Harness: Hudson taking the Down Under route to rejuvenate his career

Training a small or large stable of horses has its challenges. For Lance Hudson, who sent 368 horses to post in 2010, the years that followed proved to be his most difficult.

“I was burned out and really didn’t have that many horses,” Hudson said, recalling what would be a low point in the 48-year-old’s career. Fast forward to January of 2019 and the same Hudson appears more than full of life as he has just completed the best month of his entire career, winning nearly half of his starts and showcasing horses at the top level at Yonkers Raceway.

“I’d say it has a lot to do with the type of horses I’ve gotten to train,” said Hudson about his latest collection, primarily imported and dominated by a single owner, William Hartt. “I’ve known Bill since I was 16 years old,” said Hudson, who along with the owner is a native of Maine. “He’s always had horses. More recently he’s been focused on buying the best horses he can find.”

For the most part that challenge has led to the Southern Hemisphere where Hudson and some rather sharp agents have come up with quality in quantity for the pair to share and prosper with. “I get to see a lot of the races myself,” said Hudson, “I have some people down there who train the horses for me. I’m looking for horses that can pace a quarter in 27 seconds and aren’t running out. I also want horses with predominantly American bloodlines.”

January has seen Hudson as a dominant force with high-level pacers of both sexes racing and winning at an elite level. On the mare side, it’s Bettorb Chevron N going undefeated in three starts while working her way up the class ladder. The daughter of Bettor’s Delight flashed that 27-second kicker Hudson was looking for in her second victory and then got the trainer off to a fast start in February capturing the $44,000 Open this past Friday.

In another era horses coming over from the Southern Hemisphere generally took time to acclimate but Hudson has been more fortunate with some. “Bettorb Chevron N was ready just seven days after she arrived,” said Hudson of the pacing mare purchased for $110,000. In just three starts Bettorb Chevron N has returned $48,000 of the investment and the trainer is hopeful this is just the start of good things to come. “We’ll be nominating her for the Blue Chip Matchmaker,” said Hudson.

Another fast learner and quick earner has been Don Domingo N. This son of American Ideal has strung together four victories without defeat in the new year for the Hartt-Hudson team, including a win last Saturday night at a level below Open company. Though happy with the progress, Hudson was pretty straightforward assessing Don Domingo N, “He’s not my best one,” Hudson said.

Before being asked the obvious, Hudson moved quickly on to Micky Gee N, a now 6-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight. “He got sick with a few others and I stopped with him,” Hudson said of Micky Gee N, a six-time winner in nine North American starts, all at Yonkers last year. “He’s been training back super and he’ll qualify this Friday.”

Purchased for $88,000 last year, Micky Gee N had the luxury of racing in the non-winners classes for a good amount of time earning himself out of the class in October and moving into the Preferred level for just one start.

Hudson is clearly enamored with the horse but even more with sire Bettor’s Delight. “I love the Bettor’s Delights. They have some issues with their feet,” Hudson said. “But if you take care of that they are all racehorse.”

Micky Gee N earned $66,000 before getting a rest and Hudson sees him as the likely leader in what could be a large number of Levy nominations. “We could put as many as six horses into the Levy,” said Hudson, who saw his stable go over the $1 million mark in earnings last year and appears on target to well exceed that number in 2019.

Making the most of their investments, one would have to consider Military Master A the best return on purchase price to date as the $52,000 purchase more than doubled that number in just 11 starts last year for Hudson. Also by Bettor’s Delight, the now 8-year-old won two Open events at Yonkers last fall before a bout with sickness ended his season.

“Even though the horses we’re bringing over are older horses, most of them haven’t had that many starts,” said Hudson. Military Master A had just 42 lifetime starts racing nearly five years Down Under before making his North American debut.

As big a fan of Bettor’s Delight as Hudson has become, he did point out a recent affinity for the late Somebeachsomewhere. Perhaps the reason for that is the success he’s already had with two recent arrivals by that great stallion. Owner Hartt picked up Fashionbythebeach at the end of 2018 and the 6-year-old has won two of his three starts at Yonkers this season. The owner and trainer were at The Meadowlands for the January Mixed Sale and Hudson had a bit of apprehension when Captain Deo, a 4-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere was in the ring. “We had talked about bidding up to $100,000 for the horse,” said Hudson of his pre-game plan. “But like I said, Bill wanted the horse and he went to $115,000 to get him.”

After a nondescript first outing for Hudson at Yonkers, Captain Deo returned on Monday night over that same oval and made a blistering last-to-first rally to capture a $20,000 non-winners of 6 pari-mutuel event. “I was a little worried when we got him but I feel better now,” said Hudson following the victory.

Far from burned out now, Hudson and his stable of 20 are gearing up for action at Golden Shoe Training Center in Middletown, New York and if early 2019 returns are any indication, it will be a stable well worth following.