by Kim French, USTA Internet News Editor

Kim French

Columbus, OH — Moments after his purchase of McWicked at the 2013 Standardbred Mixed Sale in Harrisburg, Ed James was reaching into his pocket. On this occasion it was not to extract his wallet, but to answer his phone.

“It was my ex-wife,” he said. “She asked me if I was in Texas, which I told her I was, but now I’m at the Harrisburg Sale buying a couple horses, but I haven’t bought any yet. She said that was good and then asked me if I knew the people that ran the sale. I explained to her of course I did because I’ve been coming here 20 years. The she said, ‘Well you better tell them they made a mistake and they need to fix it. They posted on the Internet that Ed James just bought a horse for $210,000!’”

Although it was certainly some serious cash for a 2-year-old, James committed no error when he signed the check for McWicked. Some 3-1/2 years later the 2014 Dan Patch and O’Brien Award winner, and world champion, seeks to make a statement to his foes when he returns to Grand Circuit action in the first leg of the George Morton Levy Series on Saturday (March 18) at Yonkers Raceway. Saturday night offers four $50,000 Levy groupings (races five through eight). A total of 31 leading Free-For-Allers declared their intentions for the first series go-round.

Skip Smith photo

McWicked has won 17 times in his career with earnings of $1.78 million.

The 6-year-old stallion will be steered by Scott Zeron in the sixth race, second division, and will commence his journey from post position five as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line. His primary competition appears to be the morning line favorite Santa Fe Beachboy (Jordan Stratton, post three, 5-2), the venerable All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley, post six, 9-2), and the always formidable Great Vintage (Mark MacDonald, post one, 9-2).

“I am very excited for this series,” James said. “I’ve been told he’s as good as he ever was.”

Outstanding would be a more adequate adjective to describe McWicked’s career.

As a 2-year-old the son of McArdle-Western Sahara banked $179,617 with a record of 10-3-5-1 while in Julie Miller’s barn.

After James brought him home from the Keystone State, he sent the horse to Jim McDonald, his regular successful trainer in Florida, to train and in the spring Casie Coleman was offered the horse to campaign as a sophomore. As a 3-year-old, McWicked collected $1.47 million and established a world record of 1:47.3 at Pocono in capturing the $500,000 Max Hempt final. He also earned trophies in the $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios final, the $531,250 Breeders Crown final and the $301,560 Progress Pace final.

Following that campaign, McWicked was named the 2014 Dan Patch and O’Brien Award winner as the sport’s 3-year-old male pacing champion.

“I have been in this business 63 years,” James said. “I have had some nice horses, but he is the best horse I have ever owned.”

When many horses turn four, even elite animals such as McWicked encounter much stiffer competition facing older, more seasoned horses. From 10 trips to the post in 2015, McWicked never visited the winner’s circle, but did finish second in the $148,000 Allerage at Red Mile behind JK Endofanera.

In McWicked’s case, however, a common physical issue many racehorses contend with presented itself at the end of his 4-year-old campaign.

“He needed throat surgery,” James said. “Dr. Norman DuCharme at Cornell University lasered him and then we turned him out.”

At this juncture, the stallion returned to McDonald, who advised James to buy McWicked, and Steve Elliott, who became responsible for his care.

“Those two are joined at the hip,” James said. “They think alike and act the same way; they even talk like each other.”

McDonald tends to McWicked while he is in Florida and Elliott is in charge when the stallion hits the road. In the spring of 2016, Elliott was thrilled to have the horse in his barn and touted his talent despite having a horse of immense ability in Rockeyed Optimist under his watchful eye.

“This horse is so fast,” Elliott said last year. “And you can just do anything with him; he does whatever you ask.”

Unfortunately, McWicked flipped his palate in the $179,000 Roll With Joe stake at Tioga Downs on June 19 and hit the wire in seventh. This was after a sixth place finish in a $25,000 Open Handicap at the Meadowlands, a third in the $115,500 Molson Pace and a third in another Open at the East Rutherford oval.

Elliott returned the horse to Dr. DuCharme, who performed tie forward surgery on the stallion and he was then provided with another extended vacation for his recovery.

With McDonald listed as the conditioner of record, McWicked captured two qualifying contests at Pompano Park on Jan. 21 and Feb. 4 prior to a powerful triumph over Panocchio over that same surface in a $12,000 Open on Feb. 12 in 1:50.4. He was piloted by Hall of Famer David Miller, who was at the controls in his championship 3-year-old season.

McWicked’s next engagement was another victory on March 11 at Yonkers Raceway where he led the entire mile and stopped the clock in 1:53.2 in a $30,000 non-winners contest. Guided b Zeron, the stallion had no anxious moments as he paced over the half-mile oval.

“This horse just does nothing wrong,” James said. “He is mentally sharp; he gets up, eats his breakfast and lays back down. He is no problem at all and does whatever is expected of him. I’m looking forward to this year with him.”

Many owners would have retired a stallion with McWicked’s resume rather than continue to pursue a racing career, but James had a goal when he bought the horse and a key component of his personality is to stick to what he commits to.

“I bought the horse to race,” he said. “I never got in this business to make money. I worked and still run my business (SSG Gloves) primarily by myself. I don’t take partners on horses because I like to control my own fate and I’ve been divorced twice, so that shows I’m not meant to have a partner.

“I’m 85 years old and by the time I could watch his foals race I would be 90 and let’s face it, I might not be here then. Horses like this don’t come around very often; some people never get one and I don’t have another lifetime to find another one.”

For complete entries for Saturday’s four divisions of the Levy, click here.