by Rick Sigsby for the USTA

Dominant Michigan pacing stallion Keystone Raider died recently, but he showed the same tenacity in his final months that he showed on the racetrack.

The normal procedure for a broken hind femur is to “put the horse down.” The 20-year-old Keystone Raider, however, was not a normal horse.

USTA Photo

Keystone Raider

His owner, Karen Greengard of Bonley Farm in Michigan found her star pacing stallion standing in his run-in shed in mid-August in obvious pain.

“We still aren’t sure what caused the fracture, maybe a slip or fall in the paddock,” said Greengard. “It wasn’t good, but after the short ship to the Michigan State University vet clinic, the diagnosis was worst case.

“We knew almost immediately that his breeding career was probably over,” continue Greengard. “If he could survive, I was hoping for a long pensioned retirement. He certainly earned it.”

At Michigan State, Keystone Raider was positioned to stand in a sling and given of painkillers. Everyone adopted a “wait and see” approach for 48 hours.

If he would tolerate the pain and confinement, there was a slight chance of survival. If not, putting him down was the only other option.

“It’s hard to describe Raider’s attitude – maybe stoic,” said Greengard. “You could see it in his eyes—that ‘I’m not giving up’ look which is the way he was as a racehorse. He always had an ‘I’m not going to be defeated’ disposition in his racing days and he carried that pride right into the breeding shed.”

Purchased from the 1986 Hempt yearling consignment in Harrisburg for $45,000, Keystone Raider was a late bloomer in Canadian hands as a 2- year-old. He showed enough promise to be shipped to the Meadowlands in the winter as a 3-year-old and caught the attention of owner Lou Guida.

After several impressive starts, the Guida-led team of LPG Standardbred Associates purchased him. With Chuck Sylvester now handling the training chores, Raider rocketed into the elite class.

He won $410,287 as a 3-year-old in 1989, taking a 1:51.4 mark at Lexington. He added another $400,000 to his bankroll as an aged pacers over the next two seasons.

“I was looking for a Big Towner stallion and Keystone Raider came to my attention in 1990,” said Greengard. “They wanted to sell him for $300,000 with the idea that I could recover a big chunk of the expense on the track.

“I told Lou [Guida] that I was much better with breeding stock than racehorses,” recall Greengard. “I said that when they reached a point where Raider needed to have several months off and they wanted to sell, to give me a call.”

In the fall of 1991, she got the call. Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association General Manager, Nancy Corrion accompanied Greengard to the Chicago-area farm of Walter Paisley to pick Keystone Raider up.

“When they walked Raider out of his stall, he looked magnificent,” remembers Corrion. “He had been off for three months and still looked fit and ready to race. Right then I knew he was special.

“I was impressed enough to buy a lifetime breeding to him and what an investment that turned out to be!”

Greengard continues, “Throughout his racing career, everyone made money- his owners, his trainers, his drivers. John Campbell, Walter Paisley and Chris Boring all told me that Raider just never gave up on the track. They all said he would make a great sire.”

Noted horseman Chris Boring even went further and told Greengard that Keystone Raider would produce great fillies.

When Greengard asked him how he could possibly know that, Boring responded, “Just look at his Daddy.”

“Boy, was he right,” says Greengard.

In his first crop, Keystone Raider sired Fearless Raider p, 7, 1:49 ($663,120). From his second crop came the outstanding filly Do Me Justice p,3, 1:53.2f ($412,844). He was on his way.

In his third crop he sired Hanley Elias p,5, 1:53f ($491,666) and The Rengo Kid p,4, 1:51.4 $359,169).

Keystone Raider has produced 12 Michigan champions and 11 of those were fillies. Not only has he sired early colt stakes speed, his progeny have also gone on to compete at the top levels all over North America.

“He has carried on the Big Towner tradition,” said Greengard. “Raiders have 2:00 2-year-old speed and go on to be great raceway horses.”

“I think it’s their ability to handle the pain,” said Corrion. “”The good ones recover quickly and have a high threshold for pain. They’re like the energizer bunny…they just keep going and going and going!”

At present he is the sire of six 1:50 pacers, headed by Rair Earth p, 5, 1:49.3s ($1,136,501) and the brilliant mare Midnight Jewel p, 5,1:49.1 ($666,723). Both are still racing and Midnight Jewel has won 81 of her 182 career starts.

For over eight weeks this summer and fall, Keystone Raider kept going and remained the stoic patient.

“The vets at MSU were so impressed with Raider’s acceptance of the situation,” said Greengard. “They were all rooting for him to pull through.

“But the stress finally caught up to the rest of Raider’s body and he began to founder last week. He was a fighter to the end, but we didn’t want him to suffer anymore. An hour before we put him down, he was eating carrots from my hand. He was a once in a lifetime horse and we’ll miss him very much.”

Keystone Raider was elected to the Michigan Harness Hall of Fame in 2002. He was the leading pacing sire in Michigan from 1998 thru 2005. His impact on the breed will be evident for many years to come.