by Mike Paradise, for the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association

Hinsdale, IL — Sometimes a name fits a horse’s personality and that was the case with Thisbigdogwilfight, who has been retired from racing at the age of 10 after being one of the premier Illinois conceived and foaled pacers of this century.

“It was time,” said his longtime trainer Jim Eaton. “He wasn’t able to overcome his problems anymore. These last couple of years the horse has had a lot of trouble with his front ankles and I think the arthritis just got so bad it was time to quit with him.”

Thisbigdogwilfight is turned out to pasture with 56 career victories, the vast majority of them coming in the circuit’s highest level overnight events and ICF stakes, purse earnings of $978,789 and he was a former world record holder.

“If he wasn’t so close to earning a million dollars (only $21,215 shy) I might have not tried to come back with him a couple of months ago. I thought he deserved the chance to reach it. But it just didn’t work out.”

REB photo

Thisbigdogwilfight with his long-time trainer Jim Eaton.

Originally a $6,000 yearling purchase by Redbud Stable of Frankfort, Ill. and Michael McNeely of Normal, Ill., the son of The Big Dog was sold to Michigan owner Bob Silberberg in April 2011.

Thisbigdogwilfight got it done year after year on any size track showing grit and determination that made him one of most popular horses on the Chicago circuit for almost a decade.

He’s one of only a handful of pacers in the country that ever won a race under 1:50 five consecutive years, from 2006 through 2010. The gelding also holds the record for the most appearances on Super Night at Balmoral Park with eight and seven of those came in championships.

Of Thisbigdogwilfight’s 56 lifetime victories, 38 came in a Free For All, Invitational, or a stakes elimination and final.

The horse came close to banking $1 million despite never winning a six-figure race. His 2007 victory in the $90,000 Carey at Hawthorne was the highest purse he ever won.

Thisbigdogwilfight’s beginning didn’t start out on a promising note.

“He was an orphan growing up,” said Eaton. “His mother actually killed one of her babies so he was taken away from her soon after he was born and given to a surrogate mare who nursed him.”

Before he made his first 2-year-old start in late June 2005, did Eaton see any indications from the bay horse that he might go on to be a star pacer?

Four Footed Photo

Thisbigdogwilfight won the $90,000 Carey final at Hawthorne with Dave Magee.

“Not by any stretch of the imagination,” replied the 56-year-old trainer who was inducted into the Illinois Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2011. “When he was in training he never showed any signs of being a good horse. In fact he didn’t show whatsoever that he was going to be a horse who would even try.

“I had another yearling at that time. A horse called Third Day who went on to make $600,000. Every time they trained together he whipped “Dog.” He did it dozens of times. “Dog” had no interest in beating him or any other horse.

“I remember when (owner) Phil Langley (Redbud Stable) came out one morning to watch the horse train. Phil came off the track shaking his head and telling me, ‘Well maybe we can make some money with him at the fairs.’ That’s how poorly the horse trained early-on as a 2-year-old.

“When it was time to qualify him I had Dave (Magee) up to drive. He was listed in the same race on another horse that was highly regarded by his trainer and Dave asked me ‘does this Dog horse have any stock.’ I told him no and to go ahead and drive that other horse.

“Pat Berry drove him that morning and left with him and ‘Dog” won his qualifier in 1:57 which surprised me. I didn’t think he could pace a quarter in :28 seconds.”

When did Eaton think his ‘Dog’ might go on to have his day as a top-notch pacer?

“He did have some decent races in his first season but it wasn’t until his last start that year that I thought he could end-up being a real good horse. He was in an Illinois-bred stake at Maywood and he drew off and won it in 1:53.1, a fast mile for a 2-year-old on a half.

“Later on as a 6-year-old in 2007 he paced in (1:)50.3 at Maywood, a world record for an aged gelding on a half-mile track that stood until last year.”

Thisbigdogwilfight has always been a horse that preferred to be home in Illinois where he has had a special bond with his long-time caretaker Sondra Brown.

“When the horse was out east for a couple of winters to compete he didn’t always do well,” said Eaton. “I think part of it was he missed Sondra and also his familiar surroundings. Each time he came back home he got real good again.

“However the horse did have one of my very favorite races at the Meadowlands. It was back in 2009 when he won an ($35,000) Invitational there and did it going from last to first in (1:)50.2. He beat some very good horses in it like Western Shore and Shark Gesture.”

There is a happy ending for Thisbigdogwilfight.

“Sondra and her husband (trainer) Mike Brown have a 10-acre place in Momence (IL) and they are going to take ‘Dog’ there to live out the rest of his life. They even have a broodmare there to keep him company.”

This “Dog” deserves it, along with a future induction into the Illinois Harness Hall of Fame.