by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — As the horses came around the first turn at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in the Breeders Crown Open Pace, trainer Larry Remmen was looking forward to watching Shark Gesture and Won The West slug it out. He never got the chance as Shark Gesture went off stride coming out of the turn, dropping from the lead to the back of the pack.

Linscott Photography

Shark Gesture has won 27 races and banked $2,818,021 in his career.

“I was really excited about Saturday night,” said Remmen, who trained Shark Gesture with his brother, Ray. “Won The West got in behind us. It was going to be a battle of the giants. There was going to be no excuses. It was going to be a horserace.”

On Monday, Remmen discovered the reason for Shark Gesture’s miscue: a check ligament strain in the left front leg. The injury is also believed to be the reason for Shark Gesture’s break in the Canadian Pacing Derby on September 4 at Mohawk Racetrack.

Shark Gesture had won seven of 10 races and finished second on three occasions prior to going off stride in his final two starts and finishing last in each. Prior to those races, he spent the majority of the season as the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing’s weekly poll.

“There was nothing ever showed up all the time he was going,” Remmen said. “We jogged him a little bit on Sunday morning and he seemed fine. Then yesterday we saw a little strain in the tendon. He hasn’t torn anything, but it’s definitely strained.

“It’s not written in stone, but usually when a horse makes those breaks, it’s high speed. The check ligament hooks on the knee. He trained all right before going to Canada. The track was a little loose (at Mohawk). Any time when a knee or something bothers a horse, it’s tough when the surface is loose. He didn’t make the last turn. I’m sure that’s what happened there. But it’s all hindsight.”

Shark Gesture is owned by Norman Smiley, Gerald Smiley and the TLP Stable. The connections are exploring options to stand the horse at stud.

“That’s what the original plan was, and I think they’ll stick with it,” Remmen said.

Shark Gesture has won 27 of 78 career races and $2.81 million. His wins include the William R. Haughton Memorial in 2010 and 2009, the 2009 Canadian Pacing Derby and the 2006 Breeders Crown (as a 3-year-old) plus two Graduate finals and this year’s Dan Patch Invitational and Bettor’s Delight.

Remmen said Shark Gesture’s 10-1/2 length victory in the Dan Patch in a track-record 1:48.1 at Hoosier Park was his favorite memory from this season.

“That was tremendous to watch,” Remmen said. “You knew with this horse you were going to be in any race. You weren’t looking for someone else to carry the mail. If you had to, you could race from off the pace, but usually you were carrying the mail and it was just come and catch me and see if you can beat me.

“He would have been OK with someone else carrying the mail, but there was really no one else we wanted to be behind. He was exciting. To see that powerful gait; and he meant business when you put him in the race. It was fun to watch and fun to be around.”