Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Horse of the Month
for February 2008

Niatross

by Albatross-Niagra Dream-By Bye Byrd
Bay horse, foaled March 30, 1977, died June 7, 1999
p, 2, 1:55.4; 3, T1:49.1 $2,019,213)
Owned, trained & driven by Clint Galbraith

Niatross in action at Delaware, Ohio

Considered to be one of the top Standardbreds of all time, Niatross set a new standard in harness racing. The son of Albatross--trained by co-owner Clint Galbraith--was unbeaten in 13 starts in his two-year-old season, winning so impressively that he was named "Horse of the Year." He also brought home $604,900 for his connectins, pacing in 1:55.4 after winning such races as the Woodrow Wilson Pace, the Kentucky Pacing Derby, and the Internatinal Stallion Stakes, among others.

In 1980, Niatross won of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers the Cane, the Messenger, and the Little Bron Jug) and obliterated the world record by three full seconds, setting an astonishing mark of 1:49.1 at Lexington's "Red Mile." He aso won the Meadowlands Pace, the Prix d'Ete, the Reynolds Memorial, the Battle of Brandywine, the American Pacing Classic, the liver Wendell Holmes, the Gaines Memorial, the Hanover, the Dancer, the Batavia Colt Stakes, and the Hanover. That season he won $1,414,313, and wrapped up a successful sophomore season of 24 wins in 26 starts.

During his racing career, Niatross won 37 of 38 races and over $2 million in earnings.

                                                            Niatross

Niatross' only two strange losses came in back-to-back starts. The first came at Saratoga, when the pacer mysteriously made a break in the stretch and flipped over the low hub-rail, only to emerge unscathed. In his next start, the elimination for the Meadowland's Pace, he made a break and barely came back to make it into the final, which he subsequently won.

Niatross has long been heralded as the horse that broke the 1:50 barrier, when he did in a Time Trial effot at the Red Mile, pacing in 1:49.1. for Galbraith.

When Niatross retired to stud at Castleton Farm in 1981, he did so as the richest Standardbred horse in history. He had been named Harness Horse of the Year in 1979 and 1980, the New York Post Athlete of the Year in 1980, and Harness Horse of the Decade for the 1980s.

Niatross was without question Albatross' most successful son. After spending two years in Kentucky at Castleton, Niatross was moved to Pine Hollow Stud in New York by the syndicate that owned him. That first crop of babies proved to be one of Niatross' best, as it produced Nihilator p, 3, 1:49.3 $3,225,653) and Pershing Square p, 3, 1:52.3 $812,277), while his second crop dropped standouts Barberry Spur p, 3, T1:50.2, $1.6 million and Masquerade p, 3, T1:53,$598,542, among others. The move to New York, however, proved to be nothing less than disasterous for the great pacer. He never again produced a major stakes-winning colt performer after the move. As it stood, ten of Niatross' 15 top money earners came from those first two crops.

In 1996, when he was 19 years old, Niatross made a 20-city tour for his fans in Canada and the United States, and one year later was inducted as a member of the Living Horse Hall of Fame.

In May of 1999 Niatross became ill and was transported to the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center where he was diagnosed with a large cancerous mass in his abdomen. He was later humanely destroyed.

Niatross' Career Record, Start by Start
Age 2 (1979)
Date Track   Purse Race cd        Frac Times of Race           Niatross' Position
6-5    VD q    Qua ft                         28.3 1:01.2 1:32.1 2:02.1    2 3 1° 1 1-1½ 1-3
6-13   VD q    Qua ft                        30.4 1.02.1 l:33.1 2:04.1      2 1 1 1 1–4 l–15
6-22 VD q    250 Baby Race ft          29 1.01.1 1:31.2 2:02.3       1 1 1 2 2-1¾ 1-3
7-2    VD q    2,000 cd sy                 31.2 1.03.3 1:35 2:07.1       5 l 2 1 1-½ 1-1
7-9    VD q    2,000 cd ft                   28.3 59.2 l:30.1 l:59.2        4 2 2 2° 1-hd l-2
7-14 VD q    16,100 Han-Hempt ft     28.2 59 l:28.4 1:57.3           10 3 1 1 1-¾ 1-3
7-25 M m    15,000 Wilson Elim ft     28.3 58 1:27.1 l:56.2           5 3 4 5° 3 2¼ l-¾
8-1     M m     862,750 Wilson Final ft   28.4 57.3 l.27.1 l:55.4        9 1 1 1 1-2½ 1-1
8-18   LB f      15,815 PA Sire St. sy    29.1 1:00.4 l:29.2 l:59.4     9 4 2° 1 l-15 1-17¼
9-8    LouD    4,000 2yo Open ft          28.3 59.2 l:30 l:58.3           5 1° 1 1 1-1½ l-2
9-15   LouD   204,000 Ky Pace Dby ft 28.2 57.4 l:27.3 l:58.3        8 6° 1° 1 1-1½ l-1½
9-25   Lex m   12,186 Mdw. Lands ft    28.2 56.3 1:27.1 l:55.4      4 2 3 2° 2-½ 1-2½2
9-25    Lex m   16,248 Mdw. Lands ft    28.3 59.1 1:30.2 l:58.1        1 1° 1 1 1-4 1-2
10-5   Lex m   29,727 Int.Stallion gd    27 57.4 1:27.3 1:57            8 4 1 1 1-3 1-6¼
10-5    Lex m   29,727 Int.Stallion gd    28.2 58 1:28.4 l:56.2           1 1 1 1 1-1½ 1-5

Age 3 (1980)
Date Track    Purse Race cd             Frac Times of Race         Niatross' Position
5-9    VD q      Qua ft                           29.4 1:01.1 1:29.4 2:00      6 1 1 1 1-25 1-30
5-17 VD q      55,000 Han-Hempt ft      27 59 l:28.4 l:56.1              2 1 1 1 1–1½ l–3½
6-1   Brd f      20,000 Battle Brd ft        29.3 58.4 1:27.1 l:55.2       1 3 2 1 1-1¼ 1-1¾
6-8    Brd f      100,000 Battle Brd ft      27.4 57.3 1:27.4 l:57.l         6 3° l 1 1-1 1-3¾
6-21 BR         50,000 Reynolds ft         28.4 57.2 l:27.4 l:56.2          3 1° 1 1 1-2¼ l-8½
6-28 YR         96,409 Cane Pace ft       29.1 59.2 l:29 1:57.3 l         2 1 1 1-1½ 1-3¼
6-28 YR         128,546 Cane Pace ft      29.2 59.4 l:29.4 l:57.4         2 1 1 1 1 1½ l-1¼
7-5    Stga      l00,000 Battle Stga gd     30 1.01.2 l.30.1 l:59.3         3 1° 1 1 2-½ Dnf
7-11  M m       25,000 M Pace Elim ft     27 55.2 l:24.4 l:54.4 5         1x l° 2° l-½ 4-3½
7-18 M m       1,011,000 M Pace Final ft 27.3 55.1 l:24.2 l:53.1         8 5° 1° 1 1-2¼ l-4½
7-26 VD q     61,875 Gaines Mem. ft    26.3 56.3 l:25.1 l:53.3          8 1° 1 1 1-1 l-1½
7-26   VD q    61,875 Gaines Mem. ft     27.2 57.3 1:26 l:54              1 1 1° 1 1-½ 1-2
8-2    M m     125,500 Holmes ft           27.4 55.4 1:24.4 l:53           13 8° 5° 1° 1-1½ 1-1¼
8-16 Sycsm 5,000 Invitational ft        27 55.3 1:23.4 1:52.4           1 1 1 1 1-20 1-21
8-24 BB f      161,650 Prix d’Ete ft        27.4 55.4 1:25.3 l:53.4         5 1° 2 1 1-3 1-6¼
9-1    Fhld      100,000 Dancer ft           29 58.2 l:28 1:56.2              4 1° 1 1 1-1½ 1-1
9-6    Btva     50,000 Btva C&F ft          27.3 57.1 1:26 1:55             1 2 1 1 1-1½ 1-6
9-18 Dela     93,312 Brown Jug ft         28 58 1:26.3 1:55                1 1 1 1 1-l½ 1-3¾
9-18 Dela     93,312 Brown Jug ft         27.3 57 1:27 1:54.4              1 2 1 1 1-2 1-3
10-1   Lex Time Trial ft                          27.3 54.3 1:21.4 1:49.1       1 1
10-11 RR      173,522 Messenger gd     29.1 1:00.4 1:29.4 l:59.3      3 1 1 1 1-2 1-2
10-24 LB f     27,315 Hanover ft            27.3 58 1:28.1 1:56.1           2 1 1 1 1-1¼ 1-4
10-31 Hol m 57,500 Albatross ft           28.1 58 1:27.4 1:54.4           1 1 1 1 1-7 1-13
11-15 Hol m 25,000 A.P. Classic ft        27.4 56.3 1:24.3 l:52.1         3 1 1 1 1-7 1-10
11-21 Hol m 97,500 A.P. C l l-8 ft         27.2 57 l:25.3 2:07.3            5 1 1 1 1-4 1-5
12-7    WR f   42,000 Invitational ft        29.2 59.3 1:28 l:57               6 1 1 1 1-10 l-14
12-13   GrR f 75,000 Invitational ft        28.3 1:00.2 1:30 1:58.4        5 2° 1 1 1-1 1-4½
12-27 PPk f 35,000 Invitational ft         28 57.4 1:25.3 1:54.3           8 1° 1 1 1-12 1-15

Niatross' Career Summary
Year   Starts Wins 2nd 3rd   Record Earnings
1979     13     13      0    0      1:554   $604,900
1980      26      24      0     0    TT1:491 $1,414,313
Totals 39    37      0    0     TT1:491 $2,019,213