by Jerry Connors

Harrisburg, PA — A report from Menagle Park, the new seven-eighths-mile track in Sydney, Australia, says that world champion Blacks A Fake is all but out of trying for a fifth Inter-Dominion Pacing Championship title after suffering atrial fibrillation — an irregular heartbeat — after a morning workout at trainer/driver Natalie Rasmussen’s training stable in Queensland.

This year’s Inter-Dominion Championships, the “Breeders Crown” for Down Under horses, is to be held at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Blacks A Fake has once before suffered atrial fibrillation, and that time came back to the highest level of racing. But this attack, so close to his facing power-packed lineups across the Tasman Sea, will cause him to have a spell before any future decisions are made.

Even at the advanced age of 10, Blacks A Fake was the 9-2 third choice in advance Inter-Dominion wagering.

Racing entirely in Australia in his career, Blacks A Fake has 68 wins and 87 1-2-3 finishes in 95 career starts. His winnings in Australian dollars is $4,366,707; the USTA Trotting and Pacing Guide has leader Gallo Blue Chip with North American earnings of $4,260,959.