On his recent trip to New Zealand and Australia, champion driver Tim Tetrick was asked on several occasions – who’s the fastest horse you’ve ever sat behind? Each time the answer was; He’s Watching. The horse he won the 2014 Meadowlands Pace with in 1:46.8 – equalling the world record for the fastest race mile ever.
In outstanding news for the Australasian breeding industry, He’s Watching – the fastest horse in the world – will kick off his stud career at Alabar in New Zealand this season.
Retired last week, after a season of frustrations that kept him from the racetrack, the four-year-old He’s Watching will shortly head into quarantine for the trip down under. He’s Watching will shuttle back to North America each year but, in a coup for our breeders, the first foals by the fastest horse in the world will be bred here.
From the first moment he stepped on to a racetrack, He’s Watching has been one of North America’s glamour pacers.
As a two-year-old, he went on an unbeaten eight for eight winning rampage. In doing so, he broke no less than five track records – at Batavia Downs, Buffalo, Tioga, Vernon Downs and Yonkers.
His win at Yonkers was in 1:52.4 – a world record for a two-year-old on a half-mile track. He won by over six lengths.
His win at Tioga was in 1:50 – a world record for a two-year-old on a five-eighths track. He again won by over six lengths.
After the victory at Tioga, driver Jim Morrill jnr said “… he is just so fast it is unbelievable. I asked him to go in the stretch there tonight a little bit but he could have just as easily gone in 49 tonight, he is just so fast it’s amazing.”
He’s Watching was voted 2013 USTA Two-Year-Old Pacer of the Year.
At the end of this incredible freshman season, a half share in He’s Watching was sold to the Muscara Racing Trust. The head of the Trust, ninety year old Joe Muscara had won the Meadowlands Pace with Mach Three in 2002. He wanted nothing more than to win it again in 2014.
Sadly, Joe Muscara passed away on the Monday prior to the final of the 2014 Meadowlands Pace.
That his latest superstar was named He’s Watching made an emotional week even more poignant.
There was never any doubt that He’s Watching was up to the moment though, with a career defining performance to trounce a quality field in the rich final. He simply blew past the opposition in one of the most devastating displays of speed seen in our sport. He cruised home in 25.6 in the hands of Tim Tetrick to win by 2 ½ lengths in a sensational 1:46.8.
This sublime victory matched the all-age world record, made him the fastest ever three-year-old at the Meadowlands and the youngest ever winner of the Meadowlands Pace. Being a 13 June foal, he had remarkably only turned three twenty-nine days earlier.
After this victory, driver Tim Tetrick said “Unbelievable. He is a great horse and I was lucky to pick up the drive. He really exploded all the way to the wire.” What’s more, he told trainer David Menary that He’s Watching “had more left in the tank.”
The Meadowlands Pace
The secret to He’s Watching’s brilliance can possibly be found in his breeding. He has a freakish pedigree.
His sire American Ideal is by a son of the champion mare Leah Almahurst and is out of a daughter another champion mare in Three Diamonds. These two outstanding mares are closely related having their third and second dam respectively as the great K Nora.
Remarkably, the dam of He’s Watching carries the same cross. His own fourth dam is Leah Almahurst and the dam of his maternal grandsire is Three Diamonds.
So four strains of a dominant mare in K Nora via sex-balanced duplications of two champion mares – a pedigree enthusiasts paradise.
To round off a great pedigree he also has eight daughters of Tar Heel (six of them unique) in his sixth generation.
He’s Watching retires to stud with $1,129,215 in earnings, five track records and two of his three world records still standing.
Standing 15 hands and powerfully built, He’s Watching is best summed up by one of his owners as “strutting into the parade ring with a look that said – who wants to fight me today?” Very few could.
He’s Watching will be available at NZ$6,000 (plus GST) in New Zealand and A$6,000 (incl GST) in Australia.