Little Has Big Shoes to Fill

By Christie DeBernardis 
    Centennial Farms president Don Little Jr. and his horse Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) both have big shoes to fill in today’s GI Belmont S. For Little, the shoes belong to his father Don Little Sr., who founded Centennial Farms in 1982 in an effort to give more people an opportunity to own quality racehorses. 
    “Partnerships were very, very popular investment vehicles for tax purposes and he thought it was an opportunity to set up Centennial, get involved in the upper echelons of horse racing and get together with some buddies from Wall Street,” Little said. “He started Centennial really just as a fun side business and here it is 32 years later and it’s a full fledged company.” 
    Little joined his father’s company part time in 1987, while continuing to pursue a career in professional polo. He became a full time member of Centennial Farms by 1989 and took over as president in 1990 with his father as the chairman. 
    “[My father] slowly stepped back over a 10 year period,” the younger Little said. “He stopped coming to the sales and stopped being directly involved with the purchase of horses. He still was involved up until the day he died [in 2012]. He stopped by the office once a week.” 
    Just three years after Little became president, Centennial Farms captured the 1993 Belmont with 13-1 shot Colonial Affair. The colt was their first entry in a Triple Crown event and his pilot Julie Krone made history by becoming the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race. 
    “We really had mapped out a plan for him strictly for the Belmont,” Little remarked. “We could have tried the [GI Kentucky] Derby, but right from day one [trainer] Scotty Schulhofer and Dr. Steve Carr, who is still with us today, mapped out a plan to get to the Belmont, which was two allowance races, the [GII] Peter Pan [S.] and the Belmont. We were second in the Peter Pan and everything was shaping up nicely. I’d never seen Scotty more confident in a horse than he was in Colonial Affair.” 
    Little reminisced, “I got the partners seated in the boxes and I actually left, not the facility, but I left the group and went to my own corner, and slowly made my way back to the box area as [Colonial Affair] made his way down the stretch. I was standing near an exit just in case. It was great and I will never forget my father with his long hair blowing in the rain saying that the sun was shining on the Big Apple.” 
    Colonial Affair and Wicked Strong have several differences as far as appearance and personality, but Little feels the same confidence in Wicked Strong that he felt back in 1993. 
    “Colonial Affair was a bit more docile than Wicked Strong is,” he commented. “He was a much bigger rangier horse. He didn’t really exert any extra energy unless he needed to. Wicked Strong is a little bit smaller, more refined and a little feistier. But, I am getting that same kind of feeling being at the barn the last few days watching him train.” 
    While Wicked Strong is Centennial Farm’s fourth Belmont entry, he would be just their second winner in a Triple Crown race if he gets the job done today. Little has been with his GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial every morning this week and is excited about their chances. 
    “He is very, very comfortable being back home” Little said. “I do have to say I have a little bit more confidence in the home field advantage. We are pretty confident going into this. Its going to take a huge effort on his behalf to upset California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), but I think if we have a shot, now would be the time to have it because of the way he is doing right now.” 
    After losing his father two years ago, a second Belmont victory would have extra meaning for Little. 
“It would be great having the sons of two men that were very successful in this business follow in their footsteps,” Little said, referring to his trainer Jimmy Jerkens, son of conditioner Allen Jerkens. “Everyone says we have big shoes to fill and I think if you asked Jimmy the same question he would say this as well. We have got shoes of our own and they may not be as big, but they are pretty close to full.” 
    Little continued, “Winning the Belmont for the second time for Centennial would be a great honor. Without my father, we wouldn’t be here and I think it’s a great honor to represent that, continue on his legacy and tweek it a little bit from his original plan. It will be emotional, it will definitely be emotional.” 
    Wicked Strong was selected as the 6-1 second choice on the morning line today and will break from post nine in this 11-horse affair.