by Dean Hoffman

It’s already July and that means that the breeding season is over and that some farms are gearing up to prep their yearlings for the fall sales.

One truism in harness racing is that the offspring of first-crop sires always attract attention. Many people question the wisdom of such enthusiasm, saying it’s safer to select yearlings by proven sires, but that doesn’t deter buyers. Any yearling by a first crop sire is an intriguing prospect.

With that in mind, we’ll take a brief look at some of the most prominent stallions whose first foals will go to the sales this fall. We’ve listed all the stallions with 20 or more foals in their first crops, but we’ll focus our attention on stallions with at least $500,000 in earnings and 50 foals.

PACERS

Real Desire p, 4, 1:48.2 ($3,159,814)

USTA Photo

Real Desire

The big gun among the rookie pacing stallions is clearly Real Desire and you can be assured that trainers will evidence some real desire to buy his offspring this fall.

They say that first impressions are lasting and I know that I’ll never forget my first chance to see Real Desire. That was when he took his 2-year-old mark of 1:50.4 at Lexington and he seemed as if he was just loafing through a training mile when he did that. He humbled his Grand Circuit rivals and made a believer out of me.

He made a believer out of a lot of people over the next three seasons, and he did so despite facing a scrappy tiger named Bettor’s Delight. Those two colts are among the best pacers I’ve ever seen, and I rank them at the top of the heap over the last decade or so.

Bettor’s Delight trumped Real Desire in many major races in 2000 and 2001, but when he hung up his hobbles and retired, Real Desire enjoyed a Horse of the Year campaign in 2002. Blair Burgess selected and developed Real Desire, and trained him superbly throughout his career.

In his first season at stud in Kentucky, Real Desire served a book of 196 non-pareil pacing mares and there will likely be fireworks when his yearlings step into the sales ring this fall. He bred 170 mares in his second season.

Mach Three p,3, 1:49 ($2,170,255)

When this son of Matt’s Scooter won the Metro Pace at Mohawk in 1:51.4 as a 2-year-old, it was obvious that he was something special. Of course, he’d served notice when he won his elimination heat in 1:51.1.

In his final start as a 2-year-old, he finished second to Western Shooter in the Breeders Crown. His freshman season concluded with seven wins in nine starts and $954,708 in the bank. And he did that without ever leaving Ontario.

He’d been a member of the Bill Robinson Stable while racing in Canada, but when he came south of the border to the Meadowlands, he joined the Monte Gelrod Stable. He was third in the New Jersey Classic, then returned to Team Robinson in Ontario where he was second to stablemate Red River Hanover in the North America Cup.

He bounced back to New Jersey and easily won his elim and the final of the Meadowlands Pace for trainer Gelroad and driver John Campbell. His winning mile was in 1:49 and he looked virtually unbeatable in this effort as he won over McArdle and Allamerican Ingot.

USTA Photo

Mach Three

Mach Three was heavily favored to win his Jug elimination and he did so with style, setting all the fractions to prevail in 1:51.1. He was the 4-5 choice in the Jug final, but fell victim to the post position jinx at Delaware and drew post three, outside of elim winners Million Dollar Cam and Allamerican Ingot.

Campbell sent Mach Three for the lead in the final, but Luc Ouellette and Million Dollar Cam were in no mood to surrender. Mach Three wound up parked through a three-quarters in 1:21.3. He paid the price and finished last.

The brilliant pacer retired with earnings of over $2.1 million in just 27 career starts. At stud in Ontario, Mach Three bred 195 mares in his first season and 121 mares in his second.

Camotion p, 5, 1:48.3 ($1,778,468)

There are lots of things to like about Camotion. You can start with the fact that each year of his career he went faster and earned more money than he did the previous year. He got better as he got older.

As a 2-year-old, he took a 1:56.4 mark at Hoosier Park and earned $22,730. The bottom line looked a lot better after his sophomore season when he banked more than a half-million. He did so by starting his season on New Year’s Day and racing through Dec. 23. He finished third in the North America Cup in June and was still going strong in November when he went-to-wire to whip Gallo Blue Chip in the Windy City Pace.

The iron-tough Camotion matured into a wonderful free-for-aller, earning more than $1.2 million as a 4- and 5-year-old. He was timed in 1:48.4 when finishing second in a memorable Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands as a 4-year-old, then set his 1:48.3 mark as a 5-year-old. That race was the $85,000 Classic Series and Camotion went off the even-money favorite and led all the way.

He started 106 times, most of them for trainer Ben Wallace, and compiled a 32-13-16 slate.

Going to stud at Armstrong Bros. in Ontario, Camotion served a book of 199 mares in his first season and 136 mares in his second season.

Riverboat King p, 4, 1:48.3f ($1,234,576)

Riverboat King made his reputation at the races mostly in New Jersey, but his breeding career has started in New York where his offspring will have a chance to race for purses enhanced by the anticipated VLT revenues.

The son of Cam’s Card Shark was a standout in the New Jersey Sires Stakes as a 2-year-old and stepped up to compete successfully in open events as a sophomore. He first put $250,000 in the bank as a 3-year-old by winning the New Jersey Classic and taking a 1:50.1 mark in the process. Later that summer, the colt traveled to The Meadows and won the two-heat Adios with a winning time of 1:51.4.

Riverboat King was a model of consistency as a 4-year-old, being on the board in 18 of his 20 tries. His mark of 1:48.3 was taken in winning a leg of the Classic Series at the Meadowlands for trainer Steve Elliott and driver Jim Morrill.

Riverboat King bred 72 mares in his initial season in the stud and 61 mares in his second season.

Allamerican Ingot p, 3, 1:50.3f ($1,141,493)

Western Hanover is one of the most reliable sources of early speed in the breed’s history and son like Allamerican Ingot helped him established that reputation.

After a few starts for seasoning, Allamerican Ingot won the Smullin at Rosecroft in 1:53.4 by open lengths.

It was no secret that trainer Bob McIntosh was taking dead aim on the Woodrow Wilson, however, and he knew that Allamerican Ingot had the right stuff. The bettors weren’t so sure in the Wilson final, as trainer Monte Gelrod’s Monsoon Hall was made the 1-2 favorite and Allamerican Ingot went off at $6.50 on the dollar.

John Campbell knew he had the right horse, however, and he had the confidence to send Allamerican Ingot right to the front. When Monsoon Hall began to pressure the leader, Allamerican Ingot tossed a 55.2 back half at him to hold him at bay and take home the trophy in the $700,000 event.

As a 3-year-old, Allamerican Ingot won a Triple Crown event when he swept the two-heat Messenger in late October at the Meadows. Earlier he’d won a heat in the Jug, another Triple Crown event, and that year he finished third in both the Meadowlands Pace and Breeders Crown.

With his early speed, consistency, and pedigree, it’s not surprising that he bred 127 mares in Kentucky in 2003 and then moved to Pennsylvania in 2004 where he bred 114 mares.

Aces N’ Sevens p, 5, 1:48.4 ($888,934)

This son of Cam’s Card Shark finished his freshman season with a flourish. He won six of his last nine starts, including four straight in competition for Jersey-sired colts.

Even when he finished second in his final start of the season, Aces N’ Sevens picked up a nice check in the $224,300 Matron Stake.

His big payday as a 3-year-old came when he swept past most of the field to win the $500,000 Hoosier Cup in 1:50.3. In that race, Aces N’ Sevens started from post eight and was well back for most of the mile, but in the stretch driver Cat Manzi had him on fire and went past Gallo Blue Chip, I Scoot Hanover, Astreos, and The Fireman to win.

As a 4- and 5-year-old, the reliable pacer was trained primarily by Larry Remmen and Doug Miller. Aces N’ Sevens won in 1:50.3 at age 4 and lowered that mark to 1:48.4, winning for trainer Remmen and driver David Miller.

He’s been an extremely popular stallion with a book of 217 mares in his first season in Ontario and 168 mares in his second year.

Million Dollar Cam p,3, 1:50.2h ($880,253)

While other 2-year-olds were making headlines in the summer of 2001, Million Dollar Cam was nowhere to be found. He didn’t make his first start until September.

By the end of the season, however, Million Dollar Cam was very much in the thick of things, finishing second to Western Shooter in the Governor’s Cup at the Meadowlands. Along the way, he’d picked up a 1:53.3 mark at Mohawk.

His most memorable season was as a sophomore when he won 12 of 26 starts, including a wire-to-wire triumph in the Little Brown Jug in 1:50.2.

Million Dollar Cam served notice early as a 3-year-old that he’d be a contender. He won his qualifier and first four purse starts. He raced for Team Robinson while in Ontario but was under the management of Monte Gelrod when racing at the Meadowlands.

He had no luck in the Meadowlands Pace, but scored a two-heat triumph in the Adios for trainer Robinson and driver John Campbell in early August. He paced to a 1:50.4 mile winning the Adios final over Soho.

Before his Jug victory, Million Dollar Cam defeated Soho again to win a heat of the Cane Pace.

His date with destiny at Delaware came on Sept. 19 when he won his elim in 1:51.4 for Campbell. In the final, Campbell opted to drive Mach Three and Luc Ouellette picked up the reins behind Million Dollar Cam. He pointed his horse toward the front and refused to surrender the lead, setting fractions of 25.4, 53.1, and 1:21.3. That was enough to discourage Mach Three, who was outside of him, but Million Dollar Cam got to the wire first, giving trainer Bill Robinson another Jug victory.

Million Dollar Cam bred 141 mares in his first season and 60 mares in his second season.