Veteran trainer Herb Holland is happy to be a member of harness
racing’s dream team.
The 59-year-old, whose career in the business goes back to the
early years of the Meadowlands, is part owner of a horse, Sir John F., that is
owned by brothers John and Jim Fielding and Christina Takter, whose husband,
Jimmy, trains the two-year-old Donato Hanover colt. Sir John F is entered in
this year’s Breeders Crown in the Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot, only
the third time Holland has had a horse in harness racing’s championship event.
Holland trained Light Beam, which raced in the 1988 Breeders Crown
in the Two-Year-Old Filly Pace and did not hit the board. He also was
affiliated with onetime world-record holder Sweet Michelle, who raced in the
1994 Breeders Crown Open Mare Pace and finished third.
Holland purchased Sir John F for $45,000 at the Lexington Select
Sale, and a mere 15 minutes later he was approached by Jim Fielding about
buying a share in the colt. Subsequently, Kevin McKinlay, who has had horses
with the Fieldings, bought a share. The horse was subsequently sent to Takter,
who liked the horse so much when he began training the colt that he wanted to buy a share.
“As soon as he qualified him, he said ‘tell your partners I want
in,’” Holland said.
So Holland has gone from owning 100% of the horse to now owning
22.5%, but the upside is that he is now associated with Takter, one of the top
trainers of the modern era, and the Fieldings, among the top owners in the
business. Takter and the Fieldings have outstanding success in the Breeders
Crown. Takter leads all trainers with 21 wins. John Fielding is second to Brittany
Farms in wins and earnings among owners. Jim Fielding has also had success,
winning four of 21 races in which he is named as an owner.
Holland said selling off interests in the horse was the right
thing to do.
“Would he have still raced in the Breeders Crown? I think so,”
Holland said. “The ownership group is good. I’ve got a good relationship with
Jimmy Takter. I’m happy to have John and Jim and Kevin McKinlay and Jimmy
involved with him. It’s old hat to Jimmy racing in the Breeders Crown, and for
John it’s nothing new. It’s nice when you’re part of a big race and you have a
chance to get some money.
“Jimmy is pretty down to earth. If he doesn’t like the horse, he
doesn’t mince his words. He tells you straight up. He liked the colt early on.
We did have some bad luck with him. He was getting a little warm behind the
gate with us. Jimmy raced him one time and realized what the issues were and he
attacked it and everything has gone forward since then. We’re hoping for better
things ahead.”
As an aside, Holland was training in the United States when Jimmy
Takter came over from Sweden back in 1982.
“He’s the trainer (of the horse), so it’s not quite the same as
when you’re actually the trainer, but as an owner it’s always exciting to be in
those big races,” Holland said. “When he’s in Takter’s barn, the benefits you
get are he’s probably the foremost trotting trainer in North America. If I take
a colt to race it myself I may not get the driver I wish. He usually gets the
top drivers, and you get his experience in the Breeders Crown and the big
races. With one horse it’s not financially feasible to race them all over the
U.S.
“When they approached me I thought it might be a good business
opportunity to get involved with them. I didn’t really want to give up any part
of my ownership, but if you’re going to be on board, you’re on board so I was
willing to let a bit of mine go and everyone followed suit. I was happy with
the partnership. It worked out well for everybody.
“When Takter bids on them, you don’t get them,” he added. “I don’t
know who was the underbidder, but (Takter and the Fieldings) weren’t involved
on it.”
Holland changed the name of the colt from Estok Hanover, which he
didn’t particularly like, to Sir John F.
“When I got to train him down, I thought he was a pretty nice
colt, so I changed his name and told John,” he said. “I told him a good horse
deserves a good name.”
John Fielding had some concerns that naming a horse after him
could backfire because that type of thing can sometimes be a curse.
“I’m not a believer in black magic, folklore,” Holland said. “I
believe it is what it is. If it’s a good horse it will be a good horse. I don’t
think naming one after anyone jinxes it. I was praying he would turn out as
well as I was hoping he would and win some big races for John and us. But you
never know for sure. I thought he was a nice colt and that’s why I did it. John
is an icon in the industry, and if you’re going to knight someone in our
industry as an owner, you’d certainly knight John.
“I’ve raced lots of horses, and even though I haven’t been to that
many Breeders Crowns it’s exciting to be involved with a horse like this. When
it’s part of an ownership and I’m not in the paddock warming him up and doing
the day-to-day things with him, it’s a little bit different. But it’s still
good.”
The horse has raced nine times so far and has a win and two
seconds and earnings of $28,090. He raced fifth in his elimination race.
Sir John F starts from post six in the $600,000 Breeders Crown
Two-Year-Old Colt Trot and drew a morning line of 20-1 against the superstar
colt Walner. He does pick up the services of Yannick Gingras, who ranks seventh
in the all-time Crown driver standings. The two-year-old colt trot race is
carded as the sixth race with a slated post time of 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.
29 at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Who knows, Sir John F might turn into Mr. Holland’s opus.
