Moffat, ON — It isn’t something you see very often: a Little Brown Jug and O’Brien Award winner wearing a saddle rolling around the ground at a major Standardbred Horse Show but that’s exactly what Michael’s Power was doing a few months ago and his rider, Kailey Williams, could not have been more delighted.

“I had only been riding him for four months when we entered that show (The National Standardbred Show at the Horse Park in New Jersey). I didn’t realize what a big deal it was,” explained Williams, a 20-year-old Stockton University student. “He was a little scared, there were a lot of announcements and noise, I think he thought he was back at the track.

“We got a fifth and I couldn’t have been happier and I think he was too. He laid down and rolled, with the saddle on; he was sweaty and thought it was okay to do it right there in the ring. His name had been announced and as we were leaving the ring a lady came up to me and said ‘Michael’s Power? As in Little Brown Jug Michael’s Power?’ That’s a reaction I get a lot.”

Michael’s Power won the 2012 Little Brown Jug. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

That’s understandable given the success Michael’s Power had on the racetrack. Not only did he win the 2012 Jug in a world record for a gelding and became only the second Ontario-sired pacer to win the coveted leg of pacing’s Triple Crown, he also added many other trophies during his sophomore season. He swept the Upper Canada elimination and $582,000 final at Georgian Downs, captured a Somebeachsomewhere division, won several Ontario Sires Stakes Gold events, the Confederation Cup final at Flamboro Downs and the OSS Super Final at Woodbine.

At the conclusion of his 3-year-old season he was crowned Canada’s top performer in his division and took home the O’Brien Award for his owner/breeder Jeffrey Snyder and his son Michael who continue to own him to this day. That would prove his most prolific season at the track but he also enjoyed a productive 6-year-old season, earning more than $200,000. He officially retired the following year.

Most horses with his talent and pedigree would have been retired earlier but there wasn’t a lucrative stallion career in his future as he is a gelding. Michael’s Power is sired by one of Canada’s most prolific stallions of all time and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Camluck.

His maternal side isn’t too shabby either. His dam, Michelle’s Jackpot, a half-sister to Cam’s Card Shark ($2.4 million), earned $695,439 during her racing career. The daughter of Artsplace was the 2-year-old pacing filly of the year in the United States in 1996 and as talented as she was on the racetrack, she was even more impressive as a broodmare. To date she’s delivered 18 foals who have earned well over $5.6 million.

Michael’s Power is her richest performer followed by his older full sister Michelle’s Power who won nearly $1.3 million during her career. Another of their siblings is the gelding Alexa’s Jackpot who earned in excess of half a million primarily on the WEG circuit.

Shortly after Williams posted about riding Michael’s Power on Facebook, Ontario trainer Amanda Fine responded that she had his half-brother, Alexa’s Jackpot, and that they look similar. Another poster reached out to say they took care of his full brother Mike’s Powerhouse last summer.

Michael’s Power is enjoying retirement at Blairwood Farms. Kailey Williams photo.

“I started riding him in April of 2019 and he has become the best all around horse there is, we’ve done western pleasure, gymkhana, trail riding, showmanship and this year we started English,” was what Williams had written on Facebook.

Williams’ cousin, Tom Spain, lives and works at Blairwood Farms where Michael’s Power is enjoying retirement. Williams, who lives close by, would often help Tom out at the farm and a few times she brought Michael’s Power into the barn.

“I grew up riding horses, I was on them since I was about two or three. I stopped riding when I was around 10 or 11 as I was playing soccer and lost the feeling for it for a while. Michael’s Power is the first horse I had ridden in 10 years,” explained Williams, who is a health science major, leaning towards a career in the medical field, perhaps dentistry.

“Last year I was thinking that maybe I’d get back into riding. I really like Standardbreds, although I hadn’t had much experience with them. Apparently Mike Snyder had told the farm owner, Leslie McClaren, that if there was anyone wanting to ride Michael’s Power they would like that. It was a way to give him some more attention.

“Michael’s Power was such a sweetheart I thought maybe I’d throw a saddle on him. Tom got on him first, bare back, and the next day we put a saddle on him and I rode him. He was so good; he acted like he’d been doing it his whole life. He has a great personality, I love giving him treats which I have hidden in the tack room and he knows as soon as I get them.”

The ardent animal lover is very grateful to be able to ride and take care of such a talented horse. She keeps the Snyders updated on his progress and often sends photos.

“I am very happy to be riding again and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to ride such an incredible horse.”

During the past few months in quarantine, Williams has been working at the farm quite a bit and therefore spending more time than usual with Michael’s Power, riding him almost daily, which is one of the positives for her to come out of these uncertain times.

When racing was shut down, the farm was quite busy housing numerous racehorses in the area. One of those included 2018 Jugette winner Alexa’s Power. The now 5-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere is the fourth foal from Michael’s Power’s full sister Michelle’s Power.

Michael’s Power’s swiftness on the racetrack has not transitioned into his riding career though.

“When you’re riding him you’d never know he’d been a racehorse, he doesn’t want to go fast. The first year I never took him faster than trot, this year I took him out in the front field and got him to canter and then he started to pace, he could go fast if he wanted to, he just usually doesn’t want to.

“I can’t praise him enough. He’s never done anything stupid or tried to buck, he’s very smart. I fell off him once and he just stood there and looked at me like: ‘are you all right?’ He’s such a good horse,” praised Williams.

Michael’s Power is yet another Standardbred who has transitioned into a second career almost seamlessly. And he also proves that regardless of success on the racetrack — the upper echelon as he was, or unraced as many are — they can still enjoy long and productive careers in another discipline.