by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — On the rainy and foggy afternoon of December 29, six 14-year-olds lined up behind the mobile starting gate at Monticello Raceway and when the starting judge said “go” the equine senior citizens sped away in competition for the final time in their illustrious careers because when the New Year dawns — three days later — they’ll all turn 15-years-old and be forced into retirement.

The field consisted of five pacers and one trotter — one pacer was a late scratch — who collectively amassed $1,430,278 in purse earnings during their racing careers, but when that final contest was over, Try Kacy N, a pacer, had won for the 19th time this year.

Monticello Raceway Photo

Owner Art Brewer holds Try Kacy N after the pacer won the Au Revoir for Jimmy Taggart, Jr. Kailey and Conor Brewer hold the blanket as Eric Warner hands the trophy to Cathy Brewer.

Owner-trainer Art Brewer, along with his wife Cathy, daughter Kailey, son Conor and niece Amanda Adam shipped the horse in from Delaware early this morning just for the competition. Jimmy Taggart, Jr. got the driving assignment and he responded by guiding the “ole timer” to a wire-to-wire triumph in a 2:03.4 clocking over Daylon Spirit, driven by Cedric Washington. Champs TKO finished third for Kyle DiBenedetto.

Sent off at odds of 1-2, Try Kacy N, an altered son of the New Zealand sire Silk Legacy, took home the lion’s share of the $4,000 purse which raised the pacer’s seasonal bankroll to $68,050, arguably the most money ever earned by a 14-year-old harness horse in his final season of racing.

For Art Brewer, his victory with Try Kacy N in the Au Revoir was bitter sweet. Despite that Try Kacy N is still in top form — nine wins in his last 10 starts — his racing career is now over.

“I really don’t think it is fair to force 14-year-olds to retire,” Brewer said to Monticello’s racing secretary, Eric Warner, prior to the race. “I have 15 horses in my barn and (Try) Kacy (N) is the soundest of them all.”

“He really didn’t start to race until he was nine (years old) so maybe that’s why he’s been so good for the last three or four years. And now his racing career is over,” Brewer added, shaking his head in disbelief. “It shouldn’t be that way.”

For the record, Try Kacy N is a lifetime winner of $251,403 of which $238,646 was amassed during the last four seasons.

The Au Revoir marked only the second time in 14 years that Eric Warner was able to fill a race exclusively for 14-year-olds at this time of the year despite the fact that he had tried annually.

The inaugural Au Revoir Pace was contested in 1991 and saw Maine shipper Searights turn back six others, one of which was a trotter.

The lone trotter in this year’s contest was Jenna Marvel, who earlier this season established — even at age 14 — a Monticello Raceway track record of 1:58.3 for older trotting mares. But the black daughter of Go The Distance was far from her earlier season form and finished last in the six horse field.

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