by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — When filly pacer Summer In Fiji was sidelined by an injury during her 2-year-old season after going 5-for-5 and winning the 2006 Indiana Sire Stakes summer championship, owner Frank Baldachino worried his fun might be ending.

Instead, the good times would go on.

Baldachino, with the assistance of trainers Mickey and Ron Burke, purchased Go On BB as Summer In Fiji’s replacement on the Indiana circuit. Go On BB won the ISS fall championship — and much more.

Balmoral Park photo

Go On BB’s biggest win came in the $206,000 American-National for 3-year-old filly pacers in 2007.

During an eight-year career, Go On BB won 69 of 178 races and $1.46 million. Bred by Robert Bendel, Go On BB is a daughter of sire Dontgetinmyway out of the dam Challo B B. She became the first Indiana-sired mare of any breed to surpass $1 million in purses and is the winningest pacing mare in harness racing history among million-dollar earners.

On Tuesday, Baldachino announced that Go On BB was retired and heading to Hanover Shoe Farms to begin her career as a broodmare. Go On BB raced twice in January, finishing second both times.

“I made the decision with Ronnie to retire her,” Baldachino said. “We were hoping she could get win No. 70, but I wasn’t going to cheapen her or hurt her. She’s been so good to me. She gave it her all every time she raced and had a fantastic career.”

Go On BB won a second ISS title as a 3-year-old (and was runner-up to stablemate Summer In Fiji in another try) but saved her best performance for the end of that season. Baldachino supplemented Go On BB to the $206,000 American-National Stakes at Balmoral Park and the filly rewarded him with a 2-1/4 length win in 1:51.

“I knew she was a nice filly and took a shot,” Baldachino said. “That showed she was not only a good Indiana filly, but a horse capable of competing on the Grand Circuit. That was a special moment.”

Another special moment came when Go On BB surpassed $1 million in May 2010 at Hoosier Park.

Linscott Photography

Go On BB was honored on May 29, 2010 after going over the million dollar mark in career earnings.

“I was proud of her,” Baldachino said. “She was an iron horse. Even today she’s as sound as ever. She looks fantastic. It was tough to make the decision to retire her because she was still racing at a fairly high level.”

In addition to winning the American-National, Go On BB captured the 2007 Blossom Series final at the Meadowlands and a total of six Indiana Sire Stakes crowns. She competed in the Breeders Crown twice, finishing sixth both times.

In November, she won at Maywood Park for career victory No. 69, breaking a tie with Anniecrombie for the most wins by a female pacer among those with at least $1 million in purses.

Baldachino does not worry about the fun ending now. With Go On BB’s foals, he hopes it will continue to go on.

“I got (Go On BB) just to have a horse to race in the second round of the sire stakes because I had so much fun with Summer In Fiji,” Baldachino said. “The rest, as they say, is history. And what a pretty good history to write.”