One of the popular import pacers on the Chicago circuit during the late 1970s was the stallion Tricky Dick N who chalked up 16 harness racing victories, mostly in the rugged Free For All and Invite ranks during the 1978 and 1979 seasons.
Tricky Dick N was also one of the all-time preferences of Illinois Hall of Famer Walter Paisley.
In a 1990 Chicago Tribune interview Paisley told the newspaper’s horse racing writer Neil Milbert his all-time favorites were Braidwood, Tricky Dick N. and Malice.
“`Braidwood is on my list because my father owned him,” said Paisley who a few weeks earlier reached the 5,000 milestone in dash winners. “Tricky Dick N. and Malice are there because they raced the same way every time I got in the bike. I`ve raced horses more talented and horses with more speed, but none more consistent than those two.”
Tricky Dick racked up $108,756 in 1979 as a 6-year-old season followed with an even better 7-year-old campaign with over $150,000 on his card for Illinois owners John Szilage (Batavia) and Ben Grass (Aurora).
Among Tricky Dick’s wins in those two years came at the expense of such star pacers as Kay Michael, Malice, Young Tennessee, Try Scotch, Late Show, Tarport Express, Rusty’s Iron Jet, and Rambling Willie.
Tricky Dick N is pictured in this Pete Luongo Photo with Paisley winning the $25,000 Best Of All Invitational on June 23 of 1979 with his second consecutive 1:58.2 clocking. This one came on a Saturday night with 16,584 in attendance at Sportsman’s Park. They bet $1,939,447 on-track on that 10-race card.
Paisley would go on to notch his third consecutive driver title at the old Cicero, Illinois racetrack and his fourth overall (he also won the 1975 crown) while Jim Dennis took the 1979 trainer title. The meeting concluded on September 23 when the $2 million handle was surpassed for a record 14th time.
Tricky Dick N campaigned into his 11-year-old season in 1983 but heath issues limited the talented pacer to only 28 starts from 1980 through 1983. He ended his career with 35 trips to a winner’s circle in 122 tries with 18 seconds and 18 thirds and had lifetime earnings of over $460,000.
By Mike Paradise
Tricky Dick N bred a few mares in the US leaving 24 winners of $1,168,384 and then stood stud in New Zealand leaving a further 64 winners. As a broodmare sire in New Zealand he left Baltic Eagle ($746,980)who won the 2003 Inter Dominion Final at Addington.