Royalty For Life Gives George Ducharme Hambletonian Sugar Plums Despite being a homebred from Massachusetts by RC Royalty, Royalty For Life has given Massachusetts-born trainer George Ducharme very good reason to express a quiet confidence in his Hambletonian contender. Royalty For Life is currently ranked second on the Road to the Hambletonian top ten list. In 2006, his sire RC Royalty was a Hambletonian contender himself until he broke stride in his elimination, and Royalty For Life could give the stallion a measure of revenge with his best colt to date. Last year, Royalty For Life blossomed from the small tracks of the New York Sires Stakes circuit into a Grand Circuit winner at The Red Mile in 1:54.2. He also finished second to the top rated Wheeling N Dealin in both his elimination and the $600,000 final of the Breeders Crown at Woodbine. From 14 starts as a freshman, he scored seven wins, three seconds and a third, and banked $334,558 for owners Alfred Ross of South Dartmouth, MA, Raymond Campbell, Jr. of Belchertown, MA, and Paul Fontaine of Woonsocket, RI. Fontaine is the President of Harness Tracks of America. Royalty For Life’s driver Tim Tetrick has called the colt a perfect horse, who acts and drives like an aged horse, and gives 100 percent every time. “He’s a homebred,” said Ducharme, 52. “Alfred Ross bred his mare [Bourbon ‘N Grits’] to Ray Campbell, Jr.’s stallion [RC Royalty]. They’re business partners and this was their second foal out of the dam. About mid-winter before his two-year-old season he started showing glimpses of speed, and I thought the way he was growing and developing he could turn into something good. Years ago, when I started concentrating on trotters the Hambletonian was always the goal, and having a homebred win it would be very special.” Last year, Royalty For Life won four divisions of New York Sires Stakes, yet broke and finished fourth in the $225,000 final at Yonkers. “He did well in New York Sires Stakes at two,” Ducharme continued. “He made a couple of early breaks, which came early in the race when he was just out-trotting himself going into the first turn. He was making too much speed and wasn’t able to handle it on the half mile tracks only. If the driver wound him up too much and didn’t keep a good hold of him he’d struggle a bit.” Following his career best of 1:54.1 in an $82,750 division of the International Stallion Stake at The Red Mile, Royalty For Life’s big time arrival was confirmed with his strong performance in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine. “That was my first time playing at that level, and there was certainly no shame in getting beat by Wheeling N Dealin,” noted Ducharme. “The way Sylvain Filion drove his horse on the lead kept us locked in.” The arrow has continued to point skyward for Royalty For Life with his favorable transition from two to three. “After his two-year-old season I absolutely had Hambletonian sugar plums dancing in my head,” Ducharme admitted. “We sent our colt to North Carolina for the winter, and we brought him back in mid-January to get him ready. He got a little taller, but he really filled out. I bet he put on 400 to 500 pounds in his rear end and shoulders. He’s a little more full of himself, but not out of control. He trained back good and qualified well [at Vernon Downs]. “The recent quarantine here affected me a bit because he would’ve had a New York Sires Stakes before the Empire Breeders Classic. That would’ve helped him. We were looking to get his season rolling a few weeks earlier that it did.” Another slight bump in the road occurred at his home track on June 2. “In his Empire Breeders Classic elimination, he got a little rank at the gate on Tim [driver Tim Tetrick] and made a break,” explained Ducharme. “He was a too full of himself and got mad. He’s never had any trouble behind the gate in his life. “He bounced back last Friday and qualified like himself [in a career best 1:53.1] in the rain at the Meadowlands. I was very happy with him after that qualifier. The colt acted like he needed that work.” Ducharme outlined his colt’s schedule leading up to Hambletonian Day, August 3. “We’re going to the Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial eliminations next Saturday at Pocono Downs,” he said. “That final is June 29, then the Stanley Dancer Memorial is July 13, followed by the Hambletonian. “I don’t think heats will really affect him. If we get there we’ll do whatever we can to participate. I talked to Tim last week, and as of now, he hasn’t made a total commitment. He’s also driven Smilin Eli and that colt has looked sharp. “I’m from [Norwood] Massachusetts and I grew up about three miles from old Foxboro Raceway. My family owned a couple of horses, and stars like Jim Doherty, Ted Wing and Bill O’Donnell piqued my interest. I was pretty much like the kid who climbed the fence, and I worked for Greg MacDonald in the late seventies and early eighties. He had the Miles End horses like Miles End Brenda. I ventured out on my own after that and stayed in the New England area. I’ve been based at Vernon Downs the last four summers because I have mostly New York bred horses. Plus, it’s centrally located. “I had some good luck with a trotter named Donttellmywife. I paid $22,000 for him as a yearling, and he was an undefeated seven-for-seven [$220,915] as a two-year-old New York Sires Stakes champion in 2008.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:38:49 +0000
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