Annual members (in good standing) voted for the two horses they felt best exemplified greatness. Their choices are racehorse Bettor's Delight and stallion Life Sign.
The other nominees were Fool’s Goal, Precious Bunny and Real Desire.
Also entering the Living Horse Hall of Fame in 2013 will be broodmare Lady Ashlee Ann, having met the required criteria for induction (see below).
Bettor's Delight, Life Sign and Lady Ashlee Ann will be inducted on Hall of Fame Day, Sunday, July 7, 2013. The ceremonies honoring these extraordinary Standardbred horses will take place during the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame’s annual dinner. For information on the Hall of Fame weekend and other festivities surrounding this important occasion visitwww.harnessmuseum.com from April 2013 onward or call or write the Museum at 240 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924. Phone: 845.294.6330.
Standardbreds are only eligible for nomination to harness racing’s highest accolade if they comply with the following strict criteria:
They must be retired from racing for five years and had a drug-free career. In addition, racehorses must have won 75 percent of their lifetime starts, or gone undefeated in a single season campaign of 12 or more races, or been the winner of $3 million lifetime or named Harness Horse of the Year (US and/or Canada).
Stallions must rank among the 10 all-time leading money-winning sires at their gait or have sired at least 100 $200,000 winners or been a leading money-winning sire at his gait in three or more seasons.
Broodmares are automatically elected if they have produced a $1 million winner and two other winners of $500,000 or produced a Harness Horse of the Year (US and/or Canada) and another $500,000 winner.
THE 2013 LIVING HORSE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
BETTOR'S DELIGHT
(Nominated as Racehorse)
p,3,1:49.4 ($2,581,461) Bay Horse, 1998
(Cam's Card Shark – Classic Wish – Armbro Emerson)
2001 Little Brown Jug winner and 2007 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Bettor's Delight was foaled on May 4, 1998. At the time of his retirement, he was the ninth-leading single-season moneywinning Standardbred of all time, and continues to rank in the top 20 of that category. He owns a lifetime record of 26-15-6-1.
Bettor's Delight's major victories as a 2-year-old in 2000 included the Nassagaweya Stake, Breeders Crown (setting a Mohawk track record 1:51.3 in the elimination) and Governor’s Cup. He finished his rookie season with a four-race win streak, a record of 10-6-1-1 and $804,661 in earnings, garnering both the Dan Patch (U.S.) 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year and O'Brien (Canada) 2-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year awards.
Bettor's Delight blossomed as a 3-year-old in 2001, finishing on the board in 14 of 16 starts, with nine victories and total earnings of $1,776,800. His impressive campaign included victories in the New Jersey Classic (equaling the stakes record) and North America Cup (with the event's largest margin of victory at the time). A serious foot injury in August threatened to end the racing career of Bettor's Delight. However, after a three-week layoff he returned to win the Simcoe Stakes, Little Brown Jug (in straight heats) and Tattersalls Pace. Bettor's Delight captured two O'Brien Awards, for 3-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year, along with the Dan Patch Award for 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year and the New Jersey Standardbred of the Year award.
Bettor's Delight is now a shuttle stallion with total North American foal earnings of more than $88 million, 344 in 1:55 and 217 $100,000 winners. Among his eight millionaires are Darlin's Delight p,4,1:49.1 ($2,901,926), two-time Breeders Crown winner Bettor Sweet p,4,1:47.2 ($2,778,753) and Southwind Tempo p,6,1:48.2 ($2,396,362).
LIFE SIGN
(Nominated as Stallion)
p,3,1:50.3 ($1,912,454) Bay Horse, 1990
(Abercrombie – Three Diamonds – Albatross)
Pacer Life Sign was foaled on April 30, 1990. He raced in 1992-1993 with a summary record of 35-18-10-5. Life Sign ranks among the top ten moneywinning sires at his gait, with total North American foal earnings of more than $110 million.
Two-year-old Life Sign posted impressive wins in the American-National, International Stallion Stake (taking his 1:52.4 freshman record) and Governor's Cup. He finished on the board in 11 of 13 starts with five wins and $557,543 in earnings, second among moneywinning 2-year-old colt pacers of 1992.
As a 3-year-old in 1993, Life Sign finished on the board in all of his 22 starts, with 13 victories and earnings of $1,354,911, second among pacers that year. Life Sign's sophomore campaign included victories in the Art Rooney Pace (stakes and track record), Breeders Crown, Little Brown Jug and Cleveland Classic. In his Jug victory, Life Sign set three Standardbred world records for fastest first heat on a half-mile track (1:52, fastest mile in Jug history), second heat on a half-mile (1:52) and two-heat race on a half-mile (3:44).
As a stallion, Life Sign has sired 477 in 1:55, 327 $100,000 winners and 142 $200,000 winners. His seven millionaires include 2002 Horse of the Year Real Desire p,4,1:48.2 ($3,159,814), Meadowlands Pace winner Day In A Life p,5,1:49.4f ($1,863,602) and Peruvian Hanover p,4,1:49.4 ($1,852,434). Life Sign has sired the dams of more than 1,360 North American starters with earnings of more than $82 million and five millionaires including Loyal Opposition p,4,1:48.4 ($2,640,934) and Breeders Crown winner Village Jolt p,3,1:50.4f ($1,634,220). Life Sign now stands in Australia.
LADY ASHLEE ANN
(Broodmare)
p,3,1:51.3 ($95,481) Bay Mare, 1993
(Camtastic – Preacher Edith – Adios Vic)
Sired by 1987 Pacer of the Year and two-time Breeders Crown champion Camtastic, pacer Lady Ashlee Ann was bred by A. J. Gross of Manhasset, N.Y., and was foaled on June 14, 1993. Lady Ashlee Ann raced from 1995-1997 and compiled a record of 28-8-5-1 with earnings of $95,481. Her major career victories came in a division of the 1995 Debutante Stakes and the 1996 Tarport Hap.
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