Before career finale, Accelerate deemed world's fastest dirt horse

Accelerate has kept his connections plenty busy leading up to his swan song in the Saturday's Grade 1, $9 million Pegasus World Cup. The Breeders’ Cup Classic winner played a prominent role in 2018 year-end awards with representation Wednesday at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Ceremony inside London's Landmark Hotel, followed by Thursday's Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream Park.

While domestically recognized as Champion Older Dirt Male and as a Horse of the Year finalist, internationally he finished third in the Longines rankings behind only Australia's Winx and Great Britain's Cracksman.

That makes Accelerate the world's fastest dirt horse in 2018 -- and Stephanie Hronis, wife of Kosta Hronis, was on hand to represent connections in London, receiving a Longines timepiece from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

“Kosta and I were talking about it, how this time last year he wasn’t even on the list,” Stephanie Hronis said. “For him to move to sixth, then into the top three, then be in the conversation with Cracksman and Winx, we’re just beyond elated about that, for him to be recognized internationally by the horse racing world with Longines and IFHA. It just means so very much.”

Accelerate won six of seven starts in 2018, ruling the West Coast's Grade 1 races for older horses. His Pacific Classic (G1) victory in August at Del Mar stood out -- he won by a race record 12 1/2 lengths -- and it's that victory that earned him a 128 race rating from the World's Best Racehorse committee. It fell only two points short of co-winners Winx and Cracksman at 130 apiece.

Stephanie Hronis described Accelerate’s continued success as a thrill, but also credited his consistency to trainer John Sadler and his team.

“They do such a good job about putting the horse first, and so we have just immense confidence in that,” she said. “And that’s where it’s been wonderful because our wishes and our philosophy for the horse is that the horse and their health is number one, so we know that when John decides that horse is ready to go to the next race, it’s because they’re ready and that he’s not pushing them before they are.”

Accelerate’s Breeders’ Cup victory was the first for both Hronis Racing LLC and Sadler. 

“That was the ultimate dream for Hronis Racing, for Kosta, for the family, and that’s just all Kosta would say even before we had Accelerate,” Hronis said. “He wanted a Breeders’ Cup win for John Sadler.”

Following the Pegasus World Cup, Accelerate will head to Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Ky., to begin his breeding career. The 6-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky became acquainted with the farm on a detour after the Breeders’ Cup before heading back home to California. 

“As hard as it is to see him go, and I would love to see him continue racing, he deserves to go to where he’s going,” Hronis said. “What helps out too is having spent time at Lane’s End and knowing the Farishes and Jill (McCully), who takes care of the stallions and actually seeing the stall where he’s going to go to. That brings a lot of comfort knowing that he’s really going to a wonderful farm and going to be well taken care of. He’s got 140 plus dates this spring, so he’s got a lot to look forward to.”

One of those mares will be Love the Chase, the dam of two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. His stud fee is set at $20,000.

Also joining Accelerate at Lane’s End will be Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light, who was also a nominee for Eclipse Champion Older Dirt Male. But first, the two will have one more rematch in the Pegasus World Cup.

City of Light won the first round by a neck in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last spring, but Accelerate took home the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) trophy while City of Light finished third. Accelerate was installed as the Pegasus' 9-5 morning line favorite over City of Light, the 5-2 second choice.

“To see the morning line at 9-5 and to be that horse, you have to allow yourself the moments to honor that and enjoy that and to be proud of his accomplishments to get there,” Hronis said of heading to the Pegasus. “And there is that other part where there is tremendous pressure. There’s going to be criticisms and critiques and also there’s going to be a lot of cheer for him.”

City of Light will break from post three and Accelerate will depart post five. Both horses turned in bullet works for their final Pegasus preparations on Jan. 19. City of Light worked a half-mile in 47.26 at Gulfstream Park, while Accelerate went five furlongs in 58.80 at Santa Anita. He arrived at Gulfstream Park Tuesday evening.

“We couldn’t have wished it any better than to be on the outside of City of Light,” Hronis said. “My bumper sticker saying is the one true thing about horse racing is there’s never a sure thing, but we’re going into it optimistic, immensely proud of Accelerate, and knowing that right now with his works and everything he’s in top form.”