Kimberly Rinker: CR Renegade, what could have been

Had it not been for the terrorizing speed of Self Possessed in 1999, CR Renegade (Royal Troubador,2, 1:57.1 ($899,501)) would likely have dominated that year’s sophomore trotting ranks.

The brown harness racing horse, who was foaled on Jan. 15, 1996, at the Allen family’s Golden Cross Farm in Ocala, Florida, was bred by Carl and Rod Allen.

Like his full sister, CR Kay Suzie 4, 1:52.3 ($1,611,131), CR Renegade was what some breeders would have considered slightly inbred. The coupling of the sire and dam was genetically quite close, with Star’s Pride 5, 1:57.1 ($140,989) and Speedy Crown 3, 1:57.1 ($545,495) blood sprinkled precariously throughout both sides of the pedigree.

Royal Troubador’s sire, Super Bowl 3, 1:56.2 ($601,006), was by Star’s Pride, while dam, Mae Jean’s Crown 3, 1:59.2h ($123,958) was by Speedy Crown, and his granddam, Somolli, was herself an unraced daughter by Star’s Pride.

CR Renegade’s dam, Country Kay Sue 3, Q1:57.3f was the dam of 13 foals, and he was her second. Her sire was Speedy Somolli, a full brother to Mae Jean’s Crown, while her dam, Pam’s Key, 3, 1:03.1 ($64,444) was a daughter of Hickory Pride, 5, 1:59.2 ($166,666) who was by Star’s Pride.

Besides being a full brother to CR Kay Suzie, CR Renegade also had full siblings in CR Regent Warrior 7, 1:58f ($149,241) and CR Oh Suzanna 2, 1:58.3 ($49,330); and half-brothers and sisters in CR Zoe Faith (CR Commando) 2, 1:57.3s ($82,676), Mia Stellina (CR Commando) 3, 1:57.1f ($42,793), CR (CR Commando) 4, 1:58f ($45,198), Airborne Commando (CR Commando) 3, 2:00h ($106,000), and Sea Gypsy (Glidemaster 4, Q1:57.4f ($20,090).

Like his sister, CR Renegade wasn’t the smoothest gaited horse, and trotting hobbles helped, but after several repeated attempts to qualify—including a 1:58.4 score at Garden State Park on Oct. 16, 1998, followed by a dismal finish in a $15,000 freshman overnight a week later, the Allens decided to give the youngster time to mature.

That plan proved fortuitous, as CR Renegade nearly lived up to the merits of his famous sister, who had been named 1995 Horse of the Year after winning the Breeders Crown in consecutive seasons.  Despite her fame and accomplishments, however, CR Kay Suzie was not the easiest filly to manage, often proving cantankerous and less than amicable when it came to behaving.

As headstrong as CR Kay Suzie had been, CR Renegade was anything but an outlaw, and his temperament is what proved to be his strongest asset, along with a strong desire to win, and uncompromising speed. The youngster did mature over that winter, filling out and up, and keeping his cool, relaxed attitude. He made his debut in a $26,796 PASS at The Meadows on April 23 of that year, finishing second by a neck to Big Z Crown by a neck, in 1:59, with son Rod driving for father Carl.

After making a break in the Dexter Cup at Freehold in his next start, he made amends by winning his next three starts—including the $77,727 Currier & Ives at The Meadows on May 29, when he was timed in 1:56 in a stunning performance.

At the start of summer, on June 11, he was second by a neck to Fortuna Winner in the $95,250 Colonial at Woodbine, timed in 1:56.1, before failing to garner a starting berth in the Canadian Trotting Classic. Several weeks later he was third to Self Possessed in a $30,000 sophomore contest at The Meadowlands, before winning his next two starts at the East Rutherford facility—a $20,000 Open on July 9 in 1:54, and on July 16, when he bested Self Possessed in the $430,000 Beacon Course, timed in 1:53.4, drawing off by 3¾ lengths.

CR Renegade was second in his $100,000 Hambletonian elimination to Self Possessed, and finished a disappointing ninth in the final, after being first-up the whole mile, but then captured a trio of stakes at Yonkers (the $112,000 Zweig, and $45,648 elim & $273,891 Yonkers Trot Final) in late August. CR Renegade was then fourth and third to Self Possessed in the $530,000 World Trotting Derby at DuQuoin in back-to-back heats and scored a pair of fifth place finishes at Lexington, before finishing a disappointing eighth in the $153,630 Kentucky Futurity, won by, you guessed it—Self Possessed—on Oct. 8.

As it always does, it came down to the Breeders Crown for the final showdown between CR Renegade and Self Possessed in the $588,000 sophomore colt trot. There were no elims that year, but what happened next was the kinds of things you only see in movies. Rod, who had always sat behind the even-keeled colt, decided to remove his trotting hobbles.

“I haven’t been able to beat Self Possessed with the trotting hobbles on,” Rod told reporters before the race. “Maybe I can get a little more out of my horse this way, as he seems happier without them.”

That logic proved correct, as CR Renegade responded with a track-record equaling, 1:54.2 triumph over his rival, who had trotted cleanly through fractions of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25.4, before making a gnarly jump in mid-stretch for driver Mike Lachance.

“I honestly thought we were racing for second money, that’s the way it’s been all year,” Rod said afterward. “This stretch is really long, and it worked out good for him. This win was unexpected. With (CR Kay) Suzie, there were always expectations of her. This was a nice surprise.”

The colt made only two more starts that season, in the Matron at Dover Downs, with less than satisfactory results, and raced only twice at age four, before retiring to the breeding shed, having earned $903,785 from nine wins, three seconds, and two thirds in 26 career starts. He went on to sire 130 starters who earned $4,365,128.

“CR Renegade had stood at Winbak Farm since 2001,” said Winbak’s Garrett Bell, the farm’s General Manager, upon the stallion’s death in July of 2021. “He had been a Winbak Farm’s stallion lineup representative in Ontario, Indiana, and Maryland.”

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink