by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Laurel, DE — When the veterinarian told Buddy and Robert Short that their latest purchase — who they had yet to even race — needed surgery, they didn’t hesitate.

“If we hadn’t done what we did, we’d have had to put him down,” Delaware trainer Buddy Short said.

The diagnosis was just one of many difficulties the pair had faced since deciding they wanted the pacer Natural Talent in the spring of 2010.

After hearing that Natural Talent — who had once been a regular in Delaware’s Open pacing ranks — had been sold to the Amish, Buddy Short got on the phone. He remembered watching the horse race back when he was pacing 1:49 and 1:50 every week and knew he wanted him.

“I liked the horse early,” he said. “It’s amazing how good this horse was.”

Fotowon photo

Natural Talent was a 1:53.3 winner on Dec. 20, 2010 in a $20,000 claiming race at Dover Downs.

He spent a week tracking down the then 7-year-old, finally locating him in Leola, Pennsylvania. Short picked up the son of Nobleland Sam-Natural Appeal the day before he was scheduled to sell at New Holland.

“He was too nice of a horse to let that happen,” Buddy’s father, Robert Short, said. As a 4- and 5-year-old, Natural Talent boasted $100,000-plus seasons and took a mark of 1:49.2.

They knew the horse had been headed toward a buggy career for a reason, so the Shorts were not surprised when they got Natural Talent to their farm and saw that he was lame. After two months of working on him, however, and seeing no improvement, they knew he was more than just sore.

“I knew the horse had problems but I didn’t know it was that bad,” Buddy Short said.

They decided to take him to renowned Maryland veterinarian William Riddle for a diagnosis. Riddle told them the horse’s left front leg was infected and needed surgery — surgery that would give him just a 15 to 20 percent chance of ever racing again.

“The percentages weren’t good but for the horse’s sake I wanted to try,” the younger Short said.

Riddle operated on the horse and treated him for 10 days, after which he gave the horse an 85 percent chance of making it back to the track.

“Dr. Riddle did a wonderful job,” Robert Short said.

He said after that, per the veterinarian’s instructions, they started bringing the horse back slowly, jogging him easy and swimming him. Short said he was grateful for the help of trainers Orlando Greene and Les Givens — whose pool the horse swam in — during the recovery process.

By late October 2010, Natural Talent was finally ready to qualify. Under the guidance of driver Kim Vincent, Natural Talent completed a mile at Dover Downs with a time of 1:59.3 on a sloppy track, finishing fifth.

The following week, the horse’s first real race since March served as a tightener for Natural Talent, who finished sixth — but paced the mile in 1:55.4. By his next start, however, the gelding was back in business, pacing in 1:54.3 to finish second against a field of $15,000 claimers. A respectable fifth-place finish followed the next week.

On Dec. 20, Natural Talent was recognizable as the horse he once was, cutting it out against $20,000 claiming competition to win in 1:53.3.

“I’m very happy with his performance,” Robert Short said.

He and his son were upset, however, to see the old horse go a brutal mile in his first race of the new year.

“He was parked the whole mile and still paced in 1:54.4,” Buddy Short said.

In his most recent start Vincent raced Natural Talent from behind, picking up a fifth-place check in a $20,000 claimer at Dover. While it might not have got him much recognition, it left his owners — who are just happy he’s healthy enough to make it around the track now — thrilled.

“This horse has absolutely amazed me,” Buddy Short said. “He’s come a long way.”