Cams Card Shark (1991-2020) is an American champion

standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing where they compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodline ...

horse. His sire (father) was Cam Fella, who earned more than $2 million during his racing career, and his dam (mother) was Jef's Magic Trick, who only earned $28,340 during her career. He was named the 1994 American Horse of the Year by the

United States Trotting Association The United States Trotting Association (USTA), headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is the governing body for the sport of harness racing in the United States. It licenses drivers and trainers; trains racing officials; makes the rules of racing; mainta ...

and held the then-record of most money earned by a Standardbred horse in a single year. During his two years of competition until his retirement in 1994, Cam's Card Shark had 20 wins, earning more than $2.4 million.

Early life

Racing career

As a 2-Year Old in 1993 Cam's Card Shark won the Lou Babic Memorial and five of his fourteen starts., The Harness Edge, Retrieved 6 February 2016 In 1994 Cam's Card Shark won 15 of 18 starts. He won the Meadowlands Pace in 1:50 and also secured wins in the

North America Cup The North America Cup is an annual harness racing event for 3-year-old standardbred pacing horses which is held at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario, Canada. The race replaced the Queen City Pace run from 1964 to 1983. From 1984 t ...

, Berry's Creek,

Messenger Stakes The Messenger Stakes is an American harness racing event for 3-year-old pacing horses. It was organized in 1956 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York (on suburban Long Island) to join with the Cane Pace and the Little Brown Jug to creat ...

, New Jersey Classic, the

Adios Pace The Adios Pace is a horse race for three-year-old Standardbred colts and geldings run annually since 1967 at a distance of one mile at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, Meadows Racetrack in North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania. Historical race ev ...

, James B. Dancer Memorial, Art Rooney Pace and the Miller Memorial. The Messenger was the first leg of the Triple Crown in 1994 and Cam's Card Shark won in a stakes record 1:51. He then won the Meadowlands Pace in 1:50. In the Adios Pace he won by 3 1/4 lengths running his last half mile in 54 1/5 seconds. Before the elimination to the Little Brown Jug Cam's Card Shark was scratched for lameness and never raced again. He had become the leading single-season money-winner of all time, earning $2,264,714 from 18 starts in 1994 with 15 wins. He was the fourth pacer in the history of harness racing to earn more than $2 million in one season. Cam's Card Shark was voted

Harness Horse of the Year The Harness Horse of the Year is an honor recognizing the top harness racing horse in the United States. The award is selected by the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), which issues the annual Dan Patch Award, Dan Patch Awards. T ...

for 1994.

Retirement

Cam's Card Shark was elected to the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

. At the time of his election he had sired the winners of $68 million including five $2m winners.Cam's Card Shark retired
Standardbred Canada, Retrieved 7 February 2016 His progeny include Holborn Hanover who has the fastest race mile in history, three Little Brown Jug winners including

Bettor's Delight Bettor's Delight is a former champion American Standardbred race-horse and one of the World's greatest stud stallions. Bettor's Delight was foaled on 4 May 1998 and bred by Winbak Farm of Chesapeake City, Maryland. He was purchased for $65,000 ...

and other renown horses including Royalflush Hanover, Four Starzzz Shark, Million Dollar Cam and Shark Gesture. His son Bettor's Delight has extended the sire line that began through Meadow Skipper and his son

Most Happy Fella Most Happy Fella (1967–1983) was a bay Standardbred horse by Meadow Skipper. He was voted Pacer of the Year in the United States in 1970 when he won the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. Racing career As a two-year-old in 1969, Mos ...

. In April 2012, Cam's Card Shark had to get scrotal hernia surgery, and part of his

testicle A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is Homology (biology), homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of Androgen, androgens, p ...

and his

small intestine The small intestine or small bowel is an organ (anatomy), organ in the human gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal tract where most of the #Absorption, absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intes ...

had to be removed. Cam's Card Shark died in July 2020.Cam's Card Shark dies at age 29
The Horseman And Fair World, 3 July 2020

Early life

Racing career

Retirement

Pedigree

References

Further reading