In recent years, the UI Horse Farm has had good success in producing top performers like Rev Me Up p, 3, 1:51.2, r.t. p, 4, 1:50.3 ($321,205) and Steak and Gravy p, 1:53.4H ($166,978) from its pacing broodmares. However, the trotting band was sparsely populated with only two broodmares. The trotting side of the UI herd has taken a big step forward with the recent acquisitions of the mares Fox Valley Shiraz T, 2, 2:05.2H ($7,771) (International Chip – Pacific Chardonnay – Super Bowl), Maplegrove Natalie T, 2, 2:00.2; r.t. T, 2, 1:57.4 ($68,207) (American Native – Maple Grove Glide – Yankee Glide), Reigning Chip T, 3, Q 1:59.4F ($6,827) (Pine Chip – Crown Guest – Royal Prestige) and Selma (Valley Victor – Wall Street Floozy – Wall Street Banker)

Soon after the UI Horse Farm acquired Fox Valley Shiraz, her 2 year old colt Mucho Bueno T, 2, 1:58.4 ($51,650) came on like gangbusters to become the top ICF money-winning 2 year old trotting colt of 2011 with wins in the $53,500 Plesac Stake at Balmoral Park and in the $45,000 IL State Fair Colt Stakes final. Maple Grove Natalie, a multiple stakes-winner herself and the dam of only a yearling and weanling thus far in her young career, saw her full sister Maple Grove Shaelyn T, 3, 1:55.0M ($78,276) become the fastest and richest ICF 3 year old trotting filly in 2011 with wins in the $45,000 IL State Fair 3 YO Filly Trot final and the $103,000 Lady Ann Reed Stake final on Super Night at Balmoral Park. After acquiring top new trotting mares like these with close connections to current champions, in addition to sisters to Regal Visitor T, 1:54.4 ($234,863) and Litigator T, 1:54.3F ($477,625), the UI Horse Farm expects to make a more significant contribution to the list of ICF trotting champions in the very near future.

All year long, UI-bred filly Rev Me Up p, 3, 1:51.2 ($200,110) battled the best fillies in Illinois and across the country, and ended 2010 as the leading money-winning 3 YO filly in the Land of Lincoln.

Despite an unfortunate miscue in her final start in the American National Stake against USTA 3 YO Filly of The Year, Put On A Show, Rev Me Up earned a total of $179,265 in 2010 to lead all sophomore Illinois-bred fillies. Not content to simply tackle in-state rivals, Rev Me Up took on top fillies in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana while acquitting herself admirably against the best open company. Rev Me Up won the final of the Hopeful series and a leg of the Petticoat series at Yonkers, as well as two ISOBA Stakes wins, the final of the Hanover Stake and final of the Circle City Stake. The UI Horse Farm looks forward to more great accomplishments from Rev Me Up as well as many other upcoming 2 and 3 YO stars in the year 2011.

Toronto, ON — After being scratched from the Cam Fella Stakes elimination in his most recent start, St Elmo Hero made his Woodbine debut a winning one on Saturday (April 2) to extend his unbeaten streak to 25 with a 1:51.1 score in the C$28,000 Preferred 2 Pace.

The son of Western Hero was urged on from the start as driver Jody Jamieson rolled him to the front past O K Boromir at the quarter in :27. Heading towards the half, Lennon Blue Chip, who was sitting third, angled to the outside and took over command in :55.2.

As the field marched into the final turn, Rock Me Please made the first-over attack from fourth but flushed the cover of St Elmo Hero before three-quarters in 1:23.2.

When the field turned for home, St Elmo Hero showed his true class and began to sprint away from his rivals using a :27.4 final quarter to win in 1:51.1. Rock Me Please stayed for second over O K Boromir, who used a ground saving trip, with Lennon Blue Chip fourth.

“He is just a terrific horse to drive,” Jamieson said after the win. “I was surprised that Mark (MacDonald) came at me when I made the front. I decided to pull before the three-quarters because I didn’t want to get locked it. When you’re trying to keep a horse’s huge unbeaten streak alive, you have to take your shot and move him.

“When I pulled him to the outside, he was pacing so hard that I had to keep him together. Once we straightened up he was gone. He’s a contender in the Open ranks this year, that’s for sure.”

Owned by John Barnard, St Elmo Hero lifted his career earnings to C$216,950. He paid $2.90 to win.

Greg Gangle, WEG Media

Columbus, OH — St Elmo Hero, who ran his winning streak to 23 during the month of January, has been named the Horse of the Month (for the second straight month) by the U.S. Trotting Association.

St Elmo Hero won four times in January at Meadowlands Racetrack, capped off by a Jan. 29 score in the $65,000 Complex Series final for pacers ages 5 and under, with Tim Tetrick picking up his 6,000th career win in the process. St Elmo Hero won by 1-1/4 lengths over Windsong Gorgeous in a stakes-record 1:49.1 in the snow.

St Elmo Hero also posted victories in both preliminary legs of the series, scoring in 1:50.3 in the first leg on Jan. 15 and in 1:50.1 in the second leg on Jan. 22. His first start of the month came in an overnight event on Jan. 8 at the Meadowlands and resulted in a 1:50.4 score.

St Elmo Hero is owned by John Barnard of Orland Park, Ill., and is trained by Charles Eustis III. The January triumphs brought his lifetime earnings to $197,500. Barnard says when he bought St Elmo Hero for $6,000, he had modest goals. “I was hoping I made a good claim,” he told the media after the win in the Complex final. “It’s obviously turned out really well, but we were just hoping to get a good conditioned horse and he’s exceeded every dream we ever had for the horse. From the beginning, there were a lot of people who thought he’d win a bunch in a row. There were guesses of 11, 12, 15 in a row that they thought he could win because of the competition he was going to be up against. I don’t think anyone bet on 23.”

Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

East Rutherford, NJ — St Elmo Hero kept his perfect record intact in his Meadowlands debut on Saturday night (Jan. 8). With Tim Tetrick at the lines, St Elmo Hero led from gate to wire as he extended his streak to 20 wins in the second race, a $20,000 prep race for the Complex Series. He was clocked in 1:50.4.

The son of Western Hero has been perfect since winning his career debut on July 14, 2010, at Balmoral Park. Illinois owner John Barnard claimed the previously unraced 4-year-old gelding out of that start for $8,000 and he has since won $145,000. Charles Eustis III trains St Elmo Hero. “He is so easy to get along with,” Eustis said. “Whatever you ask him to do, he just does it. You can drive him with two fingers. When he sees another horse, that’s when he wants to go.”

St Elmo Hero has won all but two of his races on the front end, but Eustis is confident the gelding will be able to handle racing from off the pace at the Meadowlands. He has 20 wins and only two races has he come from behind,” he noted. “In one of them, he came from dead last. He relaxes when he is on top and controls things, but he can race from behind if he needs to.”

Eustis is most proud of St Elmo Hero’s victory in the Blue Route Final on Dec. 20, 2010 at Chester, in which he held off Meirs Hanover for a career-best 1:50.1 clocking. “Meirs Hanovers is a really nice horse and he fought him down to the wire,” he said. “The margin was only a neck, but that was his best win so far and his record, too.”

Eustis admits he feels pressure to keep the streak alive when the three-week Complex Series begins next Saturday at the Meadowlands. “I know he may get beat at some point,” he said. “Most good horses do, but the big thing with him is just to keep him healthy and sound.”

Amy Silver, publicity director, Meadowlands Racetrack