Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Blacks A Fake Does It Again!

March 7, 2010

Down Under pacing champion Blacks A Fake made history Sunday (March 7) afternoon at the Tabcorp Park Menagle, Victoria, Australia when he romped to victory in the $1 million Inter Dominion Grand Final. The win was Blacks A Fake fourth Inter Dominion, making him the only pacer in history to have accomplished that feat.

"What can I say?" said his driver-trainer Natalie Rasmussen afterwards. "He is a sensational horse, and I love him."

Racing three-wide for the final 800 meters, the son of former U.S. champ and Down Under sire Fake Left followed the field through quarters of :30, :28.5, :28.3, before utilizing a final panel brush of :27.9 to win in 1:53.8, a world record clocking for the near one and a half (2,300 meters) mile test.

The 9-year-old gelding is the sweetheart of Australian and New Zealand harness racing fans alike, and is known as "Blackie" to the Australasian harness racing community.

The win—the 61st of his career in 82 starts—pushed Blacks A Fake’s career earnings to $4,179,693, making him the second richest Standardbred in the world behind Gallo Blue Chip ($4,260,959) and the richest pacer ever Down Under.

Rasmussen, 37, has been the force behind Queensland-based pacer’s success, including his induction into the Australian Harness Racing Hall of Fame after winning the 2006 (at Hobart), 2007 (at Adelaide) and 2008 (at Melbourne) Inter Dominion Championship Grand Finals. With this latest Inter Dominion victory, he bests former New Zealand champion Our Sir Vancelot, who also had a trio of Inter Dominion Grand Finals to his credit.

"We haven't made a decision on retirement yet," Rasmussen told the New Zealand Herald. "I think he will come back next season and we will take it from there. I won't keep racing him when he is just going around and getting beaten by inferior horses, but who knows, maybe we could be back for the Inter (Dominion) next season."

If Blacks A Fake does race in the 2011 Inter Dominion, it would mean a first-time trip to New Zealand for the pacer, as the race is schedule to be held at Addington Raceway. Last season, the gelding nearly won the 2009 Inter Dominion, finishing second by a whisker to former U.S. champion Mr Feelgood at the Gold Coast.

"Blackie is at his happiest when he is in work," Rasmussen was quoted as saying in the Australian Daily Telegraph. "I'll let him tell me when he's ready to retire. I won't let him finish down the track in races and then retire him, he doesn't deserve to go out like that. This is the best I've had him for a long time. He just seems to be really enjoying his racing."

Blacks A Fake’s sire, Fake Left p, 3, 1:511.4 ($314,417) is the only Australian-based stallion to produce a pair of million dollar winning sons. Besides Blacks A Fake, Be Good Johnny ($1,498,167) was his other millionaire progeny.