Moni Maker's Value Off The Scale

Moni Maker's remarkable, double-heat triumph in the Elitlopp is only the latest effort in a long line of memorable victories for this splendid Speedy Crown mare. She is, without question, one of the foremost trotting females in the history of the breed.

We first saw her as a yearling in 1994 when she was offered by her breeders David and Fredericka Caldwell at the annual Tattersalls sale. We were instantly impressed by her size and dimension. She was tall, long-barreled, high-withered and nearly perfect in her conformation. The buzz about her at the sale was that she was a grand-looking filly, but that she did not show much in the paddock. And since she was out of a Bonefish mare, she was also not seen as a possible future mate for Valley Victory. I am happy to say this writer was not among those who found fault with her. I thought she was the best-looking trotting filly prospect I had ever seen. If we were going to teach a class on what a trotting mare should look like, Moni Maker would be the mare would we lead into the classroom.

Moni Maker's dam, the redoubtable Nan's Catch 3,1:54.4; $766,074 was a distinguished performer in her own right, winning the Hambletonian Oaks and Breeders Crown among her 19 career triumphs at two and three. Nan's Catch is by the Hambletonian winner Bonefish 3,1:58.1 and Bonefish mares have cut a rather deep swath through world trotting. Bonefish mares are already the dams of Supergill and Valley Victory, and if he had done nothing else, that accomplishment would have forged the son of Nevele Pride a lasting place in history. Bonefish was first a sire of great racing fillies, and he has followed the siring ability by becoming a pre-eminent broodmare sire. Another prominent Speedy Crown x Bonefish cross was the world champion colt trotter King Conch, now at stud in Canada, and his dam, the good mare Conch, is the dam of 3-year-old sensation Viking Kronos.

Moni Maker's racing career does not need recounting here, and instead we will focus this column on her interesting pedigree. Her dam, Nan's Catch is inbred 3 x 3 to Speedster. Bonefish has a Speedster dam, and Nan's Catch is out of a mare, Nan Hanover, who is by Speedy Count, a son of Speedster. What is interesting is that Moni Maker is by Speedy Crown, a grandson of Speedster, thereby tripling the Speedster influence in her pedigree. We have known for some time that the Speedster blood can be inbred and linebred with success, and Moni Maker is yet another example of the possibilities that effective linebreeding may produce. Moni Maker also has common crosses to Rodney, Victory Song, Scotland and Volomite in her lineage, all among the most important historical sires of trotting.

Maternally, Moni Maker's foundation dam is a mare named Nelly, foaled sometime late in the 19th century, and Moni Maker is not the first famous trotting mare that has appeared in this family. This tribe is also home to the splendid Delmonica Hanover, two-time champion of the Roosevelt International and also a Prix d'Amerique winner. Moni Maker's 8th dam, the Belwin mare Jean Claire, is the fifth dam of Delmonica Hanover. One of the key mares in Moni Maker's lineage is the Scotland mare Scotch Claire, a foal of 1953, and a grandaughter of Jean Claire. Scotch Claire is Moni Maker's sixth dam, and the branch leading to Moni Maker goes through her Sampson Hanover daughter Claire Sampson, who produced Floriclaire, a noted Florlis mare who was the dam of the gifted Grand Circuit fixture Noble Florie 3,1:59.4, a filly who won 30 races and nearly $300,000. Moni Maker's third dam, Noble Nan 3,2:01.4, is a full sister to Noble Florie. Claire Sampson's full sister, Jean Sampson, was the dam of the world champion filly Noble Gal 3,1:58.2. A half-sister to Claire and Jean Sampson, the Noble Victory mare Noble Claire, is the dam of world champion pacing sire Direct Scooter.

Rodney Speedster     Mimi Hanover Speedy Scot     Victory Song Scotch Love     Selka Scot Speedy Crown     Spud Hanover Florican     Florimel Missile Toe     Darnley Worth a Plenty     Sparkle Plenty Moni Maker     Star’s Pride Nevele Pride     Thankful Bonefish     Speedster Exciting Speed     Expresson Nan’s Catch     Speedster Speedy Count     Countess Song Nan Hanover     Noble Victory Noble Nan     Floriclaire

Moni Maker's physical presence is an example of getting the best from both her sire and dam. Speedy Crown is one of the best conformed sires in history, and Nan's Catch provided size and substance to her foal. Moni Maker is a big mare, but she lacks the aggressive tendencies around the barn, the training track, and the racing arena that often tend to compromise the form of some females. She is a kind mare and she has learned to take care of herself, and make her management a joy. Her splendid conformation has also contributed to a career marked by soundness, which has provided her the foundation to perform so ably for so many seasons.

Moni Maker is clearly the best of all the great fillies sired by Speedy Crown, a list that includes such notables as Fancy Crown 3,1:53.4; Kit Lobell 4,1:54.4; Armbro Fling 3,1:55.3; Britelite Lobell 4, 1:57.1 and the European champion Nealy Lobell 1:55.3f. Given the fact that Speedy Crown mares are the most valued commodities in trotting, and that Moni Maker and her dam are both Hambletonian Oaks winners, and that Moni Maker is a great individual, her value at this time would be hard to appraise. It is off the scale!! It is only fitting that Moni Maker has become the richest and fastest performer of all of Speedy Crown's outstanding offspring. What a way for Speedy Crown to retire and cap off his historic stud career.

It should also be noted that Moni Maker is not one of those mares that earned her honors racing against weak competition. At two and three, she battled on the same stage as her contemporaries Continentalvictory, Act Of Grace, Personal Banner and Mostly Super. Her Elitlopp victory is the fastest in the history of that great race, and she has also beaten the best U.S. males of her generation, winning the Nat Ray last year at The Meadowlands.

Moni Maker is truly one of the greatest racing mares of our lifetime, and we have all been blessed to see her compete on the world stage.