Smedshammer's pacer wins

Legend Hall, the lone pacer residing with 54 trotters in trainer Trond Smedshammer's overflowing stable at White Birch Farm in New Jersey, won his first race since July 2003 last Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands, scoring in a $20,000 claiming event. The 6-year-old son of Cambest will try to duplicate that effort on Sunday, April 10, as he once again takes on a field of $20,000 claimers.



The last month has been an up-and-down period for Legend Hall, but so too has his career. Over his last four starts, all with Cat Manzi driving, he has traded good starts with bad starts, finishing ninth, second and ninth before breaking through with his 1:53.3 victory last Sunday. It was his first in eight starts overall in 2005 and his first winner's circle trip since scoring 20 months ago.



An original $80,000 yearling purchase by Ted Gewertz, Legend Hall never raced as a 2 year old. At three he was sent to Gates and Deborah Brunet to train and then to Smedshammer, and the season resulted in six wins in 24 starts, including a campaign-best 1:54.3 win at The Red Mile. He was claimed for $40,000 in January of his 4-year-old year, and he went on to post a career-best mark of 1:50.4 while winning four of 27 starts. But he tailed off at the end of the year and Gewertz, after prompting from his wife Claire who had seen the horse one night in the Meadowlands' paddock, claimed him back for $15,000.



"He raced good for awhile (after he was claimed from us) and then he went down the drain," said Smedshammer. "Ted and Claire felt so bad for him they claimed him back. We took a chip out of his knee and turned him out. I told them I would bring him back in the fall; you try to do the right thing and bring him back the right way."



Legend Hall made only 12 starts last year at five and had only a third-place finish to show for his efforts, with his season ending in April. He returned this January and his resume now shows 11 wins in 71 career starts, with earnings of $115,809.

« Back