Memorable Moments In Harness Racing Part 3

Aug 28, 1959: Bye Bye Byrd set a 1:57.4 world record at Roosevelt Raceway.

July 26, 1974: Handle With Care had her win streak stopped at 24 by Joanna’s Time in the Bronx Filly Pace.

Sep 18, 1963: Ayres, a two-year-old Star’s Pride colt, won by eighteen lengths in world record time of 2:00.1 in the first heat of a Grand Circuit stakes race at Delaware, Ohio for John Simpson.

Aug 3, 1978: The Meadowlands experienced an all-time high handle for harness racing--$3,288,654 for ten races. Attendance was 27,965.

Sep 18, 1980: Niatross won the Jug in straight heats, setting a new world record of 1:54.4 for a pacer on a half. His combined time of 3:49.4 also set a new world record. At that point Niatross had won 16 of 18 for the year and 29 of 31 lifetime.

Aug 16, 1993: Cambest TT in a world record 1:46.1 at Springfield, Ill for Bill O’Donnell.

Nov 4, 2004: Armstrong Brothers stock was dispersed at Harrisburg.

Oct 9, 1964: Ayres clinched the Triple Crown with a straight heat win in the Kentucky Futurity.

Aug 4, 1978: Speedy Somolli set a world record of 1:58.1 in an invitational at The Meadows.

July 11, 1980: Niatross broke stride in his Meadowlands Pace elimination, but after coming to a stop he regained his composure and finished fourth, making the final.

Sep 19, 1972: Albatross raced three unexceptional mares for a purse of $2,000 at the Delaware, Ohio fairgrounds, as Stanley Dancer aimed for Bret’s 1:57 mark, which was set on that same track. Super Bird made his own mile of 28.3, 58, 1:26.4 and 1:55.3, breaking the record and winning the so called race by 30 lengths.

Aug 9, 1975: Silk Stockings won her twelfth in a row over Tarport Hap in the Adioo Volo at The Meadows. World record 1:57.2 from the 11 post.

Dec 13, 1978: Stars Pride died at Hanover Shoe Farms.

Jan 25, 1980: Peter Haughton died in an automobile accident at age 25.

Sep 19, 1963: Overtrick set several world records as he won the Little Brown Jug in straight heats for John Patterson. He beat Meadow Skipper in the first heat in 1:57.1 and Country Don in the second in 1:57.3.

Aug 17, 1957: New world records for harness racing attendance and betting were established at Roosevelt Raceway as more than 50,000 fans bet almost $2.4 million. More than $160,000 was bet on the daily double alone.

June 22, 1996: Four-year-old Jenna’s Beach Boy won at the Meadowlands in a world record 1:47.3 for Bill Fahy.

July 20, 1951: Proximity was retired in a ceremony at Roosevelt Raceway.

May 27, 1990: Mack Lobell won the Elitlopp for the second time.

April 13, 1978: Bea Farber beat Jack Bailey in the “Battle of the Sexes” at Vernon Downs.

Aug 20, 1960: a record crowd of 54, 861 attended the races at Roosevelt Raceway.

Aug 31, 1966: Frank Ervin’s filly, Kerry Way, won the Hambletonian in straight heats of 1:58.4 and 1:59.3, breaking Elaine Rodney’s world record for elapsed time by a filly.

Jan 6, 1954: Volomite died at Walnut Hall Farm at age 28.

July 9, 1966: Armbro Flight won the Roosevelt International for Joe O’Brien over Roquepine and Noble Victory.

Aug 16, 1975: Wayne Eden, the fractious trotter who won the largest purse of any New York bred trotter ever when he upset Colonial Charm and MacArthur in the Realization Trot at Roosevelt Raceway, was kidnapped from his stall at the Tuscan Spa in Italy in the middle of the night. He was found wandering on a beach Sept 9.

July 19, 1983: Dancer’s Crown died after surgery.

Sept 26, 1974: Colonial Charm became the fastest trotting mare ever when she beat Dream Of Glory and Geranium in the Transylvania in 1:56.1.

Aug 16, 1958: On a picture perfect summer night Yonkers Raceway played host to a record turnout of a shade under 41,000 fans.

Sept 27, 1978: Sonsam turned in the second fastest mile ever by a 2-year-old at the Red Mile for George Sholty—1:54.2.

Aug 15, 1975: Silk Stockings paced the second fastest mile of the year when she won at Syracuse in 1:55.2.

March 14, 2013: Rocknroll Hanover was euthanized after complications from a gastric impaction.

Aug 30, 1972: Super Bowl won the Hambletonion in straight heats and trotted the fastest heat ever in the race—1:56.2—which topped Ayres’ record.

June 30, 1961: Adios Butler equaled the track record of 1:57.4 at Roosevelt Raceway, which was also the world record.

Nov 14, 2000: Abercrombie died at Castleton Farm at age 25.

Oct 30, 1964: Bret Hanover completed a perfect 24 for 24 freshman campaign by winning the Sheppard at Yonkers Raceway.

Aug 19, 1972: Horses hitched to a single shaft sulky won five races at Monticello Raceway even though only ten horses on the card used the bike. Two races had none, so horses pulling the shaft won five of the eight races they were used in.

March 5, 1966: USTA announced that Adios, who led the earning’s list the previous nine years, had been eclipsed by Gene Abbe in 1965.

Aug 19, 1965: Adios Vic, driven by Jim Dennis, ended Bret Hanover's thirty-five race win streak, when he beat him in the first heat of the Review Futurity at Springfield, Ill. The time of the mile was 2:00. Bret did redeem himself to a degree by winning the second heat.

June 30, 1951: Hall of Fame of the Trotter opened in Goshen, NY.

Sept 27, 1972: 2-year-old Ricci Reenie Time set a world record in the second heat of the Meadow Lands Pace at the Red Mile for Harold Dancer Jr—1:56.1. Fastest two heats ever by a freshman—two seconds faster than Bullet.

Aug 16, 1985: Grade One won the Wilson for Ray Remmen, paying $100. His win price was second only to that of Land Grant who paid $142 when he won.

Aug 21, 1991: After winning the Shalee in world record time of 1:51:1, Miss Easy became the sport’s richest filly, with earnings of more than $1.5 million.

July 2, 2009: Snow White died after surgery to alleviate colic.

Aug 26, 1961: Su Mac Lad became the all-time earnings leader for trotters when the 7-year-old gelding won the Volo Song at Yonkers Raceway.

Aug 29, 1967: Nevele Pride trotted the fastest mile ever by a two-year-old in the second heat of the Castleton Farm Stake at DuQuoin for Stanley Dancer. The 1:58:4 mile beat the 2:00 record shared by Scott Frost and Noble Victory.

Aug 30, 1983: Upon winning the Prix d’Ete at Blue Bonnets, Ralph Hanover became the top grossing harness horse for a single season ever--$1,486,638. Ralph, who was syndicated for $7 million, was retired to Almahurst Farm after the season ended where he embarked on a career as a super sire—not really.

Aug 3, 1985: Nililator set a record for the fastest mile in a competitive race—1:49.3—in a $50,000 invitational at the Meadowlands.

July 8, 1995: CR Kay Suzie equaled Moni Maker’s world record for a three-year-old filly trotter on a half when she won the Yonkers Trot by 7 lengths in 1:56.

Aug 26, 2007: Western Hanover died at Hanover Shoe Farms at age 18.

Sept 27, 1963: Speedy Scot set a world record 1:56.4 at the Red Mile.

July 28, 2001: Varenne won the Breeders Crown Open in a world record 1:51.1 at the Meadowlands.

July 17, 2004: Holborn Hanover won the Meadowlands Pace at 58/1.

Aug 7: 1999: Self Possessed becomes the sport’s first sub-1:52 colt with a 1:51.3 Hambletonion win.

Sept 20, 1984: Fancy Crown set a world record for a female trotter on a half at Delaware, Ohio for Billy O—1:57.1.

Joe FitzGerald