by Joshua Potts

It is not everyday that an $11,500 yearling purchase wins a major 2-year-old event. But that is precisely what happened when Illinois-bred Fox Valley Barzgar p,2,1:50.2 ($289,550) took home the winner’s share of the prestigious $410,000 Woodrow Wilson Final last season at The Meadowlands.

Shawn Nessa was the winning bidder on the Incredible Finale colt, out of the Sportsmaster mare Slammin Annie, at the 2005 Land of Lincoln Yearling Sale. After Fox Valley Barzgar’s first lifetime start, Nessa sold him for more than ten times his winning bid to Michael Polansky of Loudonville, N.Y.

Tom Harmer trains several horses for Polansky, and had an opportunity to work with Fox Valley Barzgar prior to his purchase.

“I worked with (Fox Valley Barzgar) for about a week or two,” said Harmer. “Shawn Nessa did a great job of getting him ready, but I wasn’t quite sold on him. He was fast, but had a few things wrong with him. Michael said he respected my opinion and that we would pass on the colt.”

The next day, Polansky called Harmer and told him that if the colt was as fast as Harmer said he was, then he wanted to take the plunge.

“I explained to Michael that if he didn’t outgrow his problems, he may never race well,” Harmer said. “But he stuck his neck out and decided to take the gamble.”

Fox Valley Barzgar outgrew his problems, and Polansky’s gamble paid off.

After winning his Woodrow Wilson Elimination by 3-1/2 lengths on July 28, the betting public sent him off as the 13-10 favorite in the final one week later. Fox Valley Barzgar didn’t disappoint his legion of backers, winning by three lengths in 1:50.2 with Tony Morgan piloting.

The bay colt then continued his winning ways at the DuQuoin State Fair in Illinois, easily winning his division of The Governor’s Cup by 7-3/4 lengths. From there, Fox Valley Barzgar traveled to Balmoral Park, for his Orange & Blue Elimination for 2-year-old Illinois-bred colts and geldings.

“He was not quite as sharp in his Orange & Blue Elimination,” said Harmer. That is quite a statement, considering he won his elimination by 6-1/2 lengths in 1:52 with Dave Magee up.

Going into the Orange & Blue Final, however, Fox Valley Barzgar was not himself. The betting public sent him off as the 3-5 favorite, but he finished in the show spot behind eventual winner Home Bed Advantage.

“He was empty in the final. He didn’t have the punch he normally has,” said Harmer.

After the race, Polansky and Harmer had the colt checked by a veterinarian.

“We did some blood work on him. His immune system was down, his blood was down, and his liver was down. We didn’t want to risk injuring him. Mr. Polansky always thinks about the horse first. So we turned him out in Florida.”

In many ways, it is a miracle Fox Valley Barzgar is here at all. That’s because his dam, Slammin Annie, was in a racing accident at the age of three, where she suffered a severe cut in her left front tendon. Her owner, Dr. Ken L. “Doc” Walker of Walker Standardbreds in Sherman, Ill., remembers it well.

“She was lame for six months. For the first month, she couldn’t put any weight on it at all. We just gave her lots of bute and TLC. After six months, she was broodmare sound, but she would never be racehorse sound.”

The names of most of the horses bred by Walker begin with the famous “Fox Valley” moniker. His wife, Pat, often consults their grandchildren for ideas on names for the foals. One of their grandsons, Jake, suggested “Fox Valley Barzgar,” named after a wrestling move.

Walker is understandably proud of being the breeder of the outstanding pacer.

“If he comes back at three the way he raced at two, he could be the best horse we’ve ever raised.”

Harmer is also looking forward to the colt’s 3-year-old season. “He’s very simple to train, nothing different at all. We’ve mapped out a strategy. He starts training in two to three weeks.”

The 2007 season should be a good one with several top quality 3-year-old pacers in North America. Soon harness racing fans everywhere will be able to see whether Fox Valley Barzgar can pin his competition to the mat, and reign as champion.