by David Mattia

New Brunswick, NJ — “Well…he did win The Breeders Crown.”

An offhand comment like that from trainer Doug Miller “almost” sums up the somewhat atypical career of Charley Barley, a handsome bay son of Western Hanover–Last Night-Abercrombie.

A quick look at his lines prior to that $300,000 Breeders Crown windfall would give the impression that he was more of a Boxcar Willy who meandered humbly into the spotlight of 2-year-old fame. Charley Barley came into the Breeders Crown as a rather unknown entity with a somewhat unremarkable record. Unremarkable, that is, until those final strides at Woodbine when Mike Lachance urged him just enough to win in 1:53.3.

Upon closer review, however, there were glimmers of real talent in many of this “unremarkable” colt’s earlier races.

John Ezzo and his wife Lisa Adkins purchased Charley Barley for $47,000 from breeder Kentuckiana Farms. Originally named Night Ofall Nights, Ezzo opted to rename the colt after the family dog (a Shih Tzu), and the colt first put his nose behind the gate on June 9, 2006 in a qualifying race at Scioto Downs.

In this debut, the Jim Arledge trainee was a solid third, pacing in 2:02.1, but a closer look shows him pacing a speedy :28.2 last quarter. A week later, in another qualifier, he made a bold quarter pole move and cruised to an easy victory in 1:59.2.

Both Scioto qualifiers found Del S. Miller in the bike doing a high-quality job of teaching this green horse to race. There’s something to be said for the driver who gets a horse to win for the first time, and Miller really braved this colt up.

In his next event, Charley Barley ventured to The Meadows where he raced in a Pennsylvania Sire Stake. Despite breaking at the start for driver Dave Palone, he bullied his way back into the race and finished second in 1:55.2 while uncorking an impressive :27.4 last quarter. Ordinary horses don’t ordinarily do this, and this is why it pays to take a closer look at a horse’s lines before passing judgment on what might lie ahead.

Trainer Arledge prepped him for a follow-up appearance in the Reynolds at Pocono Downs. Again with Dave Palone in the bike, the colt showed his true grit by hanging on for second despite being parked out for most of the mile.

His next start at Pocono, this time with David Miller at the reins, was much easier. He got a nice trip in a PASS, and sped to an easy victory in 1:55.1 with a 27.4 on the end – more shades of the colt’s concealed talents. He got an opportunity, and he seized it. That’s what good horses do.

Then it was off to Mohawk to race in the Metro elimination. His 1:52 clocking notwithstanding, Charley and David Miller had to settle for a third place check.

His next start would be the Metro final and that infamous night of extraordinarily foul weather. This time George Brennan was behind him and, like many horses that night, the hurricane-like conditions got the best of Charley. He broke at the start and was never a factor.

The following week, in a $154,148 Nassagaweya division at Mohawk, Charley Barley went postward with a new trainer and a different driver. This time driver Ron Pierce and trainer Robert Young teamed up in what was probably Charley’s most impressive race. Parked out through very fast fractions, the determined colt stayed game to the wire to finish only three-quarters of a length behind the winner, Two Twentytwo. Charley paced his mile in 1:52.3 – not too shabby.

Despite these heavy-duty performances, Charley had only earned $63,035 to that point. As far as 2-year-old colts were concerned, he was basically an unknown.

His subsequent race in the Bluegrass at Lexington saw Jim Arledge reappear as his trainer and David Miller back in the sulky. His performance that day was not up to snuff and he finished a disappointing fifth.

After that race, he was sent to trainer Doug Miller.

“I really can’t say I know much about him except that he came out of that race sick and they asked me to take him,” said Miller.

“His connections wanted me to train him, but he really didn’t fit into my schedule. I was heading south so all I really did was get him over his sickness. I had him about ten days. The owners wanted a trainer for some reason so I recommended my sister-in-law Kimberlie (Miller).”

In the hands of Kimberlie Miller, an invigorated Charley Barley blasted a 1:54.3 qualifying tightener at Vernon Downs for yet another driver. This time it was Jack Rice who front-ended him to a 7-1/4 length victory.

At Woodbine, Mike Lachance got the drive for the Breeders Crown elimination. Charley paced evenly to a third place finish and an eye-opening clocking of 1:50.4.

On October 28, 2006, in the Breeders Crown final at Woodbine, the comparatively unknown Charley Barley got a nice trip in a tough race, and he did what he’d been doing all along while nobody was noticing: he displayed talent, determination and a winning spirit.

The $300,000 winner’s share of the purse hoisted the strong colt into the sights of people who pay attention to trivial things like money earned and races won.

These days Charley Barley is back in training at SUNY Morrisville in its Standardbred training program. Hopefully he’ll be back in the spring – bigger, better and certainly not unheard of.