by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Harrisburg, PA — The logistics of trotter Father Patrick’s 2015 schedule, which calls for racing interspersed with stallion duties, are not yet arranged, says syndicate partner Adam Bowden.

Generally, sire stakes programs have regulations on a horse’s movements off the breeding farm which must be taken in to consideration. Current plans call for Father Patrick to stand stud in 2015 at Bowden’s Wellsville, Pa., farm in central Pennsylvania.

“I have to talk to the commission, and iron out any issues,” Bowden said. “I want to make sure we cross all T’s and dot all I’s. It’s (trainer Jimmy Takter’s farm) 2-1/2 hours from here. We haven’t crossed that bridge yet, I need to talk to the commission about all those details.”

Father Patrick has won 11 of 15 races this year and $1.44 million in purses. For his career, the son of Cantab Hall-Gala Dream has won 21 of 26 starts and $2.18 million. He was the 2013 Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old male trotter.

Although it is common for trotters overseas to breed and race in the same season, that is not the case in North America. Some well-known successes abroad include Ready Cash, who is France’s richest trotter in history in addition to being a popular sire, and Coktail Jet and Mack Lobell, who both won the prestigious Elitloppet after performing stud duties.

The only current example in the U.S. is Wishing Stone, who this year stood as a stallion at Deo Volente Farms in New Jersey. He fulfilled contracts for 331 doses of frozen semen overseas as well as being bred to some 30 mares in North America. The 7-year-old trotter returned to the races in late June and has earned $123,330 this year.

— Ken Weingartner also contributed to this report