Chapter
Seven’s trainer, Linda Toscano of Freehold, NJ will also be honored with the
Governor’s Cup as New Jersey Horseperson of the Year.
Chapter
Seven will be among the honorees at the 56th Annual New Jersey Breeders Awards
Luncheon at 1 p.m. on January 27, 2013 at Charley’s Other Brother in Eastampton
Township, NJ.
New
Jersey-sired Chapter Seven, owned by Richard Gutnick of Blue Bell, PA,
Southwind Farm of Pennington, NJ and J&T Silva Stables [Jerry and Teresa
Silva] of Long Beach, NY, won eight of 10 races in 2012, finished second in
both losses, earned $1.02 million in purses, and equaled history’s fastest
trotting mile on a mile racetrack by winning the Nat Ray Invitational in 1:50.1
at the Meadowlands.
He
also won the Breeders Crown Open Trot, defeating European star Commander Crowe,
and the Titan Cup, American-National Stakes, Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational
and Allerage Open Trot.
“He’s
just an amazing horse,” Gutnick said about Chapter Seven, a son of 2004 Trotter
of the Year Windsong’s Legacy out of the mare La Riviera Lindy. “I’m
appreciative to everybody that was involved in keeping him as sound and as
healthy as possible. He’s had to overcome bouts with pneumonia, different
problems, in his career and I think any other horse would have just given up.
He always gave a hundred percent. He had that desire to win.”
In
the national balloting of the United States Harness Writers, Chapter Seven
defeated his own stablemate, the New Jersey-sired Market Share, the
Three-Year-Old Trotter of the Year and Hambletonian winner in 2012, for Trotter
of the Year and Horse of the Year honors.
Both
trotters, along with Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year Heston Blue Chip, are
trained by Linda Toscano, who was voted the Glen Garnsey Trainer of the Year by
the United States Harness Writers Association as well as being selected to
receive the Governor’s Cup as New Jersey Horseperson of the Year.
Toscano
was the first woman to win the Glen Garnsey Trainer of the Year award and the
first to harness a Hambletonian winner.
Chapter
Seven was bred by Richard Banca of Franklin Lakes, NJ and sold at the
Harrisburg Yearling Sale for $42,000. In July of 2012, Southwind Farm and
J&T Silva Stable bought into the ownership.
Chapter
Seven, a foal of 2008, retires with 20 wins, four seconds and one third from 28
career starts and a bankroll of $1,954,966.
For
tickets to the awards luncheon [$35 per person], contact the New Jersey
Department of Agriculture, Division of Markets & Development, Horse
Industry, PO Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625 or call at 609-984-4389.
Reservations must be made before January 17.
Windsong’s Legacy – La Riviera Lindy – Dream Vacation
Breeder: Richard Banca, Franklin Lakes, N.J.
Owners: Richard Gutnick, Blue Bell, Pa.; Southwind Farm, Pennington, N.J.; J&T Silva Stables, Long Beach, N.Y.
Trainer: Linda Toscano. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
2012 Races: 10-8-2-0. Purses: $1.02 million. Mark: 1:50.1 at Meadowlands (equals world record).
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown, $250,000 Nat Ray, $201,700 Titan Cup, $180,000 American-National, $150,000 Maxie Lee, $131,200 Allerage Open Trot.
--Submitted by Carol Hodes
