View source for Chokin

{{Short description|New Zealand Standardbred racehorse}}
{{Infobox named horse
|horsename= Chokin
|image= Chokin at Gawler 1992.jpg
|caption=
|breed= [[Standardbred]]<ref>[http://www.harness.org.au/ausbreed/reports/performance.cfm?horse_id=366891 Pedigree]</ref>
|sire= Vance Hanover (USA)
|grandsire= [[Albatross (horse)|Albatross]] (USA)
|dam= Nell's Pride (NZ)
|damsire= Tuft (USA)
|sex= [[Gelding]]
|foaled= 19 November 1988
|death_date= 6 May 1995
|country= [[New Zealand]]
|colour= [[Bay (colour)|Bay]]
|breeder= B Hughes & A S Meadows {NZ}
|owner= Pacers Australia Syndicate, M Joyce, J Loughnan, B De Boer
|trainer= Brian Hughes<br/>Roy & Barry Purdon<br/>Bob Knight
|racerecord= 59:34-7-4
|raceearnings= NZ$1,801,685
|racewins= New Zealand Sires Stakes 2yo Final (1991)<br/>[[New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final]] (1991)<br/> South Australian Derby (1992)<br/>[[New Zealand Messenger]] (1993)<br/>Easter Cup (1993)<br/>[[New Zealand Trotting Cup]] (1993)<br/>[[New Zealand Free For All]] (1993)<br/>[[Miracle Mile Pace]] (1993 & 1994)<br/>[[Auckland Pacing Cup]] (1993 & 1994)<br/>[[Victoria Cup (harness race)|Victoria Cup]] (1994)
|awards=
|honours= NZ 2-Year Old Pacer of the Year, Pacer of the Year & Horse Of The Year 1990/91<br/>NZ 3-Year Old Pacer of the Year 1991/92<br/>NZ 4-Year Old Pacer of the Year 1992/93<br/>NZ Aged Pacer of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year 1993/94<ref>[http://www.hrnz.co.nz/ HRNZ Awards Chronicles]</ref><br/>[[New Zealand Trotting Hall of Fame]]
Best mile rate, 1:56.2
|updated=2016-01-31}}
'''Chokin''' is a [[New Zealand]] [[Standardbred]] racehorse who was notable in winning the [[New Zealand Trotting Cup]], which is New Zealand's most prestigious horse race.<ref>[http://www.newzealandatoz.com/index.php?pageid=962 New Zealand Trotting Cup winners]</ref> Chokin is also one of the few horses to have won [[Harold Park Paceway]]'s prestigious Miracle Mile Pace
twice.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.haroldpark.com.au/miraclemile/events/events.html |title=Chokin wins Miracle Mile Pace twice |access-date=2009-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913162741/http://www.haroldpark.com.au/miraclemile/events/events.html |archive-date=2009-09-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
During his 2-year-old season in 1990/91 Chokin was sold to the Pacers Australia syndicate for about $200,000 and changed trainer from Brian Hughes to Roy and Barry Purdon.<ref name="harnessnet">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070830000318/http://www.harnessnet.com.au/legends/chokin.htm Death of an Icon], www.harnessnet.com</ref> He had won 4 of 5 races before the sale. For his new owners he won the Sires Stakes Final by 4 ½ lengths in 1:56.5 which was a national record for his age. He also won the Two Year Old Championship over 2200 metres by 3 ½ lengths, again in national record time despite a rain affected track. He won 7 of 8 starts in his first season of racing, earned $205,390 and became the first two-year-old to be named [[New Zealand Horse of the Year]].<ref>Clifford T (1991), ''Australia Awaits Chokin'', The Australian Standardbred, August 1991</ref>
Early in the 1991-92 season Chokin won the Rising Stars Championship at [[Addington Raceway|Addington]] running his last 800 metres in 55.4 seconds and last 400 metres in 26.9 seconds. He also won the [[New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final]] and was undefeated in five starts in New Zealand.<ref name="cain">Cain, R (2000), ''Another 10 Miracles''</ref> Chokin was invited to contest the [[Miracle Mile Pace]] in Sydney, the first time a three-year-old had been invited. He reacted badly to the crowd and atmosphere at [[Harold Park]], galloped wildly at the start, and crashed to the track exhausted on the home turn. A start in the race was against the advice of his trainers.<ref name="harnessnet"/> He won the South Australian Pacing Derby under the care of new Australian trainer Bob Knight but then suffered a tendon injury and returned to the Purdons in New Zealand. He won 3 of 5 Australian races for the season.<ref name="cain"/>
Chokin returned to racing in January 1993 and won only one of his first four starts with 1 second and 1 third. He then won the [[New Zealand Messenger Championship]] after being wide on the track for most of the race,<ref name="harnessnet"/> the Flying Mile beating [[Christopher Vance]] and defeated [[Blossom Lady]] to win the Easter Cup. At the [[Inter Dominion]] in [[Brisbane]] he finished third and second in two of his three heats but a throat infection meant he was scratched from the final.<ref name="cain"/>
In 1993-94 Chokin won 4 of 9 New Zealand starts with 1 third placing. He won the [[New Zealand Trotting Cup]] defeating Master Musician and the [[New Zealand Free For All]] where he beat Master Musician and [[Christopher Vance]].<ref>[http://www.hof.co.nz/Timeline.asp?Case=6&ItemId=428&AlphaId=3&CategoryId=1 Addington Hall of Fame], www.hof.co.nz/timeline, Retrieved 30 January 2016</ref> In the Miracle Mile Pace Chokin led throughout to win in the slow time of 2:00 after the controversial late scratching of Jack Morris with blood trickling from his nose.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page13974504?zoomLevel=1 Chokin wins Miracle Mile] [[Canberra Times]], 27 November 1993, Retrieved 30 January 2016,</ref><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page13974553?zoomLevel=2 Trainer incensed by nosebleed scratching drama], [[Canberra Times]], 28 November 1993, Retrieved 30 January 2016</ref> He then won the Auckland Pacing Cup by 1 ¼ lengths from Franco Ice with a further 3 ½ lengths to Christopher Vance in the time of 3:59.5. It was a national record and the first time 4 minutes had been broken for 3200 metres. In Melbourne Chokin then had an effortless win in the Victoria Cup from barrier eight where he beat Blossom Lady in a mile rate of 1:57.2 for 2380 metres. After a poor 10th in the [[A G Hunter Cup]] he was found to be suffering from a virus. At Harold Park Chokin finished first, fifth and second in his heats of the 1994 [[Inter Dominion Pacing Championship]] but was scratched from the final due to illness. He was named Horse of the Year in New Zealand.<ref name="cain"/>
At age six in 1994-95 Chokin was pulled up in the [[New Zealand Trotting Cup]] after stopping to a walk. It was the most stunning loss in New Zealand harness racing history.<ref name="cain"/> Chokin was still able to receive an invitation to the Miracle Mile Pace where he won beating Bee Bee Cee and Golden Reign joining [[Village Kid (horse)|Village Kid]] and [[Westburn Grant]] as dual winners of the race.<ref>Miracle double, [[Sydney Morning Herald]], 26 November 1994</ref> At [[Alexandra Park, Auckland]], he won the Auckland Pacing Cup for a second time from a 15-metre handicap beating Victor Supreme and Master Musician. It was his fifteenth Group 1 win in 17 Group 1 starts. Chokin was then ninth in the Victoria Cup.<ref name="cain"/> In the Inter Dominion at [[Addington Raceway|Addington]], [[Christchurch]] he finished second, second and first in his heats. In the final Golden Reign beat Victor Supreme and Young Mister Charles but had to survive a 30-minute hearing after [[Blossom Lady]] suffered interference in the back straight the last time. Chokin finished fourth but was promoted to second after the original second and third finishers were disqualified after returning positive swabs.<ref>[http://www.harness.org.au/inter/1995p_chr.htm 1995 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Series], Harness Racing Australia, Retrieved 31 January 2016</ref>
Notable performances by Chokin include:
* 1994 [[Auckland Pacing Cup]]
* 1994 [[Miracle Mile Pace]]
* 1994 [[Victoria Cup (harness race)|Victoria Cup]]
* 1993 [[Auckland Pacing Cup]]
* 1993 [[Miracle Mile Pace]]
* 1993 [[New Zealand Trotting Cup]]
* 1993 [[New Zealand Messenger Championship]]
* 1991 [[New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final]]
* 1991 New Zealand Sires Stakes 2yo Final
* 1991 New Zealand 2yo Championship
Chokin died in May 1995 after suffering paralysis as a result of a stroke.<ref name="harnessnet"/>
==See also==
* [[Harness racing]]
* [[Harness racing in New Zealand]]
==Reference list==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:1988 racehorse births]]
[[Category:1995 racehorse deaths]]
[[Category:Inter Dominion winners]]
[[Category:Miracle Mile winners]]
[[Category:Auckland Pacing Cup winners]]
[[Category:New Zealand standardbred racehorses]]