Chip Chip Hooray wins the 2002 Hambletonian.

Driver Eric Ledford (from left), owner Neal Goldman, trainer Chuck Sylvester and breeder John Cashman celebrate Chip Chip Hooray's victory in the 2002 Hambletonian Stake.

Chip Chip Hooray

Sex, Age: Colt, 1999
Breed: Standardbred
Discipline: Harness Racing
Stabled In: Chesterfield, New Jersey
Owner: Chuck Sylvester, Neal Goldman, Michael Prakas, Wingedfoot Farms
Trainer: Chuck Sylvester
Veterinarian: Dr. Stephen Dey

On August 3, 2002, a small, Kentucky-bred colt made a big move in New Jersey to defeat a field of the country's best trotters and win the most celebrated prize in harness racing, the Hambletonian Stake. At barely 15 hands, Chip Chip Hooray looked like a pony next to odds on favorite, Andover Hall, standing at nearly 16.2 hands.

But as he came out of the final turn and started down the backstretch, the pint-sized colt sped past his larger rivals and didn't slow down until he reached the winner's circle at the famed Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford. Despite being outsized by his opponents, the game three-year-old trotted off with the biggest paycheck the sport has to offer - $500,000.

The victory marked the fourth time a horse trained by Chuck Sylvester has won the crown jewel of harness racing. "Chip Chip Hooray is a very small horse," said the Hall of Fame trainer. "But he's very fast and he always thinks he can win." According to Sylvester, what Chip Chip Hooray lacks in size, he more than makes up for in heart. "He really has the heart of a giant and always wants to hit the wire first," he said.

Sylvester credits much of Chip Chip Hooray's success to good health and the fact that he no longer suffers from stomach ulcers, which were discovered during an examination at The Red Mile in September 2001.

"It was last year when we first noticed that something wasn't right," Sylvester said. "He was racing as a two-year-old in the fall meet in Lexington. At first, he just wasn't racing well. Then he started losing his appetite and coughing a little. He was sluggish and hanging his head, just not being himself."

Sylvester said that while it was obvious there was a problem with Chip Chip Hooray, he hadn't been able to put his finger on it until Dr. Rick Mathers decided to use an endoscope to examine the colt's stomach. That effectively solved the mystery for Sylvester.

"His stomach was just full of ulcers," he said. "It's no wonder he couldn't race. I think he was in pain just standing in the stall. That's really a testament to how tough he is, because the ulcers must have been there well before he actually started showing any signs or symptoms."

Dr. Mathers prescribed a 28-day treatment of GASTROGARD® (omeprazole) and within a matter of days, the colt began to show signs of improvement. "That really turned him around in a hurry," said Sylvester. "His appetite came back and you could just see that he was feeling much better." Chip Chip Hooray recovered quickly enough to win two races at the fall meet.

Following the recommendation of his veterinarian, Sylvester has kept his "little big horse" on a maintenance dose of GASTROGARD ever since his ulcers were healed in Lexington. He's certain that without treatment to prevent the ulcers from coming back, the colt never would have made it through the Hambletonian elimination races, much less have the opportunity to race against the "big" horses for the most lauded title in harness racing.

And after seeing what GASTROGARD has done for Chip Chip Hooray, Sylvester keeps most of his training horses on a maintenance dose of the anti-ulcer medication as well. "As soon as we start jogging them, they go right on GASTROGARD because I don't want to take any chances," said Sylvester. "It just makes sense to protect your investment. We bought Chip Chip Hooray at Tattersalls for $20,000. His career earnings are well over $1,000,000 and now he's the toast of the town. That just wouldn't have been possible without GASTROGARD."