MONI MAKER AWAITS HER DATE WITH DESTINY

Moni Maker is in the final, climactic stages of preparation for her much-anticipated assault on the prestigious 2,700 meters of the classic Prix d’Amerique. The speculation, conjecture and analysis are all but behind us at this point as the wondrous six-year-old Speedy Crown mare awaits her date with destiny.

MONI MAKER LOOKS FOR PLACE IN HISTORY

Moni Maker has quite an assignment in this 78th renewal of the great stake. What Moni Maker is attempting to do in the Prix d’Amerique has only been done by one other horse in history. Coktail Jet, the dazzling winner of the 1996 Prix d’Amerique is the only previous trotter to have won both the Elitlopp and the Prix d’Amerique. Moni Maker’s world record effort in the 1998 Elitlopp puts her center stage as she looks to become only the second member of a very select group.

Moni Maker’s success in the Elitlopp was not unexpected, since the Elitlopp is a very different race than the Prix d’Amerique. The Elitlopp is contested under conditions more similar to North American rules--it is raced at the traditional U.S. mile distance, over a five-eighths mile track, and with a mobile start. The Prix d’Amerique, by way of contrast, is contested at a distance of more than 1 2/3 mile (2700 meters) over Vincennes’ demanding 1 1-4 mile race course, and from a standing start. The famous up-and-dowhhill course, the standing start, the peculiarity of the race requires a great deal of stamina and courage to overcome.

MONI MAKER IS A LEGITIMATE CHAMPION

Moni Maker has several things going for her. First, she is a legitimate champion. She has developed from her early days into a very mature, strong,and reliable mare capable of getting over the grueling distance. She has already won once at this distance, and over this course, and appears to be coming into the race in top form. She also won at a distance in North America as a 4-year-old, winning the rich final of the Classic Oaks trotting series at Mohawk Raceway in Canada at a distance of 1 5/16 mile. Secondly, her racing personality has improved to the point where she has a commanding presence and respect on the track.

One of Moni Maker’s most endearing qualities is her ability to relax. Many high-powered race mares become difficult to handle, but Moni Maker’s calm countenance has allowed her to find the depth of her natural talent, which was always immense. She has also developed the physical range and overall depth to compete with the strongest of her international competitors. All of these factors serve her well in this latest, and biggest, international test. She has gone very few bad races in her career, and one would expect her to be up to this challenge this Sunday. Victory in the great race on January 31 is not being predicted here, but it is safe to say that the great mare will contend and be a signficant factor.

THE PRIX D'AMERIQUE HAS A RICH HISTORY

The 1999 Prix d’Amerique will be the 78th edition of the great race, and like all of our wonderful classic races, it has a wonderful history. It was first raced in 1920, where the winner, Pro Patria, covered the 1 2/3 mile distance at a mile rate of 2:26 2-5. Like many of the North American classic trotting stakes, the Prix d’Amerique has seen a dramatic improvement in quality over its nearly eight decades. . In 1998, the brilliant Off Gy mare Dryade des Bois covered the exacting distance at a mile rate of 1:59 3-5, the first time in the history of the event that the 2:00 mile rate barrier had been broken. A year earlier, the marvelous champion Abo Volo won at an even 2:00 rate, and the Swedish star Ina Scot was the third-fastest champion ever with a 2:00 1-5 mile rate win in her popular win in 1995. Whether Moni Maker has the grit and determination to trot that fast over the distance of nearly two miles from a standing start is really the only major question to be answered in Vincennes on Sunday.

TWENTY-TWO MARES HAVE WON THE GREAT RACE

The fact that Moni Maker is a mare should not lessen her chances. A total of 22 mares have won the Prix d’Amerique, including three of the last six winners, since Queen L., the 1993 champion; Ina Scot, winner in 1995 and last year’s winner Dryade des Bois, are all females. Moni Maker is six years of age, as was Ina Scot when she won. Queen L. was seven in 1993. Delmonica Hanover was five the year she won the Prix dAmerique for Hans Fromming in 1974, and Delmonica was the last strictly American-bred mare to win the race.

AMERICAN-BRED STALLIONS HAVE DONE WELL OF LATE

Both Queen L. and Ina Scot were sired by stallions bred in North America, since Queen L. is by Crowntron, a son of Speedy Crown, and Ina Scot is by the Super Bowl stallion Allen Hanover. Sea Cove, the U.S. bred Bonefish stallion who dominated European classic racing in the early part of this decade, was eight years old when he won the Prix dAmerique in 1994, and his 2:00.3 mile rate is the fourth-fastest of all.

Of the 77 previous winners, though, only ten have been strictly American-bred, a list that includes 1931 and 1932 winner Hazleton (Lu Princeton-Janet Speed by Peter The Great;) 1934 champion Walter Dear (The Laurel Hall-Blitzie by Walnut Hall;) 1935 and 1937 winner Muscletone (Mr. McElwyn-Ruth M. Chenault by Peter Chenault;) 1938 and 1939 winner DeSota (Peter Volo-Symphonia by Guy Axworthy;) 1948 and 1951 winner Mighty Ned (Volomite-Nedda Guy by Guy Axworthy;) 1950 winner Scotch Fez (Scotland-Fay by Protector;) 1964 winner Nike Hanover (Star’s Pride-Nana Hanover;) 1973 winner Dart Hanover (Hoot Mon-Delicia Hanover by Dean Hanover;) 1974 winner Delmonica Hanover (Speedy Count-Delicious by Kimberly Kid;) and Sea Cove, the 1994 winner (Bonefish-Songlark by Songcan.)

It should be noted here that both Delmonica Hanover and Dart Hanover won the Prix d'Amerique when the race conditions allowed a mobile starting gate. And it should be remembered also that the great American mare Classical Way would have won the Prix d'Amerique in 1980 but for her inability to handle the standing start.

A FEW AMERICAN-BRED WINNERS HAVE IMPORTANT HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS

Several of these winners have prominent historical connections to well-known American bloodlines. Two-time winner DeSota is a three-quarter brother to the American sire Phonograph, and two-time champion Mighty Ned is a full brother to On Time, the dam of American pacing star Good Time. The latter family is one of the breed’s oldest and best-known, since Mighty Ned’s second dam was the brilliant world champion mare Nedda, who trotted in 1:58 1/4 in 1922!

Over the last few years, the race has developed a strong connection with North American bloodlines. As noted, the 1993 and 1995 winners Queen L. and Ina Scot are both daughters of American-bred stallions. The 1996 winner Coktail Jet is sired by Quoky Williams, a horse who traces to Peter Scott in his male line, as does 1997 winner Abo Volo, a son of Lurabo. Both Coktail Jet and Abo Volo trace through their common paternal link, Carioca II, in a branch of the same, successful sire line which produced the phenomenal international stars Ideal du Gazeau and Ourasi. The 1998 winner, Dryade des Bois, is a daughter of Off Gy, he a son of Florestan, a son of Star’s Pride.

MONI MAKER'S PEDIGREE SHOULD NOT BETRAY HER

Moni Maker is a daughter of Speedy Crown, and is, therefore, from the same male line which produced Delmonica Hanover, the famed winner from 25 years ago. Speedy Crown is by Speedy Scot, a son of Speedster. Delmonica Hanover is sired by Speedy Count, another son of Speedster.

The revered French champion Ourasi won four Prix d' Amerique titles between 1986 and 1990, while the venerable French mare Roquepine won three times, as did the 1920’s sensation Uranie, an Intermede mare who later became the dam of the top French sire Kairos.

Moni Maker’s male line heritage is that of Scotland, since her sire Speedy Crown is a descendant of the wildly successful Scotland branch of the Peter The Great siring family. So is Crowntron, sire of Queen L., and Speedy Count, the sire of Delmonica Hanover. Coktail Jet and Abo Volo also trace to the same male line source (Peter Scott) but do not go through Scotland, but rather through Peter Scott’s son Sam Williams, who was exported to France in the 1930’s, and became the paternal grandsire of Carioca II. Scotch Fez, the 1950 winner, was a son of Scotland, and 1974 winner Dart Hanover was by Hoot Mon, a son of Scotland.

In summary, Moni Maker does seem ideally suited for the task. She has a wonderful, deep pedigree, both paternally and maternally. She is a finely-conditioned mare at the height of her maturity. Her preparation for the race is free of injury and illness. She is trained by Jimmy Takter, one of the best active conditioners. She has a quiet demeanor which should suit her well over the distance of the race. She has the world championship speed to contend for an early position, and will be handled by a driver very familiar with French racing. All of this seems to point to a Moni Maker victory.

BUT EVERY RACE REQUIRES A DOSE OF LUCK WITH ABILITY

But we are always reminded of the uncertainties that unfold in a horse race. Just ask the Muscles Yankee folks, who are still looking for an explanation as to why their horse raced so poorly in last fall’s Kentucky Futurity when it appeared the Triple Crown was his for the taking. Moni Maker appears to be the right mare at the right place at the right time. But as we have been reminded, these classics are won on the track, and it will be up to Moni Maker to see if she deserves a place among the most revered trotters of all time.