by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — With 13 trips to the post under his belt and $138,774 in the bank, Beat The Drum is prepared to commence his 3-year-old season and illustrate he may be a force to be reckoned with in the glamour male pacing division.

“He has come back from last year very good, has been qualified twice and I think he is ready to race,” said co-owner and conditioner Staffan Lind. “He’s not much bigger than he was last year, but he is certainly very strong physically.”

Beat The Drum is by Tell All and out of the Western Ideal mare Pop Diva, who earned $121,336 herself. From her first two foals she has produced another near $100,000 horse with $99,859 victor Divulge (2009, Tell All p,2,1:51.3). Beat The Drum is also owned by Bender Sweden and was purchased for $17,000 at the 2012 Lexington Selected Sale.

Although he may not have stacked up a pile of triumphs in the first year of his career, Beat The Drum competed against top company, came home with some very fast last quarter-miles and was impeded by many tough posts.

Lisa photo

Beat The Drum won his career debut in a NJSS race on June 29, 2013.

Lind is quite pleased with where the colt will start from for his 3-year-old debut in the $50,500 first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes at the Meadowlands on Saturday (May 17). Beat The Drum will leave from post three in the 12th race of the evening with Joe Bongiorno holding the lines. At 8-1, he is the fourth choice on the morning line behind 8-5 Western Vintage, 5-2 Doo Wop Hanover and 9-2 Dancin Hill.

“He is not the fastest horse behind the gate, so we have only left with him once or twice,” Lind said. “But he has a good post position this week and we are hoping he can use that to hold his position.”

As a 2-year-old, Beat The Drum was fourth in the $534,500 Governor’s Cup from the eight hole, fifth in the $648,850 Metro Pace at odds of 72-1 from the eight spot, and seventh in a $77,750 division of the Bluegrass Stake from post position eight. He, however, had six races where he finished just as swiftly, if not faster, than the race’s winner.

“He has a good set of lungs and never seems to ever come back from a race or qualifier tired,” Lind said. “He is also very level headed and never does anything stupid. He is so laid back, sometimes it takes him five to ten minutes to walk to the track. It’s not because he’s being difficult, but because he stops to just look at everything that is going on around him. Then the minute he steps on the track he is all business and ready to go.”

As to where this colt fits in with his colleagues, Lind, like any other trainer in the same position, is not quite sure, but he is looking forward to discovering where Beat The Drum fits.

“Yes, I think so (on whether this year could be an exciting one for Beat The Drum),” he said. “We don’t know yet, like many of the other horses too, but last year there was just Captaintreacherous and everyone was just trying to catch up with him. This year there are 10 to 15 horses out there that really could be top quality and we think he is one of those right now, so that does make it exciting for us.”

Just like last year, Beat The Drum will not shirk the highest level of competition, as he is paid into nearly every big race for his age and gait.

“He is staked to nearly every big race,” Lind said. “He is just a good horse, especially because he is so laid back. I hope we can pick up some big checks with him this year.”