by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Williamsport, PA — When Kim Ireland saw Kerogen at the 2004 Harrisburg sale, he couldn’t believe his good fortune. How in the world did his father, Ray, only pay $8,000 for this son of Lindy Lane?

“I don’t know how my dad found him, I really don’t,” said the 53-year-old resident of West Gardiner, Maine. “He’s out of a nice Speedy Somolli mare (Kara Lee Lobell) who had a $300,000 winner (named Ouiser) and a couple other good ones before him. I don’t know, maybe the Lindy Lanes where a bit unfashionable and on the down side. He was a horse that slipped through the cracks early in the sale and it was lucky for us because he was a gorgeous yearling.”

Derek Davis photo

Kerogen has won nearly half of his 66 lifetime starts, with $237,253 in earnings.

Four years later, Kerogen has trotted 66 miles, hit the wire first in 31 of them and earned $237,253 for his owner, Lew Hayden of Pleasanton, Texas.

The Pennsylvania-bred, trained by Kim’s wife, Wendy, possesses a lifetime mark of 1:56.2, finished second in the 2005 Pennsylvania Sire Stake Final and captured a division of the 2006 Currier & Ives. For the last two years, the big bay has raced primarily in New England and started off his 5-year-old campaign with six consecutive victories.

“He’s very competitive and has been right from the start,” said Ireland, who has earned nearly $3 million as a driver and is the stallion’s regular pilot. “He’s a very nice horse up here in New England. He’s a big horse, way above average size. He probably goes about 1,100 pounds and he’s very, very muscular. For a big horse, he’s very athletic and good on the half-mile tracks up here, which aren’t like the ones at Freehold and Delaware. He’s also versatile and can leave or come from off the pace.”

Kerogen was so mild-mannered as a freshman and sophomore, his owner wondered if any testosterone flowed through his veins.

“When he was a 2- and 3-year-old, Lew would ask us if we were sure he was a stud,” Ireland remembered. “You could ship him right next to a mare and he wouldn’t even pay attention. Now that’s he’s older, he is more aggressive in that way but he’s still very good to be around. He’s a big strong horse, but he’s not nasty and doesn’t kick or bite. He’s an absolute gentleman in the paddock.”

The stallion is being pointed towards the Joseph Ricci Memorial final at Scarborough on August 9 and the Joseph Carney Memorial Trot on August 31 at Rockingham Park. In a $10,000 opening leg division of the Ricci on July 27 at Scarborough, Kerogen finished third.

“The final for the Joe Ricci is $50,000 and he’s been invited to the Joe Carney,” Ireland said. “That’s worth $50,000 too.”

Ireland insists his father deserves all the accolades for Kerogen’s successful career.

“It’s (the racing stable) definitely a family effort,” he said. “We go to Harrisburg every year to buy a couple yearling trotters. My dad always picks them out, just like he did Kerogen. I broke him for four weeks and then right after Thanksgiving sent him up to my dad. He trained him down as a yearling and 2-year-old right up until we qualified him. My dad turned 80 this year and he still has eight or nine horses with his brother. They go out every day and work with them. He’s amazing and my dad deserves all the credit for this horse.”