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Pacer Hall of Fame - Collusion Delusion
Original article written by Erica Olson posted 2 weeks 3 days agoOne of the very newest members of the Hall of Fame is Collusion Delusion, a handsome gray Pacer stallion bred and raced by T.D. Palm and owned by Laura Ferguson. He's a third-generation Hall of Famer, with his sire Scary Edgar and grandsire Edgar both achieving the honor. On his sire Scary Edgar's side, he's one of a remarkable thirteen millionaire siblings. Each of his dam Abs Original's (Cumberbatch x City Money) twelve foals earned purse money on the track, with his brother Wire Tap earning over $600,000 and winning the Steward's Cup Juvenile Pace.
Collusion Delusion started out his career in Year 53 with a second place finish behind Chilly Billy in the Just Blaze Stakes, losing by just a neck. Deciding he needed a confidence boost, his owner sent him off to a maiden special weight after that, which he blasted open in 3 3/4 lengths. In Weeks 11 and 14, he finished second in the Wrote Down As Hot Stakes and the Out of Place Stakes, before heading down under for a big win to close out the season: a victory in the $350,000 G1 Golden Shoe Stakes over The Rain Man and That's Not Good.
Collusion Delusion's three year old season started out with a bit of luck: a stakes race named after his sire. Not surprisingly, he took home a victory in the Edgar Stakes. He followed that up with a second place finish in the G2 Meadowfields Pace and a third place in the G1 Niatross Pace, where he came in behind Always B a Titan and Mainstream. Collusion Delusion came out strong in the final two races of the Triple Crown, winning both the G1 Western Dreamer Pace (over November Moon and Maximum Securitiz) and the G1 Big Blue Bucket Stakes (over Luke Warmish and Always In It). He closed out the season with a great victory, winning the Steward's Cup Classic Pace over Luke Warmish and Gov't Shut Down.
As a four year old, Collusion Delusion headed to Australia for the second time in his career, finishing sixth in the G1 Outerdominion Final and third in the G1 Miraculous Mile. After a three-week rest, he came back to Massachusetts to race in the $800,000 G1 Masshole Mile, which he won by a neck over Bolist. He had a tough race following that, finishing fifth in the G1 Bullet Train Stakes, and in Week 13 finished a neck behind the filly Bye Girl Bye in the G3 Out The Door Stakes. His season finished strong, though, with a victory in the Steward's Cup Open Pace, his second Steward's Cup win in a row.
Collusion Delusion's five year old season was the toughest of his career. In Australia, he finished fourth in the G1 Outerdominion Final and fifth in the G1 Miraculous Mile before coming back to America to finish fifth in the G1 Masshole Mile. In Week 10, he traveled to Europe for the first and only time to race in the G2 St. Mary's Stakes, which he won. Then it was back to Australia for a win in the G2 Sydney Pacing Cup before he once again came back to America for an eight place finish in the Steward's Cup Open Pace. One wonders if he would have had a more successful season if he hadn't had the combination of a rigorous travel schedule and one high graded stakes after another.
Collusion Delusion finished with $2,033,100 in earnings and a record of 23: 10-5-2. His best speed figure was 98.
As of the time of writing (Year 67 Week 2), Collusion Delusion is 16 years old, so his progeny are still racing. So far, they have earned $2,123,000. His highest earner is the stallion Expert with $375,750.