from the USTA Communications Department

Columbus, OH — The 3-year-old trotting colt Nuncio, who captured two legs of the Triple Crown during the month of October, has been named Horse of the Month by the United States Trotting Association.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Nuncio has been named October Horse of the Month by the United States Trotting Association.

Owned by Stefan Melander’s Stall TZ Inc., Nuncio has won 10 of 15 races this year and earned $1.29 million. He has never finished worse than second in any of his 25 career races and has lifetime earnings of $1.75 million. Jimmy Takter trains the son of Andover Hall-Nicole Isabelle and John Campbell is his driver.

“Any horse at this level, they have to have the gait, they have to have speed, they have to have heart,” Campbell said after Nuncio‘s Yonkers Trot victory. “But his consistency over the two years has just been remarkable. He’s never put in a poor performance for me at all.”

Nuncio opened up his month on Oct. 5 when he defeated stablemate Father Patrick by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:51.3 in the 122nd edition of the $435,000 Kentucky Futurity for sophomore trotting colts at The Red Mile.

Nuncio had the lead virtually from start to finish, trotting through splits of :27.2, :54.1 and 1:22.2 before Father Patrick began to challenge him. Father Patrick briefly had the lead at the top of the stretch, but Nuncio dug in hard and won by 1-1/4 lengths over his stablemate.

Next up was a $40,000 Yonkers Trot elimination on Oct. 18 at Yonkers Raceway. Nuncio, in play early from post position No. 5, waited his turn before finally making the lead. He parked Skates N Plates, then strode home by 3-1/2 lengths through fractions of :28.4, :58, 1:26.4 and 1:56.2.

Nuncio closed out his month on Oct. 25 in the $500,000 Yonkers Trot final. Sent off at odds of 1-9, Nuncio and Campbell won the Yonkers Trot by 2-1/4 lengths over Datsyuk in 1:56. Resolve finished third.