.3 number for the first three-quarters with a :26.2 final quarter to hit the wire in 1:46.4, ultimately, the second fastest mile in his class this year.

He was even faster coming home in his next KYSS start—:25.1 coming home—but was a half-length away at the wire in that one off a “slow” 3/4 time of 1:23.2. After being second to Seven Colors in the $252,000 PASS Championship, it was on to the famed Little Brown Jug and, after yet another 2nd place finish in the first elimination, he overcame a mid-pack post—the elim winners got the inside posts.

But, in a rare occurrence over the Delaware, Ohio half-miler with a 380’ stretch, It’s My Show was able to overcome adversity and win the whole shebang in the $850,000 Final. After a seventh place finish in the Tattersalls at The Red Mile, he moved on to the Breeder’s Crown and finished second after cutting the mustard in his elimination and, the next week, with the nine post on a sloppy racetrack, was forced to join the fray early and a :25.3 opening panel was just too much to handle and he was a “1 percent-er” to close out his million dollar season.

Seven Colors (Stay Hungry) knocked hooves with many of the best sophomores pacing colts and geldings in 2023 and wound up the year earning $661,742, third on the list, and complimented that with a 1:48.1 record—thrice—first in Philly in the $252,000 PASS Championship Final, putting together halves of :54.3 out and :53.3 home on their five-eighths mile oval and, again, equaling that over the half-miler at Northfield Park in the $300,000 Milstein.

Beginning his year in early April at Hoosier Park in the NW2 Series, he swept through that unscathed, using off-the-pace tactics in the first two legs and finishing the job with a quarter move in the final. His next win was three races later in Philadelphia in another PASS event, taking advantage of a sizzling 3/4 time of 1:19.4 then storming home in :27.2 to take that aforementioned 1:48.1 mark.

After a third place finish in the Adios Elimination after cutting much of the mile, he came flying home from eighth in the $350,000 Final and missed by less than a length to Cannibal, finishing third. His next race, the $315,700 Cane Pace at The Meadowlands, he stuck a nose in front turning for home but couldn’t contain Confederate while finishing second.

The Milstein Mile was, quite possibly, his best performance when he locked horns with the leader through panels of :53.4 and 1:21 before pulling away to a two-length win in 1:48.1.  After winning the $252,000 PASS Championship, he put on two strong performances in the Jug, finishing second in his first heat and just missing in the Final by a neck in 1:49. After those grueling performances, he was unable to earn checks in the Tattersalls and Progress Pace at Dover, his season ended with that aforementioned $662,742.

Cannibal (Sweet Lou) was yet another solid performer in this class being competitive against all the top contenders while compiling a 12-3-1 scorecard in his 19 starts while earning $661,742 and taking a 1:48.1 mark in the Meadowlands Pace Elimination.

Among his wins this season were the $350,000 Adios and the $236,000 Tattersalls Pace. He did win his Little Brown Jug Elimination but was hung out to dry like wet laundry in the Final and became a “1-percent-er” in that one.

Two of his best performances were at The Red Mile—the first in a Sire Stakes event where he finished second to It’s My Show while pacing his final three-quarters in 1:20.1 and, the next week, evening the score with It’s My Show while winning in 1:48.4—:52.4—:25.2.

Facing Confederate in the $600,000 Breeders Crown, he was a solid third and in the Matron at Dover Downs, he was, again a strong Confederate. He closed out his semester at Dover Downs in the Progress Pace and was prominent all the way while finishing fourth, less than two lengths off the winning Why Not Now.

Why Not Now (Always A Virgin) had not one single “clunkier” during the year with an impressive 9-7-2 card in his 18 starts while “silently” banking $617,165 and taking a mark of 1:48.2.

Competing mostly at Hoosier Park in Sire Stakes, he started his campaign at Harrah’s Philadelphia winning a pair of NW3 events. On to the “HoP,” he won his first Sire Stakes event in 1:49.1 then had four seconds and two thirds in his next six races before starting a four-race winning streak that included the $80,000 Hoosier Cup and $135,000 Jennas Beach Boy before the streak was halted in the $60,000 Pegasus by Ervin Hanover.

He then moved on to Dover Downs for the Progress pace Elim and finish ascent nose back of Cannibal. He then successfully closed out his year in the $260,000 Final, winning in 1:48.2, establishing his mark as his other mile in similar time was on the larger 7/8ths oval.

Stockade Seelster (State Treasurer) had a 7-4-4 scorecard in 19 starts and did most of his damage north of the border winning six times in Canada and once in the U.S.—that at Dover Downs in the Progress Pace.

Among his successes in Canada were the $57,000 North American Consolation in 1:49.3 and the $55,500 Somebeachsomewhere in 1:50.1. A 1:48.4 game win in Ontario Site Stakes competition became his record.

He did come to the U.S. for a few races including the Meadowlands Pace (where he finished 5pl8 after a miscue while threatening), the Hempt, where he was a solid second to Confederate after being hung out the entire mile, the Breeders Crown, where, again, he was second to Confederate in both the elimination and $600,000 Final — that being his biggest payday. He kept grinding away against many of the best in his class and wound up with $573,330 in bounty.

Coach Stefanos (Tellitlikeitis) won his 2023 debut at Hoosier Park by putting his card on the table with a 1:49.4 win in Sire Stakes action. He followed that with two more wins, eking out photo finish wins in Sire Stakes races with his third win in 1:48.4, capped by a final panel in :26.

He followed that with a pair of second place finishes and went over to Indianapolis to win the Horseman in 1:50.4 before returning to the HoP for yet another Sire Stakes win—this one in 1:49.1 with a final quarter in :25.3.

He just did miss (by a neck) in the Hoosier Cup to Why Not Now and, again, just missed to Why Not Now in the $135,000 Jennas Beach Boy. Two more game second place finishes—the latter in the $250,000 Final led him to the Breeders Crown, where he won his elimination in 1:50.3—his final quarter an eye-opening :24.2, yes, :24.2. He garnered fifth in the BC Final and wrapped up his season at his home track—HoP—with three straight wins, capping his season in the Thanksgiving Pace in 1:50.1—:25.3. The “Coach” won $565,865 for the season.

Others in the mix included the gelding Command (Captaintreacherous) who won eight of 16 starts and $282,475 with a mark of 1:47.4 at The Red Mile in the Bluegrass while drafting along through fractions of :27, :53.2 and 1:20. His biggest payday was $100,000, being second to Confederate in the $400,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final, also at The Red Mile. It should also be noted that he cut the mustard in Confederates 1:46.1 mile and finished third.

Dunkin’ (Pet Rock) won the most races of any three-year-old pacer as this gelding hit the winner’s circle in 21 races from a busy campaign of 40 starts. He banked $202,208 and raced all over Ohio on the fair circuit. He took his mark of 1 :50.4 at, where else, Scioto Downs.

That’s a look at your three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

“May The Horse Be With You!”

by John Berry, for Harnesslink