CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — EL Rocket is set to land in Prince Edward Island as a bright addition to the Atlantic Canadian trotting breed.
The son of Credit Winner was purchased this week by a conglomerate of Atlantic Canadian horse people with an interest in improving the trot breed on the East Coast for generations to come. Headed by P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association chairman Blaine MacPherson, the group purchased the 10-year-old trotting stallion Monday at the Tattersalls Winter Mixed Sale at The Meadowlands in New Jersey for $20,000 US. MacPherson’s Howmac Farms of North Wiltshire signed the sales slip but plans to have the horse standing at the Gass family’s Dusty Lane Farms in Cornwall.
EL Rocket earned $235,644 on the racetrack. He won a pair of New York Sires Stakes events for trainer Ron Burke and finished fourth in a Hambletonian elimination, while failing to make the final, in 2013 to millionaire trotter Royalty For Life.
EL Rocket, who has a lifetime best of 1:53.1 taken over Vernon Downs in New York, had been standing at Abby Stables in Ohio for the past two seasons before being entered in the recent sale. The stallion had six foals in his inaugural crop, who are now yearlings, while he bred 10 mares in 2019.
EL Rocket’s mother, Courtney Hall, is a sister to the great $2.1-million earner Cameron Hall, who won a pair of North American Breeders Crown finals.
Condolences
My condolences to the Moase family on the passing of Marie. The 81-year-old was the mother of Warren Grove owner-trainer-breeder Neal Moase and grandmother of trainer Jonah Moase. Her son Danny Moase is also a regular at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
My condolences also go out to the family of trainer, driver and lifelong race fan Fred Hughes, 102, who passed away recently in Charlottetown.
P.E.I. Scene
An important note from Standardbred Canada’s Joy Power that all buyers from the Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale need to get their horses transferred into the new owners’ names. This needs to be done as soon as possible to ensure the stakes paperwork, mailed in early February, is sent to the correct people for those March 15 deadlines.
Nick’s Picks
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park:
Race 1 – Alexander Valley
Race 2 – Dustylane Zambucca
Race 3 – Dapple Apple
Race 4 – Rocknrols Image
Race 5 – The Time To Win
Race 6 – Melanies Magic
Race 7 – Sports Royalty
Race 8 – Howmacs Dragonator
Race 9 – Rockin Indy
Race 10 – Smiley Bayama
Race 11 – Creepin
Race 12 – Killean Finale
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].
