by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park

Crete, IL — One of the top rivalries in the sport will be on display Saturday night (Nov. 12) at Balmoral Park as Breeders Crown winner and defending American-National Pace champion Bettor Sweet and Foiled Again, one of only 12 pacers in history to eclipse $3 million in career earnings and the oldest pacer to ever win $1 million in a season, square off with seven other high class pacers in the $175,000 American-National Stake for 4-year-olds and Up.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Bettor Sweet was a 1:48.4 winner in the Breeders Crown.

Fresh off his exhilarating head decision in 1:48.4 over Foiled Again in the $500,000 Breeders Crown, Bettor Sweet will be looking to defend the American-National title he captured by knocking off two-time defending champ Won The West by a head last year in 1:50.

A private purchase for $175,000 back in 2008 by owner John Cancelliere, Bettor Sweet has been nothing short of spectacular since arriving for Canceillere and his brother Tom, who now handles the training duties. The two have made a big splash in the harness business over the past five years, purchasing established racehorses with hefty price tags and they have now made their presence felt in the yearling ring, taking home a full brother to Donato Hanover for $825,000 and a full brother to Somebeachsomewhere for $430,000 at the Harrisburg Sale.

After paying immediate dividends while being acquired late in his 3-year-old season, Bettor Sweet had no trouble making the transition into the racing wars with the older set. As a 4-year-old the son of Bettor’s Delight set a world record of 1:47.2 while taking a Graduate elimination in May 2009. Though he was forced to miss the final of that race due to sickness, Bettor Sweet picked up a check in nearly every major stakes race that summer, topped by a victory in the $314,802 Classic Series Final and a pair of seconds in the Haughton Memorial and the Canadian Pacing Derby.

Although his 2010 season was cut short by some problems, he still managed to earn $325,668 while adding that American-National title to his resume.

“He had some problems at the beginning of the year, so we shut him down for a couple of months and took our time bringing him back,” said Tom Cancelliere. “We race horses because we absolutely love it and we’ll never put a horse on the track that is not 100 percent.”

In addition to his world record on a mile track, Bettor Sweet also became the fastest older pacer in history on a five-eighths-mile track back in June of this year when he tripped the timer in 1:48.1 at Tioga Downs while taking the Bettor’s Delight. That win also made the 6-year-old the richest son of Bettor’s Delight, who will be moving to Canada next season.

Foiled Again is the richest horse in the field with earnings of $3,334,555 and 57 career victories for the ownership group of Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stable.

A 7-year-old son of Dragon Again, Foiled Again is a two-time winner of the Quillen Memorial as well as the Battle of Lake Erie. He also boasts victories in the Molson Pace and is fresh off a track record score in the Indiana Pacing Derby where he stopped the clock in 1:49.2.

Although he was considered a half-mile specialist by many, his regular driver Yannick Gingras vehemently disagrees with that assumption.

“He beat some of the best in the game in the Graduate this year at the Meadowlands,” said Gingras. “With all he’s done I sure hope he gets the respect he deserves. He’s a great horse, one of the toughest horses that ever lived. I’m happy for the horse, the owners and grateful for all the thrills he’s given me. To have driven him all this time is definitely special to me.”

And it should make for another special night when these two get together!