The number thirteen is often considered a number of bad luck and especially in the world of horse racing.
However on 13th September and carrying the number 13 saddlecloth, the two year old Trotting gelding Howdy Mate (pictured Above), gave his owners a remarkable victory in the listed $75,000 Nutrien Trotting Classic for two year old colts and geldings.
The ownership group is also quite remarkable – Brittany Graham, Nancy Takter and Michelle Crawford.
Howdy Mate was bred by Alabar Bloodstock and offered at the 2024 Nutrien Melbourne Yearling sale where he was purchased for $25,000 by Graham.
He is from the first crop of the 2019 Australian 3 year old Trotting Colt of the Year Elite Stride, a member of the Alabar Trotting Dream Team.
The breeding of Elite Stride would not have been lost on Brittany and her American partners as he is a son of super sire Muscle Hill, whilst his granddam was the USTA Three Year Old Trotting Filly of the Year on her way to winning $1.164 million.
The dam of Howdy Mate was also sired by a familiar name to North Americans, being the former Leading Trotting Sire Kadabra.
Elite Stride has been a revelation to the Trotting Industry in Australia with his first crop greeting racetracks on the east coast this season.
From that debut crop of 37 foals, he has now sired 5 individual winners who have won $185,790 between them. This places him as a dominant and clear Leader on the Australian Two Year old Trotting Sires Premiership.
The Alabar Trotting Dream Team of sires is headed by nine times Leading Trotting Sire of Australia, Majestic Son.
He now has three highly credentialled partners in Elite Stride, Volstead and the 2023 Hambletonian winner Tactical Approach, who was trained by Nancy Takter.
Volstead also joined in on the fiesta of weekend winners when his three year old gelded son Sam Nien took home the Trophy for the $125,000 Nutrien Trotting Classic for 3 year old colts and geldings. This was his fourth victory in 16 starts and advanced his earnings to $80,450.
With three year old progeny earnings of $288,04, Volstead has a commanding $104,000 lead over his opposition on the Australian Three Year old Trotting Sires Premiership.
Majestic Son never lets a weekend escape without siring multiple Metropolitan winners somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
Victorian horseman Eddie Tappe is having the ride of his life with his six year old gelding Im Bobby. Tappe bred and trains this Majestic Son sired gelding and on Saturday night at Melton he registered his seventh successive win on metropolitan tracks and advanced his earnings to $212,690.
Majestic Son was in charge of the Trotting ranks in New Zealand over the weekend , siring four winners at either Alexandra Park or Addington on Friday night – they being:
Loteria – four year old mare who was a brilliant winner at Alexandra Park. It was her third win in 14 starts and now prizemoney of $36,577.
Te Ahi – two year old gelding who was an easy winner of the North Island Juvenile Trotters Championship at just his fifth lifetime start.
Tarragindi – three year old gelding who was a 4 length winner at Addington over 2,600 metres. His fourth win in 9 starts so he is a trotter going places.
Bounce N Beyond – Four year old gelding who recorded his seventh victory in 28 lifetime starts and sent his earnings to $155,576 when winning at Addington on Friday night.
SAM NIEN – Volstead’s 11th Southern Hemisphere stakes winner