Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Bred by Hunt Harness Horses, Kenneth Schwartz Jr., and Angelito Delacruz

Trained by Tom Simmons

Driven by Dave Magee, Dale Hiteman, & Tom Simmons

Constant Change is one of the toughest pacers on the Windy City circuit today, competing week in and week out in the Free For All and Open ranks. The by gelding is equally at home at either Maywood's half-mile oval or Balmoral's once-arounder, and to date has amassed $460,032 from 90 career starts, with a 31-25-7 record.

Constant Change entered the world on April 5, 1998, the third and most prolific foal out of the Bret Hanover mare Flashing By, herself a daughter of the Overtrick mare Desperate Woman (p,3, 2:02 $17,765). He is by Cottonwood Farm sire Cole Muffler (p,3,1:53.3f $682,380), a son of Tyler B (p,3,1:55.1 $687,388). Constant Change has two full brothers who have taken records: Chevie Image p, 3, 1:55.4 ($14,295) and Global Village, an 11-race winner of $91,661 with a four-year-old record of 1:51.3. Constant Change also has a half-brother in The Time Is Now (by Art's Conquest), p, 1:58.1 ($12,047).

The laterally-gaited Standardbred began his career quietly under the watchful eye of Springfield-based trainer Tom Simmons in 2001, as a three-year-old. Considered immature as a two-year-old, the youngster was given time to mature and grow. Constant Change's first victory came in a non-winners of one ICF event at Balmoral on June 26, 2001, where he scored for trainer Simmons in 1:55.3. He followed that up with a 1:55.1 clocking at Maywood on July 9, this time with Dave Magee in th sulky. Two weeks later (July 20, 2001) he won again at Maywood, this time in a personal best of 1:53.3. Though he came close, he wouldn't visit the winner's circle again until late that fall, on November 9 at Maywood, when he won in 1:57.2 with Magee at the controls. He wrapped up that first season with a 4-4-3 record from 18 starts, with a modest $26,599 in earnings.

Though he only started 11 times as a four-year-old in 2002, Constant Change only finished out of the money twice, and was only off the board four times that season. He qualified late that year on April 1, 2002 at Maywood, pacing to a wining 1:57 mark for simmons. One week later he won in 1:54.3 at Balmoral for Magee, and then won again on April 25, pacing in 1:52.2 for Ryan Anderson at Balmoral. He followed that up with a pair of second-place finishes in conditioned paces at Maywood Park, before scoring a 1:53.2 victory at Maywood, with Dale Hiteman in the sulky in a $25,000 ICF Stake event. When the action shifted to Hawthorne for the summer Constant Change could only hit the board once, and was then given a break by his connections until December. He wrapped up his brief four-year-old campaign with a 3-3-1 record from 11 starts, with $33,294 in purse monies earned.

Constant Change began 2003 with a winning qualifying effort on March 17, in rein to Tom Simmons and pacing in 1:57. Throughout most of March and April he would battle against such top Free For Allers as Fox Valley Omen, Oxford Grad and Woe Colt. On April 25 he scored a 1:53.3 victory in the Open at Maywood Park by nearly seven lengths that was the start of a five-race winning streak. He scored victories of 1:53.1 (May 2 at Maywood), 1:53 (May 9 at Maywood), and then won the $40,000 Cook County Stake in 1:53, besting Taser Gun and No Hassle in the process. He next won a $17,000 ICF Open at Hawthorne in 1:52.2 on May 24 and then won in 1:53.3 again at the Stickney oval a week later.

Constant Change continued to battle against the Midwest's top pacers throughout the summer, facing Taser Gun and Fox Valley Devious on a regular basis. Simmons then shipped the horse to Mt. Sterling's Brown County Fair, to compete in the $17,000 Four-Year-Old & Up ICF Stake, where he promptly won in 1:54.1 by five lengths with his trainer in the sulky.

He wound up the year with a second-place finish in the $25,000 Dan Patch Consolation on Super Night, and would go on to score a seasonal best mark of 1:50.2 at Balmoral Park in the $22,000 Free For All on November 8. His record for the year was a very respectable 13-13-3 from 33 starts, with $239,424 in earnings.

Constant Change began 2004 as he had ended his previous season, on a winning note, scoring victories in three of his first four starts this year in the Free For Alls at both Balmoral and Maywood Parks. One of his best miles came when he won a $22,000 Free For All at Balmoral on June 5, pacing in 1:50 for driver Dave Magee. He also finished second in the $40,000 Egyptian Stake, pacing in 1:52 on July 9. On August 5 he retained his title by winning the $17,000 ICF Stake at Mt. Sterling for the second straight season, pacing in 1:55.4 with Simmons in the bike once again. On August 16 at Springfield he scored one of the biggest triumphs of his career, pacing to a 1:49.4 win in an Illinois Colt Stake event during State Fair Week. He then captured the Dan Patch elimination in 1:51 at Balmoral on September 9, and most recently won the $25,000 Associates Stake at Maywood, pacing to an easy 1:53.

Co-owner Benita Simmons has taken care of Constant Change since day one, and her pride is evident when she speaks of her charge: "He's just such an awesome horse to be around, and is very intelligent and playful at the same time," she said. "He takes good care of himself and is the type of horse that really doesn't require a lot of hard training."