by M. Kelly Young, for the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State
Albany, NY — When 2-year-old trotting colt Royal Shyster steps out onto the track Saturday (Oct. 29) for the Breeders Crown final at Woodbine, it won’t just be a big moment for his connections, but also for his sire, RC Royalty.
Producing a Breeders Crown finalist in his first crop is a significant accomplishment for RC Royalty, who isn’t only a leading trotting stallion in his home state of New York, but also in the country. He currently leads all trotting sires in 2-year-old average earnings per foal at $34,392. This is $15,000 more than the average for his closest competitor.
Fotowon photo
Royal Shyster heads to the Breeders Crown final with nine wins and purses of $229,540.
The stallion had a modest first crop of 17 registered foals, but of those, 13 made the races and earned a combined $584,662.
RC Royalty was a 2-year-old New York Sire Stakes champion in 2005 and bankrolled more than $665,000 in his career, which included winning the Valley Victory and finishing fourth in the Yonkers Trot.
In an even more stunning freshman season than his father, Royal Shyster scored in six NYSS legs and the State Fair on the way to winning the $175,000 NYSS championship at Saratoga earlier this month. The colt is his sire’s richest performer to date, with $229,540 in earnings.
On the filly side, daughter Zanna Royal was the runner-up in her NYSS final to round out a $114,808 first year.