Major Hottie is still doing his thing on the racetrack... as evidenced by his 1:49.3 victory at Mohawk on July 13. But he’s also begun a new career as a part-time sire, and his tiny first-crop already boasts an OSS winning filly.
Story by Chris Lomon
He doesn’t need to be reminded of the fact that he finds himself in a most enviable position. Not only does Tommy Larocque have the good fortune to own a horse that holds the World Record for the fastest mile by a free-legged pacer (1:48.3), he also has a stallion who is making his mark in the breeding business.
Yes, the very same horse.
“It’s been amazing, really,” said the 53-year-old Larocque. “I’ve been in the horse business a long time, but to have a horse like this, who is a great competitor and also happens to have great potential as a stud, it’s quite unbelievable.”
Major Hottie has rightfully earned a reputation as a major force when the gate swings open. At eight-years-old, he is anything but the new kid in town. Yet, week after week, he’s showing he’s still got game.
The son of Art Major-Dominatricks has bankrolled nearly $700,000 in lifetime earnings, doing it the hard way, with no single payday exceeding $25,000. He’s made 31 career trips to the winner’s circle, along with 80 top-three finishes in 154 starts. Eight of those victories have been clocked sub-1:50.
Not bad for a horse that Larocque and trainer Steve Charlton claimed for $40,000 in January of 2010.
Three and a half years later, both men understand that just like any successful veteran athlete, Major Hottie is well-equipped, both mentally and physically, to handle the rigors of the sport. They also know the more placid Major Hottie is before the race, the more likely it is he’ll deliver a top-shelf performance.
“When I see him in the paddock and he is calm, almost as though he’s ready to go to sleep, that’s when I know when he’s ready to go,” offers Larocque, a long-time horsemen, whose current stable stands at around a dozen horses. “He’s a well-built horse and when he takes to the track and you can see he’s relaxed, you expect him to race well. If he’s a little anxious before heading out, that’s when you tend to worry.”
Fortunately, for Larocque, there have been far more memorable results than forgettable efforts. A lot of the credit for that, he insists, goes to Charlton, also a veteran horseman. “To me, the success truly is a combination of Steve and the horse,” says Larocque. “Steve has done a remarkable job. They make a good team.”
Charlton pays it forward.
“My wife, I don’t know what I’d do without her,” he says, of Kathleen, who is also an outrider at Mohawk. “I’m not based at any track, so there is a lot of travelling for me. She tends to our horses. She does a great job, including with Major Hottie.”
Just like his owner, Charlton continues to marvel at Major Hottie’s enduring success and dual careers. When you consider his racing life, which began in 2007, started with three consecutive breaks in stride during qualifiers and a ninth-place performance in his first race, the tale of the ‘Major’ is even more compelling.
“He’s truly a unique horse,” says Charlton, whose farm is in Clifford, Ontario, located two hours northwest of Toronto. “When it comes to the racing side, soundness is always an issue. But when I see him come out of the paddock, I know he’s going to give it his all. And for him to race and to be a stallion, it’s quite remarkable.”
Which is precisely how Charlton felt after he and Larocque brought Major Hottie into their barn. “I watched him race and I could tell this guy was something special,” he recalls. “You fell in love with him as soon as you saw him. I really believed there would have been a dozen claims, but there was only one. I was beside myself when we got him. I thought, ‘What am I seeing that others don’t?’ He is the real deal.”
And then some.
The bay has seven foals on the ground... and three of the four two-year-olds from his first crop have already seen the starting gate. One of them, a filly with the equally catchy name, Shes A Hotmama, recently won an OSS Grassroots race at Georgian Downs in 1:56.2, with Chris Christoforou at the reins.
Charlton, who trains, while Kathleen co-owns the two-year-old with Larocque, was understandably thrilled to see one of Major Hottie’s offspring duplicate his winning ways.
“That was extra special,” admits Charlton, of the neck victory that came after a fifth-place finish in her career bow on July 2. “You don’t take any of it for granted. To see this filly do well, it gives you a lot of pride.”
Is it a sign of things to come for horses with Major Hottie DNA?
“I’m a novice when it comes to the breeding side of the sport, but it’s encouraging to see how it has gone so far,” says Larocque. “We’ll just have to see how things go.”
Larocque has the luxury of being able to look back and to the future with equal pride when it comes to his enduring star. For now, his fondest recollection is the record mile Major Hottie posted on May 29, 2010, at Mohawk. There is ample reason, however, to suggest there are more storylines and headlines to be written.
“I’m not always at his races, but I was there on the day he set it,” remembers Larocque, of the quarter-length score at odds of 13-1. “What a feeling that was. Whenever he comes on to the racetrack, he has the look of the champion. And now, to see his offspring enjoying success, it’s just wonderful.” And more than enough to keep the conversation going for Larocque.
“I’m not interested in being in the spotlight. That’s just not who I am. But, I’m proud to have a horse who is.”
A stud, in every sense of the word.