by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — Here’s a good indication that you have a racehorse you love more for being a horse than being a breadwinner.

“My wife (Alisa) says that for some reason when the horse wins it gives her chills,” said John Urbanski, owner and trainer of New Zealand-bred import Beau Rivage. “And it’s not so much it gives her chills in a sense that she’s happy the horse won. She’s just happy for the horse.”

Indeed, the Urbanski family and Beau Rivage have formed one of the greatest human-animal bonds since Timmy met Lassie. John claimed the pacer for $20,000 as a 10-year-old at Yonkers in 2012 and was expecting him to earn the family some money until his retirement.

He got a lot more than that.

“He’s exceeded what we’ve hoped for,” Urbanski said. “We were looking at a horse that was just going to make us some income. He’s given us income, as well as the pleasure of being involved with him.”

Photo courtesy of Jay Baldwin

Owner/trainer John Urbanski with $514,557 earner Beau Rivage.

Now in his final season before mandatory retirement, the 14-year-old has won four of 17 races this season and hit the board a total of 11 times. His $9,676 in purses this year increased his worldwide total to $514,557.

“As a young horse, just watching him race, he was definitely a horse I wanted to claim,” Urbanski said. “He got us our $20,000 right back. From there on he’s just been a moneymaker for me.”

Actually, he hasn’t just been a moneymaker. He’s become part of the family. Urbanski calls him the classiest horse he has ever been involved with, which is something he saw when claiming him.

“I just liked the fact he was an older, classy horse,” the veteran horseman said. “When you looked at him, he had such class. He was a good looking animal. Plus, the fact that he was still sound at the time helped.”

And the Urbanski team made sure he remained sound by not pushing him.

“The way we trained him at our farm is pretty mild in comparison to being at a training facility,” Urbanski said. “We basically just raced him off a jog mile. We were able to get him some longevity by doing that.”

Beau Rivage won nine of his 43 starts last year and Urbanski does not see him slowing down in his final go-around. He figures Beau Rivage will likely equal that number of starts this season, and could equal or surpass the win total.

“Oh yeah, without a doubt,” Urbanski said. And then, just for good measure, he added, “There’s no doubt about it. Last year he had nine wins. I wouldn’t doubt if he does that again, for sure.”

The New Zealand-born gelding began racing in the U.S. in 2008 after a seven-win career Down Under. Since arriving in the States, he has won 43 of 258 races and earned $446,694.

Due to his age, Beau Rivage has been jumping between $4,000 and $6,000 claiming races, and Urbanski feels he can excel against such competition.

“He’s a tough old bugger,” the trainer said. “He raced Thursday (finishing third) and he’ll be back at Freehold Saturday. He’s got the ability to go back-to-back races. He can race pretty close, just because our training style is pretty easy on him.”

Beau Rivage can come from behind when necessary, and is extremely tough to overtake when he gets ahead.

“Usually when he’s out on front he’s tough to beat in the classes that he’s in,” Urbanski said. “And he’ll come from behind. Last week he went out of the seven hole and just came right up the rail and wound up winning the race that way.

“There’s other times when he’s on the front end, and nobody leaves against him because when he does get the front he’s very tough to clear and he’s tough to beat.”

Jim Marshall III is the horse’s main driver “because of him being somewhat of a conservative driver.”

When he’s not racing, Beau Rivage is being jogged by Urbanski’s 16-year-old daughter, Alex, and 13-year-old son, John.

“He’s such a nice horse, my kids love him,” Urbanski said. “My 13-year-old jogs him no problem and my daughter grew up jogging him. She got to learn that way just because he’s such a mild mannered animal.”

And when you strip away the wins and the earnings and the success that Beau Rivage has had, it will always come down to that personality.

“He’s classy just from every way you could talk about him,” Urbanski said. “He’s a perfect angel as far as being in the barn, perfect as far as being in the paddock.

“When you watch him race, you can actually tell he’s a classy animal just because he always finishes the mile. He always comes on strong right at the end. The drivers always say what a pleasure he is to drive.”

With that in mind, it is no wonder that Beau Rivage has a home for life with the Urbanskis.

“He’s going to retire at the farm, he’s going to stay with us,” John said. “We’re not looking to find him a home or anything. Because we don’t take them to a training facility, because these animals are right in our backyard, they’re not just racehorses to us, they are pets as well.”