'Odd Couple' Breeders Take Aim on New York

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Credit Victory becomes the 3-Year-Old NYSS Trotting Filly Champion on 9/13/08

ALBANY, NY (09/22/2008)(readMedia)-- An auto worker from Tennessee and an Amishman from Indiana share a common goal: They both want to become bigger players in the New York Standardbred breeding program.

Mike Tucker and Daniel Lengacher are off to a good start as they own Victory Finder. She is the dam of Credit Victory the winner of the $175,000 New York Sires Stakes final at Yonkers Raceway on the Night of Champions on Sept. 13.

The partners bought Victory Finder carrying Credit Victory at a sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in November, 2004.

"I thought she was a steal," says Tucker, who lives in Fayetteville, Tennessee, only a few miles north of the Alabama border. "We're always looking for good mares and we really liked her. Nothing beats a Valley Victory and it was a plus that she was in foal to Credit Winner."

Credit Victory was foaled May 27, 2006 at Lengacher's farm in Indiana. The partners sold her privately as a yearling.

"That's the best way to sell one," says Tucker. "We sent a man to Daniel's farm to make a videotape of her trotting in the field. Then we advertised her in The Horseman & Fair World and said people could watch her on video. It worked out perfectly."

The buyer was Ernie Martinez who, in turn, sold Credit Victory to trainer Harald Lunde, a Norwegian now living in Canada.

She raced five times without winning as a two-year-old while owned by Lunde, This year has been a different story, however, as Credit Victory has shown steady improvement. Now owned by Anders Olof Jonsson of Sweden, she tested the New York Sire Stakes waters in June with a second-place finish and a win at Saratoga and Buffalo, respectively.

Another second at Yonkers followed in July. She then won a division of the Zweig Memorial at Tioga Downs.

Credit Victory was developing a come-from-behind racing style that probably gave heartburn to those who bet on her. She often lagged well back in the early part of a race, only to come trotting up a storm in the homestretch.

In late August she drew post one at Yonkers and her style of racing changes. Driver Jeff Gregory sent her immediately to the front and she led all the way to win. In her next start, however, she came first over at Monticello, couldn't clear to the lead, and faded to finish fifth.

That fifth-place finish was fresh in the minds of bettors when she raced at Yonkers in the Night of Champions. Credit Victory was sent away at odds of 19-1, the sixth longest odds in the field of eight. She was well back in the field for the first half-mile as Lola Seelster showed the way.

Driver Dan Dube had her positioned on the back of Winbak Dream as they trotted into the final half-mile.

Winbak Dream continued to advance and Credit Winner stayed with her. When Lola Seelster suddenly went offstride in the final turn, favorite Parcc Side seemed to be on her way to winning. Winbak Dream, however, was closing fast and Credit Victory was closing even faster. She thrust her nose in front at the wire to win in 1:59.2.

Credit Victory now has five wins in nine starts in 2008 and a pair of seconds. Her efforts have rewarded her owner with $186,988.

Tucker and Lengacher became acquainted when Tucker bought a yearling from Lengacher in Indiana a number of years ago. Their families have become very close.

"When Daniel and I are together, everyone calls us the Odd Couple," says Tucker with a hearty laugh.

They own many horses together (all trotters) and they have plans to own even more as the plan to increase their involvement in the New York Sires Stakes. They're certainly on the right track with Victory Finder as she is in foal to Conway Hall, one of the top trotting stallions in the Empire State and in North America.

Tucker, 57, is toolmaker for Chrysler and can't wait until he retires so that he has more time to devote to his horses. "I've only got two years, eleven months, and 23 days until I retire, but who's counting?" says Tucker.

The broodmares owned by the partners are normally kept by Lengacher at his farm in Indiana, but before the 2008 breeding season, Victory Finder went to Tucker's farm in Tennessee.

‘Victory Finder didn't have a foal in 2007 or 2008," explains Tucker. "She was open, so I wanted to put her under lights before the breeding season. Daniel doesn't have lights because he's Amish, so I brought her to Tennessee and put her under lights. When I thought she was ready to ovulate, I took her to Morrisville College to be bred to Conway Hall."

Victory Finder is an eight-year-old mare who didn't race due to an injury. She was bred as a two-year-old, but her foal by Mr Lavec died. She was then bred to Credit Winner and got a colt and then sold to Tucker and Legacher.

The cross of Credit Winner on Valley Victory mares has been exceptionally successful and has produced the millionaire trotter Chocolatier. And you can add the name of Credit Victory as another example of that superlative trotting cross.

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attached photo courtesy of Mike Lizzi, Yonkers Raceway