Mr. Shankopotamus

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Mr. Shankopotamus was bought out of the famed Harrisburg Sale in 2009 as a two year old by the Wand Stable of Shullsburg, WI. Every year about 2400 horses go through the sale ring in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There are broodmares in foal and not in foal, weanlings, yearlings, two and three year olds and aged horses all going to their new homes after the gavel comes down. It is not a sale for the faint of heart, you have to do your homework and spend a lot of time looking over and over the horses. And you MUST make notes, because after looking at 40 or 50 bay Standardbreds, it is very hard to remember what you liked or disliked about each one. A lot of good horses have been bought out of the Harrisburg sale and gotten on trailers to make the long trip back to Wisconsin trainers. When Mr. Shankopotamus got over the shock of a 800+ mile trip, he got in a few jog miles before the Wisconsin winter got too bad, one thing trainer Gabe Wand noticed right away was that Shanks was very lazy. Spring arrived and Shanks was still lazy, sometimes even stopping on the track to check out the neighbors or to watch a passing band of butterflies. Those of you who watched Shanks in his first races in Wisconsin noticed that trait, he wasn't too interested until he had a good half mile in, probably wondered why everyone was in such a hurry, after all, you don't get your picture taken till the mile is over!!

Mr Shankopotamus captured the 2010 Wisconsin Pacer of the Year title, and after his last fair race at the Vernon County Fair in Viroqua, Wisconsin he traveled down to the Windy City to take on the Chicago boys. Shanks paced his first mile at Balmoral Park in 1:54.3; an unbelievable 15.3 second drop from his last fair start in Wisconsin! After never being worse than 3 rd in his 15 fair and pari-mutual starts for owners Robert & Gabe Wand, Shanks was sold and shipped to the east coast where he picked up wins at Chester Downs and Yonkers Raceway in New York. His fastest winning time was 1:55.4 and he earned $15,060 in 2010. Shanks is still racing on the east coast, most recently at The Meadows. If you want to keep track of this 2010 Pacer of the Year log on to ustrotting.com and click on the Racing Tab, then go to entries & results, then the search tab, and type in Mr. Shankopotamus in the "By Horse section." His last race or upcoming race will then show up. You can get a lot of information at ustrotting.com, but it probably won't tell you if Shanks still loves watching butterflies!