One of the most decorated pacers to come out of the Ontario Sires Stakes program, world record holder and multiple award winner Boulder Creek has passed away at the age of 23.
With earnings of $3,815,924, Boulder Creek sits second among pacers sired in Canada with only Mister Big ($4.14 million) boasting a better bankroll.
Bred by Barry & Debbie Bird of Harwood, Ont. and Cyril Hayes of Burlington, Ont., Boulder Creek (Rustler Hanover - Hayser Creek) was a $35,000 Canadian Classic Yearling Sale purchase, developed by Bill Budd. He was an O'Brien Award finalist in his two-year-old season but finished second to stablemate Sir Luck.
After two years of racing mainly in Ontario, Boulder Creek put together a solid 13-8-6 resume from 44 starts with more than $850,000 earned. His connections then sent him stateside for his older campaigns to the stable of Mark Silva, where Boulder Creek stepped up his game and tackled some of harness racing's top open competitors.
Racing on the Grand Circuit from ages four to seven, Boulder Creek captured two Breeders Crowns, two Classic Pacing Series finals, the Allerage, Aquarius, Ben Franklin Pace, Des Smith, and U.S. Pacing Championship. His five-year-old season was his best, banking more than $1 million in earnings while garnering the Dan Patch and HTA Nova Awards as Older Male Pacer of the Year.
He took his mark of 1:48.1 at The Meadowlands as a four-year-old, winning his first of back-to-back Breeders Crowns. He still holds the world record for pacers competing at 1-3/8 miles over a one-mile track (2:33.2 at Mohawk Raceway in 2007) and at 1-1/4 miles over a five-eighths mile track (2:19.4 at Dover Downs in 2006). At the age of seven, Boulder Creek equalled the world record for gelding pacers on a five-eighths-mile track by winning the Ben Franklin in 1:48.3 at Harrah's Chester.
After concluding his racing career, Boulder Creek made his way to North Carolina for the last few years of his retirement with Chris Coyle owning and caring for the star Standardbred at his Olive Branch Farm.
Coyle told Trot Insider that Boulder Creek was laid to rest last week after suffering a fatal bout of colic.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Boulder Creek.