by Garnet Barnsdale

There aren’t many harness-related tweets that get retweeted 100 times, liked 452 times and that generate 84 comments.

But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday night when a horse who won a routine non-winners of $1,500 in the last four starts decided that he wasn’t finished when the race ended. The fun on Twitter began when track announcer Gabe Prewitt tweeted a snippet of video showing the horse in question – Command The Fire – circling the track with Prewitt describing the action for the patrons (see tweet here).

“Command The Fire, he just won the fifth race and he refuses to leave the track, he’s picking up speed again,” Prewitt began.

“As you can see it’s post time for the next race,” Prewitt announced as Command The Fire trotted past the grandstand going the wrong way at a fast clip. “We cannot post parade because Command The Fire will not leave the track. He’s approaching the paddock once more, and he’s picking up speed…and…he’s not leaving the track again.”

This was already 10 minutes past the race that the four-year-old C R Commando gelding had won in 1:57.4 for driver Aaron Byron. It was the ninth win of the year for the gelded son of the Donerail dam Winbak Flame for owner/trainer Stanley Whittamore of Maine.
Some of the tweets were amusing and here is just a small sample:

• “Should just run him two heats, helps with field size” – @theedwardrose

• He’s still taking victory laps” – @horseuuman

• “45 years of following standardbred racing and have never seen this before.” – @MartyBrink

• That’s a new one. Should be a lock next week with that work ethic.”-@BrianThompsonWx

• “Did he pose for the photo?” – @brooklyncowboy1

“No shot! Wanted no part of winners circle either haha” – @gabe_prewitt

“Vox Populi winner for next year.” – @brooklyncowboy1

“I’d vote for him.” – @SecTizHorse

Prewitt was asked if there was an outrider at the track and he replied that the outrider had made a couple of attempts to catch the defiant Command The Fire and he was having none of it. But all’s well that ends well and he eventually gave up and went somewhat quietly, but not before creating a midweek Twitter buzz.