After the smoke cleared, the best horse, Royalty For Life,
ruled the 2013 Hambletonian Trail’s destination. The son of RC Royalty, a
contemporary producer of some note, produced two sterling miles on Aug. 3 to
win his elimination heat and the final with ease. In doing so, certain
retribution was performed for his bloodline. His sire was nowhere near a
Hambletonian field; his sire’s sire, Credit Winner (sire of RC Royalty) made
history elsewhere; and his dam sire, Donerail, was a major contender that
eventually wore badly from illness the same year that Credit Winner finished
second in the August classic.
Royalty For Life won the major prep the Stanley Dancer
Memorial, and came into the Hambletonian as a fast and fit entry, which
attracted the support of bettors in his heat and the final. If there was any
doubt before the elim heat that day, where the colt won from post 8 no less
without a glitch, the final portrayed his dominance.
We should not forget, though, that there was plenty of doubt
leading to the heats, even though there were warning signs everywhere that
prove hindsight is 20-20. The headlining cast of 23 dropped in the box,
creating a trio of elims, had fraught sophomore histories.
Smilin Eli was a fan favorite before he tanked from post 9
at Pocono and found himself in an imbroglio over his connections. He was
scratched from the Stanley Dancer and placed under investigation by the racing
commission.
Aperfectyankee was the early choice to peak at three when he
championed the Peter Haughton at two. His return to the races at three was
sublime and he carried the bad record of “Haughton” winners drinking from the
famed Hambletonian bowl.
Dontyouforgetit began the soph season with high hopes but
his coordination was poor and he jumped too often to prove he was in the top
tier. As well, trainer Jimmy Takter told reporters that he was concerned that
the colt was so small compared to others in the crop and when Jimmy began to
drive, even as the colt managed to stay flat, bettors believed it was due to
lack of confidence. When he broke twice in the Yonkers Trot, even his
remarkable comeback to finish fourth and his earnings that made him the “other”
candidate for the final, were enough to feature him prominently in the event.
Certainly not last nor least is Wheeling N Dealin, who
brought a pluperfect record at two into his sophomore season, only to quail
expectations with a few losses that made him appear a mere shadow of his 2012
self. No one could have predicted, even as he wandered into contention with a
second in the elim, he would go off in the final at 43-1 (higher than even
Dontyouforgetit). It was far more than post 10 in the final that generated
those odds.
Royalty For Life experienced no drama at three; he
approached the first Saturday in August with a reputation as spotless as a
healthy lung. Everyone knew he was good, mind you, but no one in my ear range
certified him the clear-and-present strongman of the group. It was not like the
drones of past classics, where press and public duly annotated Muscle Hill,
Donato Hanover and even Scarlet Knight. Though Royalty For Life did not win
under the radar (he was 4-5), the forecasts were not nearly as inviolable as
many that have gone on to dominate final fields.
Much like the cardsharp who surreptitiously studies the
expressions and gestures of opponents around the big-stakes table, meeting the
wagering requirements until he can call the hand no one thought he had which
beats them all, Royalty For Life came on the Hambletonian scene with a halcyon
record and gracefully showed his winning hand.
Read race archives from the
Hambletonian Trail at the special section archived at the Hambletonian Society
web site.
Stay tuned for the
Breeders Crown Countdown blog for updates and races involving eligibles leading
to the series elims and finals at Pocono Downs, including live coverage from TwinSpires on both racing days.
