by Matthew Lomon

For trainer Otis Hall, the recipe to a career-best campaign doesn’t require a convoluted combination of fancy tricks and techniques — all it takes is a handful of homegrown, high-quality ingredients.

“I don’t set goals,” said Hall. “Every horse in my barn right now is a homebred. As we’re developing them and training them down, I get a read on what caliber I believe they are. Early in the season, I try to map out a path for them that I think will best suit them, and then I try to stick to that plan as best as possible. But obviously things change.

“So no, I don’t have a goal for wins or numbers or anything like that. I just want the horses to be as competitive and consistent as they can be.”

Consider it Hall’s version of farm-to-stable success.

Couple that with an open mind, an emphasis on hard work, and a commitment to his craft, and the Ayr, ON-based conditioner is well positioned to uphold the standard set by his parents, Larry and Marilyn Hall, some 40-plus years ago.

In the late 1970s, when Otis was still a youngster, the elder Halls established a breeding outfit known as Sauble Hill Farms.

Having been involved with the operation from an early age, the junior Hall learned first-hand what matters most when running a successful barn.

Otis’ chance to branch out and apply that knowledge came in 2002, when he and his wife Susan formed Nasussito Racing Inc. – a moniker that derives from their first names spelled backwards.

That upward ascent continued in 2005 when the duo purchased a farm of their own, in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, to raise and develop their horses.

Fast forward another 19 years to 2024, where Otis’ expertise has been on full display in what’s tracking to be one of his most prosperous seasons yet.

Headlined by a career-high wins total, Otis has led his charges to a 23-9-3 line to go along with nearly $205,000 in purse earnings across 61 starts (as of Nov. 26).

All in an ode to his parents and the brand they built from the ground up.

“My parents, they’re retiring now, so they’re winding down,” said Otis. “They are out of the breeding business, but I’m continuing to use the Sauble name with all of our homebreds.”

Nasussito has more than managed to carry on the Sauble legacy with a modest barn that, as of now, features a half-dozen horses, all of which are pacers.

Included in the roster of six is 2-year-old colt Sauble Wilson, 3-year-old filly Sauble Lila, and 4-year-old Sauble Ace.

As Otis detailed, Sauble Wilson’s journey started as a small, well-mannered neophyte with room to grow.

After qualifying well and catching the attention of his driver Bob McClure, Sauble Wilson entered and won his first start on June 25.

“I had a path for him at that point to stick with the [Ontario Sires Stakes] Grassroots program, and if he progressed well, we’d take a shot at the last Gold after the Grassroots final,” Otis said.

“That’s exactly what we ended up doing.”

Although he tackled Crack Shot, who became the first horse ever to win a Grassroots and Gold championship in the same season, the son of Betterthancheddar—Performing Art delivered an exemplary rookie campaign for Nasussito (10 5-3-1 record with $91,360 banked).

“Overall, we’re really happy with him,” said Otis. “He finished his year up strong, was never hurt, and he’s put away healthy. In my mind that’s a really good thing.”

The bay’s barn mate and half-sister, Sauble Lila, was a late foal that needed a little more seasoning before debuting as a 3-year-old.

“Their mother [Performing Art] won the Super Final in 2013, she was a great Sires Stakes horse,” said Otis. “These two both have the potential to do some damage, and they’ve had a good year.”

Sauble Lila certainly benefited from the extra year, recording 12 wins from 24 starts for $66,761 in purse earnings across her maiden voyage.

“She loves to race, and she’s just full of confidence right now,” he said. “I think there’s something to be said for that. When they’re doing well and they’re winning, the horses get confident and she’s an example of that right now.

“She tries really hard.”

Sauble Ace, the elder statesman of the trio at 4 years old, has dealt with his fair share of minor issues but has shown a tenacious spirit en route to an 11-4-3 mark through 38 starts ($131,492).

“We always thought he was going to be somewhat special,” Otis said. “He didn’t get started until late into his 2-year-old year, but he was flashing :26 last quarters and was one of the favorites in the 2022 Harvest final.

“He sometimes has little breaks from racing, but he’s another one that likes his job, and he’s just a happy horse, and the family loves having him in the barn.”

Rounding out the Nasussito roster is Sauble Amelia, Sauble Ellie, and a yearling in Sauble Ambush.

Over the years, Otis and Susan have worked tirelessly to cultivate the family-oriented atmosphere that Larry and Marilyn instituted more than four decades ago.

And now it remains alive and well through their two children Melanie and Scott.

When they are not at university — Melanie at Dalhousie studying a Bachelor of Management program and Scott working on a Nuclear Engineering degree at Ontario Tech — both Hall kids remain actively involved in their parents’ Nasussito barn.

“[Melanie’s] home at least once a month, and then over the summer and Christmas break,” said Otis. “When she comes home, she jumps straight into the barn and gets things in order and looks after details that need to be looked after.

“My son, Scott, he’s in a very demanding program right now, so he’s busy, but he’s usually home on weekends to assist in the barn.”

Also in the mix is the Halls’ neighbor, Sean Dunnett, an agronomist and partner in some of Nasussito’s broodmares.

“Between the five of us, there’s always two or three of us in the barn to get the work done every day,” said Otis. “Everybody understands the expectations of what needs to be done. Everybody knows what we need to do to accomplish our goals.

“We all just collectively work together and try to have success.”

Making their story, and pledge, to harness racing even more noble, is that the game is simply a hobby for both Otis and Susan.

The former has been a supervisor at Siemens Canada since 1997 when he first joined the technology powerhouse as a co-op student.

The latter, meanwhile, is an accountant working as a controller in Cambridge.

Despite their main vocations taking them elsewhere, the Hall family always relishes their time in the barn.

“It means a lot; it really does,” said Otis. “It’s something that we can all look forward to and all participate in, and we can all reflect on over the years.

“It’s very important to everybody.”

As for what a banner 2024 term has taught Otis: don’t mess with old family recipes.

“Continue to work hard, don’t be outworked, always do what’s right for the horse, and always try to make the right decision, that’s something we go by in the barn,” he said. “We’re always trying to make the right decision for each horse.

“I don’t chase accolades or awards. Sure, I’d love to be in the North America Cup or something like that someday, but it’s a hard thing to do, right? I don’t really strive for that. I just try to do the best with whatever we have at any given time, and I think hard work, good decisions, and doing what’s right for the horse will carry you a long way.”