by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — One thing is for certain. Jon Paton will never worry about second-guessing himself.

Last season, Jon and wife Wendy decided to forego the main Pennsylvania Sires Stakes series and race their 2-year-old gelding pacer Donttellmeagain in the less pressurized Stallion Series. Donttellmeagain won five of his six starts and in his lone loss finished second by a neck to Fear The Dragon, who was a stakes-winner and ended up third in the Sire Stakes championship.

After that kind of success, Paton was asked if he wished he might have tested the horse a little more.

“It’s a done deal,” he said with a laugh. “You can’t un-ring that bell.”

Not to mention, things turned out exactly how the owners had hoped. Their thought process was to be cautious. Paton wanted to educate the horse, find out more about him and get some experience between him and the trainers.

Chris Gooden photo

Donttellmeagain won five of his six starts as a freshman and earned $51,322.

“He came along pretty quickly,” Paton said. “That was quite a surprise. I’m happy. With horses, a lot of times your plans don’t work out.

“I wish we could have raced him a little more. We figured on racing him in the (Stallion Series) final, but then all the 2-year-olds got sick. We stopped with him and rather than bring him back again we said let’s just let him grow and we’ll pick him up as a 3-year-old with what we’ve done. It would have been nice to be able to go into the final with him, but it didn’t happen. We’re just looking forward to his 3-year-old year.”

The Patons were hands on harness racing folks who left the business for a long stretch. Jon was a trainer for 28 years. He stepped away in 1993 to run his family business, Jon Paton Inc., which packs and sells Golden Blossom Honey as its primary product.

Wendy was the first woman to operate a public stable in New York and the first female to capture the Roosevelt Raceway training title with 58 victories in 1983. She shed her colors to start a successful photography studio in Lambertville, N.J., where the couple also resides.

They returned to Standardbreds as owners in 2005 and purchased Donttellmeagain for $22,000 at Harrisburg’s Standardbred Horse Sale 10 years later. Donttellmeagain is a son of stallion Dragon Again out of the half-million-dollar-earning mare Donttellmewhattodo.

“We just liked the way he was made,” Patton said. “He was kind of small. He was the first foal of the mare, and I liked the way he was put together.”

The horse started with Gordon Corey in Pinehurst and last year was trained by Jim King Jr. and his wife, Jo Ann Looney-King.

“I’m really happy with the operation,” Paton said. “Gordon Corey got these colts going and Jimmy and Jo Ann do a really good job. Kate Moore is a really good caretaker; she does a real nice job with him.

“All Jimmy’s help is really good. He has a great operation. We’re happy to be part of it. They’re really nice people, we consider them friends and we hope to keep the ball rolling here.”

Jimmy King actually suggested putting Donttellmeagain into the Sire Stake series but Paton stuck to his decision to give the horse some seasoning. That will change this year.

“I’m reviewing his stakes schedules now,” the owner said. “He will definitely be in the Sire Stakes; he was already eligible for that. I’ll put him in some other things as well and hopefully he moves forward and he’s good enough to be competitive at a relatively high level.

“One thing I saw in Hoof Beats was the (Max C.) Hempt, I’ll make him eligible for that, that’s good money there, no question about that. And that’s going to bring top colts in as well.”

Aside from the five wins, Paton was also enthused by his horse’s effort against Fear The Dragon in an Arden Downs division at The Meadows.

“He raced really good,” Paton said. “Fear The Dragon is a top colt so it was nice to see him finish up like that. I didn’t expect him to beat Fear The Dragon, but to be that close and to race that good, that was really pleasing.”

Aside from having good handlers, Donttellmeagain also benefited from having a couple great drivers in the sulky. Tim Tetrick drove the colt in five of his starts, with Aaron Merriman driving in the other.

“Tim drives most of Jimmy’s horses whenever he’s available,” Paton said. “They’ve got a real strong relationship and they’re good friends. We were fortunate to have him driving this colt most of the time, and Aaron’s a top driver too.

“I hope Tim can drive him this year. It’s a question of the schedule. We’ll see how it works.”

Whoever drives Donttellmeagain will have a handy horse with good gate speed.

“Tim qualified him and liked him right away,” Paton said. “He’s quick from the gate; he can get to the front, drop in the hole. When he comes out of the hole, he’s ready to roll. He’s got nice speed. He’s never really been roughed up.”

All things considered, it could be an interesting and perhaps profitable season for Donttellmeagain. Paton keeps it all in perspective.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I don’t get too pumped up. I’ve been in this game for a long time. I know what can happen.”