The expensive horse who couldn’t win
by Lisa Harkema
He had a fantastic pedigree and came off a two-year-old season in which he set a world record. That did not prompt the owner to keep him: given that Calumet Farm was converting to a thoroughbred operation, the colt was put up for auction at the end of that season. Not surprisingly, Calumet Chuck became the most expensive sale at the auction. However, his three-year-old season was winless and full of frustration – but he got some revenge at stud.
With a fantastic pedigree, much were expected of Calumet Chuck as he was by Truax and out of the fast Sumatra, 2:02 1/2 (1.16,1). As soon as the two-year-olds of 1931 started trotting that July, Calumet Chuck immediately proved to be among the better in the crop, though he struggled to beat a few of the best in the beginning.
His career started with a third place finish, behind Brevere and Hollyrood Robin, at the Rainy Day stakes at North Randall. When the Grand Circuit moved to Kalamazoo he could only muster a fourth place in the group crop, the top two unchanged from North Randall but future Hambletonian winner The Marchioness now snuck her way ahead of Calumet Chuck in the final standings. At the Thorncliffe track in Toronto he first took second spot behind The Marchioness, with Brevere and Hollyrood Robin absent, while the second race there was won by Hollyrood Robin and Chuck had to settle for fourth behind his three nemeses. In the American Horse Breeder Junior Futurity he again had to settle for second honors behind Brever as the Peter the Brewer son again proved too strong. Both the Good Time Two-year-old trot and the Horse Review Futurity at Springfield, IL, proved similar as he had to settle for second and fourth, but as the Grand Circuit moved to Lexington, Chuck was steadily improving and coming into his prime. The Horse Review had hinted of things to come: even though The Marchioness proved the strongest, Calumet Chuck’s win in the second heat was in a season record 2:04 1/2 (1.17,4).