Harness: Remembering the "Money Machine" Graceful Touch

It was recently announced that Graceful Touch, known to some as “the money machine,” had passed at the age of 24 at Hunterton Farms. She was not in foal but listed by the USTA as having been last bred to Indiana stallion Helpisontheway.

Originally purchased as a weanling for $250,000 by Perretti Farms from then owner John Liviakis, Graceful Touch was the only living daughter of the well-remembered Act Of Grace, who often competed with the great Continental Victory and Lindy Lane. Peter Eriksson of Sweden is listed as her breeder.

Superbly bred by Valley Victory from Green Speed’s productive sister Keystone Profile, Act Of Grace took a mark of 1:52 3/5 as a 3-year-old while earning $403,525.

Act Of Grace had but two foals, one being Graceful Touch (Pine Chip) and the other a Pine Chip colt named Cobol, who was reasonably successful for trainer Per Eriksson and others. Cobol himself trotted in 1:54 at 3 and earned $417,457. He eventually would up in Italy but was infertile and never sired any foals that we know of.

Graceful Touch herself was moderately successful at 2 for trainer Chuck Sylvester, taking a mark of 1:56 1/5 with earnings of $161,893. Thereafter she was bred to Muscles Yankee, producing Muscle Mass, who brought a modest $100,000 at Harrisburg despite being arguably the best moving trotting yearling Perretti Farms ever raised.

While there were those who described his gait as “hitchy,” what they didn’t see is while being filmed the colt had to veer several times to avoid running into chasers stationed with noisemaker cans to prompt the video prospects into moving. Muscle Mass “veered” several times during that filming session but never once broke stride remaining on the trot throughout.

Muscle Mass was the 2-year-old trotting champion of his year (2007), wining all seven of his starts while taking a mark of 1:53 3/5.

He was not successful at age 3 due to physical problems and was retired prior to embarking upon a successful siring career, accounting for 2018 Dan Patch 3-year-old Champion Six Pack among others.

The next foal of Graceful Touch, also by Muscles Yankee, was Touchdown Town, a gorgeous standing colt who couldn’t trot a lick in his video, opting to pace or just gallop. Still he brought $320,000 at Harrisburg, though Touchdown Town never raced as far as I know.

Next up was Muscle Massive (Muscles Yankee) at $425,000, who redeemed that number in spades earning $1,239,138, most of that sum coming in the Hambletonian when he nosed out Lucky Chucky at the wire. Muscle Massive stood stud in Indiana, achieving moderate success.

Thereafter, Graceful Touch was switched to the court of first-crop sire and Triple Crown winner Windsong’s Legacy, resulting in That’s Not My Name, a Merrie Annabelle winner who has emulated her dam as a money-producing machine, selling yearlings that have brought $500,000 on three different occasions in addition to $475,000, $250,000 and $275,000. Incredibly enough, That’s Not My Name’s first foal Rajadhiraja by Muscles Yankee brought all of $4,000 at public auction. While Rajadhiraja, a three-quarter brother in blood to Muscle Mass and Muscle Massive, wound up earning in excess of $30,000, it was an inauspicious beginning for that first daughter of Graceful Touch.

As for Graceful Touch, her daughter Forever Graceful was purchased privately for $500,000. She didn’t race but did sell three yearlings, attracting prices of $350,000, $350,000 and $135,000. Thus Forever Graceful earned herself out in in the sales ring.

Then came Graceful Kelly, who failed to meet her reserve at $145,000 but was eventually sold for $200,000. Graceful Kelly, a smallish late foal via embryo transfer, has sold yearlings for $300,000 and $165,000. Thus she too has won herself out in terms of her purchase price.

Graceful Touch herself brought $560,000 at the Perretti Farms dispersal of 2011. The resultant foal Mr Lucky Luke, her first by Lucky Chucky, brought $450,000. Mr Lucky Luke was moderately successful at best, earning $106,391 and eventually taking a mark of 1:56 1/5f in his aged form.

Thereafter Graceful Touch has sold foals for $285,000, $32,000, also $45,000, then $260,000 and $150,000.

The latter pair are by what looks to be Muscle Hill’s best siring son in Tactical Landing.

As Hunterton Farms Steve Stewart opined, “just about everybody associated Graceful Touch made substantial dollars.”

She was indeed a virtual money machine.