by Jessica Otten, for Post Time with Mike and Mike

In this addition of the New Vocations retired racehorse recap, we will be featuring a former star, donated by Tom Barrett. His name is L T’s Best, and he is a 15-year-old brown gelding by Davanti, out of the Supergill mare Light Tackle.

Shelley Johnson photo

L T’s Best is a 15-year-old brown gelding by Davanti, out of the Supergill mare Light Tackle.

This war horse had an impeccable career as a Standardbred racehorse, and is looking to excel at his new job. Although he’s had a lot of people interested in him, he hasn’t quite found his right match yet.

“He’s had a chance to settle down and has learned to be a horse while with us,” New Vocations Standardbred Director Winnie Nemeth stated.

“LT” is known to love a routine, and while he was still racing, he was with two stables, Tom Barrett from Michigan and Vince Copeland in Delaware.

While speaking with the former connections of L T’s Best, they made it abundantly clear that he loved to race. He is a very smart horse, maybe too smart for his own good. While talking with former caretaker Ryan Barrett, he had a lot of great things to say about him. One thing he made very clear was how professional he was.

L T’s Best started 117 times, making his way to the winner’s circle on 28 occasions, earning $467,995 lifetime. In 2009 at the age of 6 he had a career high, earning $177,624. He took his lifetime mark in the Green Speed Open Trot in 1:53.3 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Barrett has many memories with L T’s Best, but one that sticks out was when the horse won the Open Trot three weeks in a row at Hazel Park Raceway in 2007.

Aside from that, L T’s Best had many highlights in his career, as well as his fair share of success on the stakes circuit where he was a money earner in the American-National at Balmoral, the Patriot Trot at Colonial, and the Dygert Memorial Trot at Hawthorne. In 2007 and 2008 he was invited and participated in the Patriot Trot.

“LT definitely looks for his groom or rider to have confidence in their abilities, to also have confidence in him and trust they will guide him in the right direction,” Barrett explained.

LT loves kids and loves any kind of treats; his favorite is carrots.

“We are really excited to have had the opportunity to work with him,” Nemeth stated. “I think he will be great at whatever he does next, whether it’s a show horse, a trail horse, or even a driving horse.

“LT is ready for his next step and a new home.”

You can help the cause and donate numerous ways through New Vocations. For more information visit www.posttimewithmikeandmike.com or www.newvocations.org.

Note: Last month’s ‘New Vocation’s Horse Spotlight’ featured Ohio State champion JJ Hall. Post Time is happy to report that because of the article, JJ Hall was adopted by a loving family with a farm in North Carolina.