Feature Race | Auction | Breeding | General | Hall of Fame | Harness | Interviews | Mixed Breed | New Players | Racing | Site Updates | Steeplechasing | Steward's Cup | Triple Crown

Hall of Fame Profile: Cash Money Honey

Original article written by Dan Kauffman posted 8 years 1 week ago

The SIM's all-time winningest Standardbred-Trotter (by race earnings) certainly had an appropriate name.

Cash Money Honey was bred by Abe Froman during Year 26. His sire, Cash Call, was one of the SIM's greatest Standardbred-Trotters both on the track (11-for-11, Steward's Crown Classic Trot, The Emotonian and Steward's Crown Juvenile Trot championships, Trotter Horse of the Year, Trotter Champion Three Year Old Male and Trotter Champion Two Year Old Male honors, the all-time best speed figure of 91 and world-record time of 1:53.20) and in the shed (progeny earnings of more than $10 million, one of nine studs to reach eight figures). He waltzed into the Hall of Fame as a no-brainer selection.

The dam was My One Honey, who herself had a quality racing career capped by a Steward's Crown Oaks Trot championship. She finished 6-for-11, winning two other major titles in her 3-year-old season (The Emo Mile and the Meadowfields Debutante), in which she was named Trotter Champion Three Year Old Female.

Cash Money Honey was bred for greatness, but that doesn't always guarantee greatness: Full brother Cash Cow, who was born a year later, was a flop with just three wins -- a maiden claiming, NW2 and NW3 -- in 20 starts for earnings of just under $35,000.

However, Cash Money Honey had the goods, which she would prove again and again on the only track she ever ran on, the storied Meadowfields in New Jersey.

Froman wasted no time giving his prized juvenile a stern test, entering her in the New Jersey Juvenile Fillies Trot in Year 28, Week 9. The nine-horse field included Bank Robbing (a future Meadowfields Debutante winner who would be a regular challenger to Cash Money Honey) and future stakes winner Victoria Bitter. Cash Money Honey built a lead of more than two lengths with two furlongs left, then held off the charges of Bank Robbing and Junebug Vermeer down the stretch to open her career in style.

Her second outing -- the Nevele Pride Trot for juvenile fillies two weeks later -- did not go as well. Cash Money Honey built a lead of more than five lengths at the half, and was still up by more than two with two furlongs left. This time, Mary's Got Cash -- another Cash Call product -- and Bank Robbing surged to the front down the stretch, with Mary's Got Cash scoring her only stakes win by a head over Bank Robbing, who was a quarter-length in front of Cash Money Honey. With two straight fading finishes (even though the first was in a victory), questions started to surface.

They wouldn't last long.

Two weeks later, Cash Money Honey took on five others in the Jazz Cosmos Trot for juvenile fillies, with Bank Robbing and Mary's Got Cash also in the field. Instead of pushing the pace too hard too early, Cash Money Honey saved something while running up front with Freaky Business, who was coming off a victory in the Miss October Stakes at Canada's Chariot Expo. Freaky Business fell off the pace over the final half, Mary's Got Cash didn't have it this time, and although Bank Robbing made her customary late run, Cash Money Honey's smarter start helped her finish a half-length in front at the wire.

With two stakes wins in three starts, Cash Money Honey was ready for her biggest test to date in the Grade 1, $500,000 Steward's Crown Juvenile Fillies Trot. The nine-horse field was a familiar one, with Bank Robbing, Mary's Got Cash and Freaky Business also looking for the title. It played out much like the Jazz Cosmos, with Freaky Business and Cash Money Honey setting the pace early, Freaky Business falling away and Bank Robbing and Mary's Got Cash lighting up the track down the stretch. However, with two furlongs to go, Bank Robbing had more than three lengths to make up and Mary's Got Cash was six lengths back and second-to-last. That was too much ground to cover, as Cash Money Honey crossed the wire a half-length in front of Bank Robbing, who was a quarter-length ahead of Mary's Got Cash. With the win, Cash Money Honey secured Trotter Champion Two Year Old Female honors.

That was just a warm-up. Cash Money Honey was about to embark on arguably the greatest year ever enjoyed by a Standardbred-Trotter: Eight stakes races, eight victories -- one every two weeks -- with a consistency unmatched.

Cash Money Honey opened her 3-year-old season in Year 29, Week 2 with the New Jersey Ladies Trot. The five-horse field included Mary's Got Cash -- who did her typical late-charging thing -- as well as future stakes winners Mack's Gin and Hite. But they were all fighting for second, as Cash Money Honey had a five-length lead with two furlongs left and easily held off Mary's Got Cash, who finished second almost two lengths back (she did make up more than six lengths in those final two furlongs, but when you're coming from eight back, that's not going to get it done!).

Up next was the Bon Voyage Stakes, and it was Cash Money Honey's first test on a non-fast track -- a persistent drizzle left the track in only good condition. It wound up being a non-factor. In addition to some usual suspects (Mack's Gin, Mary's Got Cash, Bank Robbing, Hite), a new challenger came onto the scene in Veiled Secret, who was 3-for-3 with a Grade 3 Next Step Stakes win to cap her juvenile season. She was willing to run with Cash Money Honey, staying within a half-length through the first six furlongs. But over the final two furlongs, Cash Money Honey had more in the tank and hit the wire more than a length in front.

Up next was the Yankee Oaks, featuring a six-horse field that included Mary's Got Cash, Bank Robbing and Veiled Secret. Once again, Cash Money Honey and Veiled Secret set the pace up front, setting up a wild finish. Mary's Got Cash unleashed another ferocious stretch run, making up five lengths over the final two furlongs, but came up a nose short as Cash Money Honey won in a photo finish to make it five straight wins and 6 of 7. The top four all were within a length, with Bank Robbing third and Veiled Secret fading to fourth.

The first half of Year 29 came to a conclusion with the Grade 1, $500,000 Emotonian -- Cash Money Honey's first test against the boys. The seven-horse field included Dreams of Cash (another Cash Call product who was the previous year's Steward's Crown Juvenile Trot and Trotter Champion Two Year Old Male winner and on a four-race winning streak) and stakes winners Flyin Acceso and Midnight Shift. It was hyped as a battle of the sexes between Cash Money Honey and Dreams of Cash, and that's exactly what it was, as they locked up at the front from the start. Cash Money Honey led by a neck at the half pole, then started slowly opening the lead all the way to the wire for a convincing win by more than a length.

Cash Money Honey took on the boys again two weeks later in the Grade 1 Meadowfields Futurity. Dreams of Cash had hopes of turning the tables in the rematch, but instead faded to fourth. Tanqueray and Guns, a gelding who had been purchased in a claimer earlier in the year, made a charge from about six lengths back over the final two furlongs looking for a huge upset, but Cash Money Honey held him off by half a length for her seventh straight win, with Flyin Acceso third.

Two weeks later, Cash Money Honey sought her third straight Grade 1 victory against the boys in the American Trotting Derby. The six-horse field included Flyin Acceso and future stakes winner Food for Cantab, but neither threatened as they finished fourth and fifth. Cash Money Honey and Paradise Prince set the early pace before Cash Money Honey pulled away from the longshot, then held off a late rally by another longshot, I Got This II, to make it eight straight wins.

She headed back to fillies-only competition for the final two races of the year (as well as the rest of her career). Week 14 brought a new challenge: A sloppy track. The SC Prep Stakes also featured a new challenger in Sheza Tornado, a future stakes winner coming off NW3 and NW4 victories her previous two races. She ran neck-and-neck with Cash Money Honey until the half pole, when Cash Money Honey pulled out to a lead of more than a length. Sheza Tornado showed some fight late, but Cash Money Honey got to the wire a half-length in front to keep her winning streak alive.

That set the stage for the Steward's Cup Oaks Trot, where seven challengers -- all of them familiar foes -- sought to upset Cash Money Honey and end her nine-race run. Cash Money Honey laid down the challenge in the first two furlongs, opening a lead of almost a length on Freaky Business and Veiled Secret. Freaky Business and Sheza Tornado cut the lead down to a quarter-length at the half, but Cash Money Honey kicked into gear and pulled away to a lead of 1 1/2 lengths with two furlongs to go. Bank Robbing once again unloaded a ferocious stretch drive, coming from four lengths back to make her challenge, but it was too late as Cash Money Honey capped her unbeaten year with a half-length victory.

In all, Cash Money Honey went 8-for-8 in Year 29 -- all of them stakes races, including four Grade 1s, three of them in open company. She earned a whopping $950,000 in Year 29 alone, running away with Trotter Horse of the Year and Trotter Champion Three Year Old Female honors. What could Cash Money Honey do for an encore in Year 30? And how long would the winning streak, now at 10 races, stretch?

Cash Money Honey opened her 4-year-old season in the New Jersey Monarch Trot and impressively extended her winning streak to 11 straight by dismissing four challengers. Steady Cash -- another Cash Call product and two-time stakes winner -- battled the favorite early, but Cash Money Honey pulled away over the second half to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Next up was the Continentalvictory Stakes, and it would prove to be a sensational battle -- one of the toughest races of Cash Money Honey's career. After an early battle with Freaky Business, Cash Money Honey had a lead of three-quarters of a length at the half pole, with the other six challengers all at least 3 1/2 more lengths back. Freaky Business dug deep and cut the lead to a quarter-length with two furlong. However, Bank Robbing (two lengths back with two to go) and Mack's Gin (2 1/2 back) unleashed their runs for a wild finish. Cash Money Honey barely held on by a head to beat Bank Robbing for her 12th straight win, with Mack's Gin another neck back in third.

Cash Money Honey went for 13 in a row in the Yankee Ladies Mile, with five familiar challengers taking the starting gate. It followed familiar patterns, with Cash Money Honey taking a lead of almost two lengths early and remaining in control into the final two furlongs, where Bank Robbing (three back) made her upset bid. While it once again was close, the late charge was a little too late as Cash Money Honey won by a neck to make it a baker's dozen.

The five-horse field for the Kick It Up a Notch Stakes brought some new challengers to test Cash Money Honey, including stakes winner Gray Arrow. In reality, most of the top horses had had enough of getting beat and either retired (Bank Robbing) or entered other races (mainly the Meadowfields Distaff). Cash Money Honey was briefly challenged early by longshot Missed the Rocks, but pulled away to win by almost three lengths for her 14th straight.

In Week 10, Cash Money Honey faced five challengers -- none of them stakes winners -- in the Grade 3 Alone With You Stakes. She was a massive favorite for good reason and rolled to a 3 1/2-length victory, her 15th in a row.

It was more of the same two weeks later in the Grade 2 My One Honey Stakes. The top challenger in the six-horse field was the familiar Victoria Bitter, who was a non-factor on this day (finishing fourth) as Cash Money Honey stretched her streak to 16 with a three-length victory.

In Week 14, Cash Money Honey went for 17 in a row in the Grade 3 Roquepine Stakes, which drew a larger-than-usual and very strong nine-horse field. It included two superb 3-year-olds in three-time stakes winner Diamonds N Gold (the Meadowfields Debutante champion four weeks earlier) and Rock Creek Road (a two-time stakes winner who won the Grade 1 American Trotting Derby two weeks earlier), in addition to three-time stakes winner Malable Contestant and familiar foes Cash Tree, Victoria Bitter, Mack's Gin and Gray Arrow.

Unexpectedly, Cash Money Honey blasted out to a lead of more than six lengths at the half-pole -- drawing unhappy flashbacks to her only loss, in her second career outing. By the quarter pole, her lead was down to 1 1/2 lengths and shrinking as Rock Creek Road and Cash Tree bore down. But it was Diamonds N Gold -- who was 11 lengths behind at the half pole -- who came charging with a kick no other could match, scoring the victory by a half-length and ending Cash Money Honey's streak. Rock Creek Road edged Cash Tree by a neck for second, with Cash Money Honey another neck back in fourth and off the board for the first and only time in her career.

Humbled but not humiliated, Cash Money Honey made amends in her final race, the Steward's Cup Distaff Trot. Driver Stacy Fox intentionally held Cash Money Honey back for the first two furlongs as Sheza Tornado took a lead of more than two lengths, and then turned her loose. She claimed the lead at the half pole, pulled away to an advantage of more than a length at the quarter pole and held it to the wire to cap her astonishing career in style.

Cash Money Honey was 18-for-20 in her career, with her $1,842,000 in earnings the most ever by a Standardbred-Trotter -- leading Reserves (a two-time Steward's Cup and Trotter Champion Older Female winner who also was a Trotter Champion Three Year Old Female and Trotter Champion Two Year Old Female) by $6,000. Her 18 career stakes wins is tied with Reserves for second, trailing only The Sneaky One's 20 (and The Sneaky One, a gelding, needed 58 races to get there).


Back to Hall of Fame articles

Copyright © 2024 SIMHorseRacing.com | Legal