The $20,000 stumble
by Lisa Harkema
A supremely fast trotter, he is most famous for stumbling shortly ahead of the wire in the Hambletonian with victory within reach. Sold to Europe not long after equaling a world record at 4, Brown Berry later likely became a clandestine stallion in France.
Brown Berry was named for his two former owners, Thomas Berry and Lawrence Brown, trainer and superintendent, respectively, at Hanover Shoe Farms. The duo had bought the brown colt from the estate of WL Handy, but sold him at the 1931 Old Glory auction, where he was bought by J Irvin Lyle, president of the Central New Jersey Horsemen’s Association, for $3,000.
He proved himself early, winning the two-year-old trot in Toledo on Jul 15, 1932. In the Goodtime Stake at Goshen he was up against the undefeated Spencer McElwyn. However, Brown Berry easily won the first heat in 2:07 1/2 (1.19,2), but was, peculiarly, distanced in the second. That meant Hollyrood Portia, winner of the second heat, won on a sort of knock-out: under the rules at the time, only heat winners were allowed to start after the second heat, but as Brown Berry had been distanced he was automatically out of the race.
In the Illinois State Futurity, in Springfield on Aug 25, Brown Berry finished fourth after a being 4-2 in the two heats. In the second heat Brown Berry showed his tremendous speed when he and Mary Reynolds raced the first quarter in 29 1/2, the half in 1:00 1/2. Spencer McElwyn was too strong and won in 2:04 1/2 (1.17,4), but Brown Berry was not far behind. The colt further underlined his credentials by winning the first heat, after leading the whole race, in the Horseman Futurity at Indianapolis two weeks later. In the second heat he again took the lead, but broke stride and finished third.