2013 Dan Patch Pacer of the Year – Captaintreacherous
Captaintreacherous and his crew sailed through some high seas to capture the 2013 Dan Patch Pacer of the Year Award. The large and energetic ownership group known as Captaintreacherous Racing came ashore to accept the honor on behalf of the future Hanover Shoe Farms stallion.
All of Harness Racing’s biggest and brightest stars were shining on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Dan Patch Awards Banquet in Dover, Delaware.
In what was the closest race in all of the year-end USHWA/USTA voting, Captaintreacherous got the nod for Pacer of the Year, 68-57, over Dan Patch Pacing Horse Foiled Again.
In what was considered to be one of the toughest 3-year-old pacing colt divisions in recent memory, the son of Somebeachsomewhere was tested several times and fought back valiantly. On more than one occasion, the colt’s grit and determination made for some tight yet exciting finishes, along with some equally anxious moments for his connections.
“The Captain” was also one of only two pacers that received double digit votes for the Dan Patch Horse of the Year Award. Trotting sensation Bee A Magician was a clear winner with 94 votes, followed by Foiled Again with 19 votes and Captaintreacherous with 16.
Captaintreacherous’ wins last year included the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace, Max Hempt Memorial, Cane Pace and American-National Stakes.
In divisional voting, “The Captain” received all 131 votes, except for one, which went to Vegas Vacation. Legend has it that the sole dissenting vote was cast by a traditionalist fan of the Little Brown Jug, the big race that the connections of “The Captain” chose to skip.
Trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Tim Tetrick for the Captaintreacherous Racing ownership group, he joined Rocknroll Hanover and Gallo Blue Chip as the only horses to win the Breeders Crown, North America Cup, and Meadowlands Pace in the same season.
Captaintreacherous, who won 13 of 16 races and $2.05 million last season as a 3-year-old, became the first horse to win back-to-back Pacer of the Year honors since Jenna’s Beach Boy in 1995-96. He joined Niatross as the only horses to accomplish the feat at ages 2 and 3.