Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Musically-named Sires & Dams
By Kimberly A. Rinker

What do Standardbred racehorses have to do with music? Well, to the average horseman and racing fan, probably not that much. However, to some owners, music means something, or else they just have a very creative thought process when it comes to naming their harness horses. Just take a look at some of these horses and their family names which include generations of musically influenced names.

Appassionato, the trotting-bred daughter of Tamerlane and Sea Change produced Metronic, and the double-gaited performer Lyric, both sire by Bonefish. Appassionato is also the dam of Rapin and Allegro (2:00.2) by Arnie Almahurst.

Musical Genius was the first foal from Allegro, who in turn produced the trotters Jazz Up, In Sync and Tra La La. In 1987 Allegro dropped her second foal, Higher Love, a 1:59.3 ($167,481) performer by Joie De Vie. Concert Line, her third foal, followed in 1988, scored a 1:57 record and earning $14,521. In 1989 Allegro dropped Concert Goer, who would take a 1:59 record, earning just over $57,000. Both were by Baltic Speed. Allegro was then teamed with Valley Victory, producing the 1993 foal, Strike Up A Tune.

The Prairie Song mare Melody Beach has foaled two musically named Illinois-breds. Music Class, a daughter of Kid Class, was a foal of 1987 that earned just under $40,000 and took a lifetime best mark of 1:59.2, while Melody Mohawk, by Keystone Mohawk, earned $45,862 and paced in 1:57.

The durable race mare Stradivarius is a daughter of Abercrombie, out of the Bret Hanover mare Gay Violin, and in turn produced Fiddle N'Bow, Trade Name, Pizzacato, and Humming Strings, to name a few.

Quadrille, a 1:58.2 Niatross mare, has produced The Pan Played On 1:59.2 and Two Step Boogie, both by Jate Lobell. The Noble Gesture trotting mare Noble Barb is the dam of a trio of musical trotters: Franz Liszt, Fifth Movement (2:02.3, $36,177) and Hummmm (2:03.4, $11,579).

Music City was a 1974 daughter by Overtrick that took a 2:02.2 record before retiring to the breeding shed. There she produced Mississippi Melody (1:58.4, $33,716), Soul Singer (1:57, $31,255), Strike The Lyric, Burlesque, and Nashville, to name a few.

Music Bar, a Baron Hanover daughter out of Byrd's Symphony produced F Sharp, 2:03.4, while the royally-bred Melody Almahurst, 1:58.4 (Meadow Skipper-Miss Dream Girl-Good Time) dropped a 1980 Bret Hanover foal christened Cantata, who would go on to win $113,853 and pace in 1:56. The broodmare Melodious produced the 1990 foal Melancholy and the 1993 foal Slide Trombone.

What A Tune, from the combination of Niatross and Margie's Melody, produced the aptly-named Bach N Roll, a 1992 Matt's Scooter youngster and Live And Let Die, a Die Laughing foal.

The foreign-bred Melitzo Korjus is the dam of five musically inclined pacers, including Strauss Waltz (1:57.4, $22,580), Scarlot Opera (1:58, $33,043), Skipper Sonnet, Cracker Tone, and Caper Waltz.

The mare Gypsy Fiddle produced Phantom Fiddle, who in turn produced Ben's Song. Phantom Opera dropped the 1985 Bruce Gimble foal named The Opera, who paced in 1:55.4 and earned $64,063 at the races. Phantom Opera also produced a full brother to The Opera named Grand Opera, who paced in 1:59.1 and earned nearly $20,000 lifetime.