by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Williamsport, PA — It appeared Mythical Lindy, Pennsylvania’s 2006 freshman trotting champion and a top contender to upset 2006 Dan Patch winner Donato Hanover, was poised to trot the best mile of his fledging career, but a stroke of bad luck derailed his bid for Hambletonian glory.

The son of SJ’s Caviar, owned by Thomas H. York, Jr. of Newark, Ohio and Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Ohio, was scratched from the third of three $70,000 eliminations for the $1.7 million Hambletonian on July 28 at the Meadowlands, after he came up lame in the paddock. Trained by Jim Arledge, Jr., of Circleville, Ohio, Mythical Lindy is the first foal from the Lindy Lane mare Myth, and has quietly collected three victories and two second place finishes to Donato Hanover in his sophomore campaign.

“We just have not had things go our way,” Arledge said. “He seemed very good and was training very well. I was very pleased with him.”

As a freshman, the bay colt with the faint white star, was first or second in nine of 11 starts and earned nearly $300,000.

New Image Media photo

David Miller piloted Mythical Lindy to a neck triumph over Quite Easy in a 2006 Breeders Crown elimination.

Mythical Lindy’s seven victories included eliminations for the Peter Haughton and Breeders Crown, and the Pennsylvania Sires Stake Final. The colt finished second to Donato Hanover in the Peter Haughton Final and fourth, once again behind Donato Hanover, in the Breeders Crown Final.

The colt already rebounded from a minor injury suffered the day before the Nevele Pride Final, contested at Monticello Raceway on June 25 of this year.

“I was out grazing him on the Sunday before the race and something bit him on the leg,” Arledge said. “We think it was a spider. The leg swelled all up but it came to a boil and busted out. It actually seemed to come back sounder.”

Arledge firmly believed Mythical Lindy was talented enough to get him to the Hambletonian winner’s circle. The trainer has come close before as the 2006 Hambletonian favorite, Mr Pine Chip, was conditioned by Arledge as a 2-year-old before owner Joe Sbrocco sold 50 percent of the colt to Southwind Farm and he was sent to trainer Trond Smedshammer.

“Mr. Sbrocco has been in the business for a long time and it’s certainly a dream for him to win the Hambletonian,” Arledge said. “For me, it’s always been a goal to just get one in it and you don’t get one like this every year. Mythical Lindy is a better horse than Mr Pine Chip. He’s a bigger, stronger horse that’s a lot more versatile. With Mr Pine Chip you had to move him, then he had a brush at the end. Mr Pine Chip went in (1):52 but this colt can do a lot more. We just haven’t had things go our way yet.”

If all goes well, Mythical Lindy has the Yonkers Trot, the Kentucky Futurity and the Breeders Crown left on his dance card.

“He’s staked to everything,” Arledge said. “He still has a busy year and a lot of races ahead of him.”