One year ago, trainer Noel Daley was basking in the afterglow of his first North America Cup title and a run as the trainer of record for the world's fastest Standardbred, Bulldog Hanover. He hadn't even seen the best of rookie trotter Volume Eight at this point.
Now, Daley has seen enough from Volume Eight to know what kind of talent the trotter possesses. The world of harness racing bore witness to that potential last year, as Volume Eight concluded his two-year-old season with a five-race win streak. Those victories included the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile, the Simpson at Harrah's Philadelphia and three straight tallies at The Meadowlands with back-to-back miles in the 1:52 range in the Kindergarten final and the Valley Victory. That late season surge helped the colt garner divisional honours stateside and made him the winterbook favourite for the 2023 Hambletonian.
Those dreams of glory for that first weekend in August were dashed earlier this month.
According to Daley, who co-owns the colt as part of N Daley And Sjoblom Racing along with Joe Sbrocco, LA Express And JAF Racing, Mario Mazza And Winning Key, Volume Eight will not race again in 2023. The son of Chapter Seven - Lass A Rope has been shut down after the colt suffered a suspensory tear.
"I really believe he was a ton the best when right," Daley told Trot Insider. "He has had one thing after another this year. Bled badly in that only start...He has a lot of growing to do so I always believed he would be better at four."
Whether we see Volume Eight return to action as a four-year-old remains to seen, but Daley indicated there is a chance the horse will move onto a stud career and retire.
"Suspensory injuries are tough to deal with so I would prefer to get him a stud deal but we operated on him immediately in case I don't get a decent spot for him. We have interest in him, but we have time to try and get the right spot for him. Like Walner, he is a Chapter Seven with a total outcross on his maternal side, which should be desirable."
Volume Eight was the fastest two-year-old colt trotter of 2022, trotting home in :27 to cap a dominant 1:52 victory in the Kindergarten Classic final — a performance Daley felt was the best two-year-old performance from a horse in his care. He finished his two-year-old campaign with earnings of $432,232.
The draw for the 2023 Hambletonian eliminations takes place on Tuesday, July 25.