Vintage Master earns July honors
August 2, 2010,by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager
Columbus, OH — Vintage Master, the winner of the Ben Franklin for older pacers at Harrah’s Chester, has been named July Horse of the Month by the United States Trotting Association.
Owned by Brittany Farms and Brian Monieson Revtrust, the 4-year-old Western Ideal-Art’s Vintage stallion is trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Tim Tetrick. For the season, Vintage Master has won three of his seven starts and banked $298,680. He has lifetime earnings of $1,759,728.
World Wide Racing Photos
Vintage Master lowered his own world record to 1:48.1 in winning his Ben Franklin elimination. He also won the final and was named July’s Horse of the Month by the USTA.
Vintage Master opened his month on July 11 in a $50,000 Ben Franklin elimination race at Harrah’s Chester. After sitting in third for the first half-mile, Tetrick pulled Vintage Master first-over and they took over the lead at the three-quarters in an impressive 1:20.1, before pulling away on the far turn and then holding off a hard-closing Won The West for a half-length win in 1:48.1, which lowered his own track and world record for a 4-year-old pacing stallion on a five-eighths-mile track.
Vintage Master took the longest possible way around the track in the $500,000 Ben Franklin final on July 18, racing in behind the favorite Shark Gesture, before popping out at the top of the stretch to win by a length in 1:49. Shark Gesture was second and Atochia was third.
Tetrick thought the five-eighths-mile track, with one more turn than a mile track, worked to Vintage Master’s advantage.
“On a smaller track, things happen and Shark Gesture has struggled in the turns,” Tetrick said. “Shark Gesture’s definitely the best older horse right now, but on the smaller tracks, things even out a little more.”
Last year, as a 3-year-old, Vintage Master was among the dominant colts in his division. This year, he’s stepped up against the best older horses in the sport and drawn the praise of his trainer.
“He’s probably my all-time favorite horse. I’ve never been around a cooler horse in my life. You could have a 2-year-old work on this horse,” said Takter.