Foiled Again, the richest pacer of all time will complete his farewell tour at The Meadows Racetrack during the Night of Champions this New Year’s Eve. By United States Trotting Association rule, all Standardbreds must retire prior to their 15th birthday. An official retirement ceremony will take place in the winner’s circle following the race. Since the beginning of 2018, Foiled Again has been visiting racetracks and fairs throughout North America on his farewell tour for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and JJK Stables.
“It’s an honor for the Meadows to have Foiled Again complete his career here,” said Richard Gillock, President of the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association. “The Meadows is the home track for Burke Stables so Foiled Again has a lot of fans here who are excited to see harness racing history.”
The 14-year-old pacer was bred by Barbara Matthews, of Englishtown, NJ. He is sired by the late PA stallion Dragon Again. The champion pacer was purchased as a yearling for $20,000 by Patrick Lacey and won his first qualifier in 2006 at New Jersey’s Freehold Raceway. Foiled Again spent most of his early racing career in New Jersey. In 2008, after amassing a career record of just 8 for 47 with earnings of less than $80,000, he was sold to North American trainer Ron Burke at Burke Stables for $62,500.
During his first start for Burke Stable at Harrah’s® Philadelphia, Foiled Again stuck to the outside during the first quarter of the race at a fast pace time of 25:4, but then faded to 5th place. Just one week after that disappointing performance, the pacer made a complete turnaround with a win at Yonkers Raceway. That victory was followed by two wins at Harrah’s® Philadelphia, including a 1:50:0 victory on July 28, 2008. By the end of 2008, the pacer – who had an unremarkable start to his career – had accumulated 13 wins for Burke Stables.
Two of Foiled Again’s most notable career wins came in 2013 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. He won both the elimination and final of the Ben Franklin Stakes and the 2013 Breeders Crown Open Pace, at the age of nine he became the oldest horse to win a Breeders Crown race.The Ben Franklin elimination was also notable in that his time in that race, 1:48:0, would prove to be the best of his long career. During both the Ben Franklin Stakes and the Breeders Crown, Foiled Again ran against another storied pacer, Pet Rock, nosing him out to take the win both times.
In 2011, Foiled Again was awarded the Dan Patch Pacer of the Year and won the 2013 TVG Free For All Pace at The Meadowlands. He was also named the richest standardbred of all time in 2013 when he surpassed the European trotter Ready Cash’s total career earnings of $5.8 million.
As Foiled Again enters the final weeks of his long and storied career, he does so with an impressive record that includes 330 starts, 109 wins, 70 places, 46 shows, total earnings of $7.6 million and a lifetime mark of 1:48:0. Thousands of fans are expected to be on hand at The Meadows on New Year’s Eve for Foiled Again’s final race, cheering on one of harness racing’s most beloved pacers as he crosses the finish line one last time.
