Alabar and Nevele R are thrilled to announce that they have joined forces to secure the lifetime rights to the reigning US Horse of the Year, Always B Miki – the fastest horse in the history of our sport.
He will stand at Alabar’s Victorian farm with his fresh semen available throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Always B Miki is undoubtedly a modern day cult hero in North America.
He won the crowds over with his incredible will to win. The battles in the free-for-all ranks were epic – but Miki proved again and again that he had the heart of a champion.
And he put an exclamation mark on his career when he won in 1:46 at The Red Mile on October the 9th 2016 – the fastest mile ever.
With Miki being such an imposing equine athlete, the world record is something that many harness racing followers felt was an inevitable achievement for him.
At the end of 2016, Miki was rewarded not only with the Pacer of the Year title but also the overall Horse of the Year title. The voting for which he dominated 102-32
He retired at the end of his all-conquering 2016 season to stand at Diamond Creek Farm in Pennsylvania where he commands a fee of US$12,500.
He is currently serving a full book of mares which includes the virtual who’s who of North American broodmares.
The Always B Miki phenomenon is best put into perspective by his Hall of Fame trainer, Jimmy Takter.
After all, Takter has been six times the US Trainer of the Year – including the last three years straight. He’s trained as many great horses as anyone ever has.
Many people would say he’s the greatest trainer in harness racing – and it’s not hard to make that case.
When Jimmy Takter talks horses you tend to listen – and Always B Miki is a horse he knows better than anyone else.
He knows Miki is not only a champion – but maybe, just maybe he’s the best there’s ever been.
The Jimmy Takter quotes on Always B Miki are captivating.
After winning the William Haughton Memorial in what was his third straight world record performance, Takter was moved to say
“I think this could be the greatest horse that ever lived.”
And then, through the tears after Miki’s world record performance at Lexington, Takter stated:
“I get very attached to my horses. He’s just a wonderful horse. He’s the greatest horse I’ve ever been around in my life, and I’ve been around the best horses in the world, like Moni Maker and those horses. This horse is my number one horse that I’ve been around … He’s a big horse but you’re not going to see everything inside. He has probably the best lungs ever, the biggest heart ever and the smartest horse ever.”
And later:
“He’s my all-time favourite. He is the greatest. He has such charisma, it’s unbelievable.”
Miki was a talented two-year-old and a tremendous three-year-old finishing an astonishing second in the Meadowlands Pace (where He’s Watching set his world record) after being three wide the entire trip.
Tragically, later as a three-year-old and as the Breeders’ Crown favourite, he suffered a serious injury and raced the rest of his career with multiple screws in his hind pasterns – making what he achieved as a four and five-year-old even more incredible.
Jimmy Takter said after his world record at Lexington, had it not been for these problems:
“He would have smacked at least another second off the record”
All told, Miki won 30 races and banked $2,826,176 in a career highlighted by back-to-back Breeders’ Crown victories.
You cannot help but be moved by his final surge to win the 2016 Crown after his fierce battle with Wiggle It Jiggleit.
He’s the only horse in history to win 4 races in 1:47 or faster. Remarkable, given no other horse has done it more than once.
He shares the world record for a five-eighths track and holds the Canadian mile record to sit alongside his fastest-mile-ever title.
Miki is by Always A Virgin – a son of the sire of sires Western Ideal and the sire of the winners of over $22 million with 150 in 1:55.
He’s out of the Artsplace mare, Artstopper. The US Pacing Broodmare of the Year in 2016, Artstopper is also the dam of the tremendous racemare Yagonnakissmeornot (41 wins, $1,458,850). She ranks a half-sister to Cheyenne Rei ($729,933).
Of great significance to the breeders of Australia and New Zealand, Always B Miki has no Cam Fella blood in his pedigree whatsoever so is an ideal option for daughters of Bettor’s Delight.
In a wonderful show of respect for our breeding industry, Always B Miki’s stud fee will be A$7,000 (incl GST) in Australia and NZ$7,000 (plus GST) in New Zealand.
This is a tremendous opportunity. Just listen to Jimmy Takter.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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