by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows

Washington, PA — He’s the richest Standardbred ever with more than $7.5 million in career earnings, but in his final year of racing, 14-year-old Foiled Again would like to nail down one more accomplishment — career win No. 100. He’ll shoot for that elusive milestone Saturday (June 9) at The Meadows when he leaves from post two with Dave Palone in race 11. First post for the special Belmont Day card is 11:25 a.m.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Foiled Again will seek career win No. 100 on Saturday at The Meadows.

Foiled Again will compete in a conditioned race that generally draws horses that have been struggling for victories. Indeed, only one horse in the field has a win showing in its recent charted lines. Foiled Again has been, well, foiled again in each of his seven previous attempts for No. 100, but this Saturday’s outcome could be different.

“He drew in a good spot, he should have a good shot,” says Ron Burke, who trains the gallant gelding, a son of Dragon Again-In A Safe Place, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stables. “He’s starting to get tight and should be ready to rock.”

Foiled Again last raced at Northfield Park on June 2, finishing third despite a brutal trip. Burke says he’s maintaining the old boy’s customary work schedule.

“He gets trained the same as he’s been trained since he was 4,” Burke indicated. “He seems to thrive on work, and he’s a very happy horse. If anything, he’s better at it now because he knows what’s expected of him.”

It was midway through Foiled Again’s 4-year-old campaign that Mark Weaver of Weaver Bruscemi and Kevin Koury of JJK Stables recommended his purchase to their groups. They bought him privately, Weaver recalls, for $60,000.

“That was a decent amount, especially 10 years ago, and we had some decent expectations of him,” Weaver said. “He was a young horse who could get around small tracks, and we thought he would fit our program. But if someone had predicted he would achieve everything he did, you would’ve called him crazy.”

Those accomplishments are the stuff of legend. He won the Dan Patch Older Pacer of the Year Award three consecutive times (2011-2013), was the first pacer to record three consecutive million-dollar seasons and, in 2013 at the age of 9, he became the oldest horse to win a Breeders Crown (a mark eclipsed the following year by 11-year-old trotter Commander Crowe). With that unprecedented resume, career win 100 might seem just a round number. Weaver and Burke don’t see it that way.

“He’s done so much for all of us,” Weaver said. “He’s literally changed our lives and allowed us to invest back in the game. No. 100 would allow us to appreciate him one more time. Listen — you have the winningest driver in the history of the sport driving for the winningest trainer in the history of the sport on the richest horse in the history of the sport. If they were to win, that would be kind of big.”

Says Burke: “Every win of his is important to us; you appreciate it now because you know there won’t be many more. When he won his last stake race (the 2016 Robert J. Kane Memorial at Batavia Downs), we were all crying because we thought, this could be it.”

Win or lose Saturday, Burke plans to race Foiled Again through the end of the year, when he faces mandatory retirement, with his final race Dec. 31 at The Meadows.

“That will make a great New Year’s Eve party — for us and his fans,” Burke said. “It will be really cool for the sport.”

The Belmont Day card features many fan festivities, including a pair tied to Foiled Again. The first 100 people at the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association table in the Racebook will receive Foiled Again towels, a la the “Terrible Towel,” and one lucky raffle winner will take home a Foiled Again figurine produced by Breyer.

Other activities include:

• Food and beverage specials at the BBQ Pit on the apron
• Paddock tours and jog cart/starting gate rides courtesy MSOA
• The MSOA’s “Spin to Win” contest, with vouchers as prizes
• A “Rockin’ on the Rail” live concert featuring Ryan Cain and the Ables. The music begins at the conclusion of the live card.

For more information, stop by the MSOA information table.