by Jerry Connors

Harrisburg, PA — Blacks A Fake, champion Down Under pacer with $4,535,438 in earnings from Australia and New Zealand and a four-time winner of the Inter-Dominion Pace Grand Final, the southern hemisphere’s most prestigious race, has been retired from racing just shy of his 11th birthday (Australian calendar) by his only campaigner, and friend, Natalie Rasmussen, who drove him in 70 of his 72 career victories (in 105 starts).

Based in Queensland in northeastern Australia, Blacks A Fake was retired after a fighting second in the Winter Cup (remember, seasons are reversed Down Under) at Albion Park, his native region’s premier track.

The four Inter-Dominion Championships (at Hobart, Tasmania, 2006; Adelaide, South Australia, 2007; Melbourne, Victoria, 2008; and Sydney, New South Wales, 2010) set the standard for Australian racing, and Blacks A Fake also added three Australian Horse of the Year titles and two triumphs in his native Queensland Cup. The only major Australian prize to elude him was the Miracle Mile, in which he endured several hard-luck incidents.

Rasmussen, who has earned great respect with her intelligent campaigning of the champion sidewheeler, was quoted in www.thetelegraph.com.au that “I’ve always said I wouldn’t keep him when he lost his greatness, and now the time’s right. He’ll have to deal (with retirement) now. He’s done enough.”

Somewhat ironically, Blacks A Fake’s 2011 retirement comes 50 years after the taking of one of worldwide harness racing’s most famous photographs, where Cardigan Bay, the first Down Under star to capture real North American attention and the first harness millionaire, is shown leading the field in the New Zealand Free For All — while the grandstand at Addington Raceway, near Christchurch, behind him is engulfed in flames.

In his only lifetime trip to New Zealand, Blacks A Fake was supposed to race at Addington in his sixth Inter-Dominion start this year, but the earthquakes in that area forced a venue move to Alexandra Park in Auckland at the last minute.