Speedy Crown

Speedy Crown's breeder was Ann Beissinger, who bred the horse at the family's farm in Hamilton, Ohio.^[2] Foaled in 1968, he was sired by Speedy Scot out of Missile Toe (by Florican).^[1] His sire was the winner of the 1963 Hambletonian.^[2]

In March 1970, Crown Stable, Inc., owned by Thomas and Frank L. Antonacci of Plainview, New York, purchased the two-year-old Speedy Crown. The Antonacci brothers retained Howard Beissinger as trainer-driver.^[2]

The Ohio-bred colt was crowned the 1971 champion of the 3-year-old trotters following a victory in the 46th Hambletonian Stakes at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack.^[2] With heats of 1:57+2⁄5 and 1:58+1⁄5, he defeated Savoir, the 1:57+2⁄5 becoming the second-fastest one-mile heat ever recorded at the Hambletonian.^[3] The $64,885 purse from the Hambletonian pushed his career earnings to nearly $100,000.^[2] The Hambletonian win by Speedy Crown came eight years after his sire, Speedy Scot, and seven years before his son, Speedy Somolli.^[4]

On September 22, 1971, he captured Delaware's Old Oaken Bucket trophy for three-year-old trotters in three heats. The second heat of 1:59+2⁄5 established a world record for age and gait on a double oval. His total time of 6:03+4⁄5 also set world records for three-year-old trotters on a double oval and for all ages.^[5]

Speedy Crown, ineligible for the Kentucky Futurity, was set for a solo time trial at the Grand Circuit meeting at The Red Mile in Lexington from September 28 to October 9, 1972. The trial was an attempt to break the 1:56+3⁄5 world record for three-year-old trotters.^[6] He went on to record a 1:57.1 mile.^[1]

Among his 1972 races was an $11,000 Challenge Stakes at Scioto Downs near Columbus on June 8, 1972. He won by 17¾ lengths and tied Nevele Pride's world record by trotting the mile in 1:58.^[7] He was entered in the $92,505.02 Realization Trot for four-year-olds at Roosevelt Raceway on June 24, 1972, which he won for $46,252.^[8]

At Roosevelt Raceway on July 15, 1972, he competed in the $125,000 International Trot.^[9] With the defending French champion scratched by the state commission, he faced Canada's Fresh Yankee. He won the race and collected $62,500 as the new world trotting champion.^[10] He was the first American horse to win the International Trot since 1964.^[9] Days later, he beat France's Une de Mai and Fresh Yankee in a $150,000 invitational race at Roosevelt Raceway on July 22, 1972, before a crowd of 31,633.^[11] At the time, the special race had the largest gross purse for an invitational in standardbred history, with the winner earning $100,000.^[12]

Speedy Crown then competed in a series of stakes races in Canada. On August 12, 1972, he captured the Maple Leaf Trot at Greenwood Raceway, establishing a new Greenwood track and stakes record.^[13] He won the Montreal Trot on August 18, 1972, at Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal, Quebec.^[14]

At age four, Speedy Crown became the first standardbred to be syndicated for a million dollars when a group led by Alan Leavitt purchased him in 1971.^[4] After purchasing Speedy Crown from Crown Stables Inc., the 10-man syndicate allowed the trotter to continue racing through the 1972 season.^[7] In 1973, he was retired to stud at Lana Lobell Farms.^[1] Speedy Crown's stud fee was $50,000, the second highest after Albatross. In 1977, the 15-year-old stallion was bred to 240 mares via artificial insemination.^[4] Among his offspring were three Hambletonian winners: Speedy Somolli (1978), Prakas (1985), and Armbro Goal (1988).^[1]

His breeding career produced over 2,200 foals, ending with his retirement in 1996.^[1]

Speedy Crown died on May 4, 2000, at age 32. His final resting place is in the infield at Historic Track in Goshen, New York.^[1]