Bud Hatfield on a total passion for horsepower
by Murray Brown
Through the years, there have been numerous members of the automobile industry involved in standardbred ownership. The most prominent was likely Frances Dodge Van Lennep, the proprietress of Castleton Farms. But there have been numerous others including, but not limited to Paul Wixom, a major owner in the John Simpson Stable in that stable’s heyday, Hanley Dawson, Jr., the incomparable “Wild Bill” Perretti, my dear friend and partner “Mister Ed” Mullinax, the leading car dealer in the state of Delaware Fred Hertrich III and the Canadian automobile entrepreneurs Bert James, Brent MacGrath, Max Webster and Paul Sanguinet. What is it about horses, specifically trotters and pacers that attracts people who sell cars for a living? I decided to ask the question as well as some others of one of Ohio’s leading sellers of automobiles “Trader Bud” Hatfield.
What is it about harness racing that attracts so many people from the automobile business?
“That’s a good question. I suppose it’s because, by nature, most of us are born risk takers and that element in horse racing appeals to us. My first venture in the car industry was in a Dodge dealership. I put just about everything I had and maybe some of which I didn’t have in making it successful. It just multiplied from there. I kept taking risks and I suppose my moves kept winning. I acquired the name Trader Bud, because one of my earliest mottos was, ‘I would trade for anything.’ I actually did trade for most anything, including at one time a Piper Cub airplane which I kept parked on the lot.”
How did your success in the automobile business translate into you getting involved in harness racing?
“Actually, it was a friend in the car business who introduced me to harness racing. He told me it was a lot of fun and suggested that we get into it together. So, we did. He was right. It has been a lot of fun. We bought a few babies together. Those first horses didn’t do all that well. But I met and became involved with a lot of great people. I had a place in Florida and we had our horses with Bruce Ranger, Terry Harper, and Milton Smith.
“I met Ed Rudner who was involved with amateur racing. He suggested that I do the same. I began by jogging my horses. That then progressed to taking part in amateur races. That wasn’t quite enough for me, so I progressed to actually taking part in regular overnight pari-mutuel races. After a few years I came to the realization that this is a young man’s game, so I hung up my colors and decided to become more of a participant as an owner and sometime breeder.”
How many harness horses do you now own?
“Considering racehorses, broodmares, and babies, I believe the total is 62. When the number gets that high and you don’t have an exact number at hand, it probably means that you have too many. The majority of my racehorses are concentrated with the Burke Brigade. We also have horses with Marcus Melander and Nancy Takter in New Jersey, Carter Pinske in Florida, and Steve Carter in Ohio.”
You have had many excellent horses, any favorites?
“One of the best horses I ever owned was the trotter Bar Hopping. What a wonderful horse he was. It was not only my loss, but a terrible loss to the breed that he passed away at such a young age. I truly believe he was on his way to becoming one of the world’s great trotting sires.
“In recent years, we had the one who is my all-time favorite, the trotter T C I. He was a truly great horse who gave it his all every time he followed the starting gate. He was an amazing colt, especially at 2, where he dominated the stakes. His win in the Mohawk Million was one for the ages. He made a break at the start and looked to be out of the race. Not only did he manage to get back on gait, but he also caught the field and won the race. I and my partners, the members of the Burke Brigade, are not the only ones who feel that way. He has been syndicated and has stood in Ohio his first two seasons including this year to full books of mares. His first foals are now arriving. I can’t wait to see them. I’ve rarely, if ever felt as confident in a horse’s chance at stud. Another excellent trotter of which I was an owner is Ready For Moni who also stands at stud in Ohio. He had his first crop of foals race at 2 last year. They did pretty darn well. He was the second leading trotting sire in Ohio, behind only In Range.
“The best pacer I’ve owned was the filly Kissin In The Sand. She was a truly remarkable filly. She earned $1,741,094 for Marvin Katz and myself. Nancy Takter is training the 2-year-old Tall Dark Stranger colt out of her that she is saying good things about.”
What interests you in addition to horses?
“I’m a big fan of both harness racing and the thoroughbreds. My wife Kelli and I attend the Kentucky Derby and the Little Brown Jug each year. In addition, we are big college sports fans, especially of basketball and football. Of course, we love going to the races, especially when we have a horse in a big race. I also enjoy fishing. As you know, we both love collecting and drinking great wine, especially the best California cabernets. We generally save the best of those to celebrate when one of our horses wins a big race.”
