Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Interesting Facts from the World of Harness Racing
August 30, 2004
by Bob "Hollywood" Heyden & Kimberly A. Rinker

All-Time Leading Sires-A Closer Look
The top 25 leading pacing and trotting sires of all time yield some very interesting and unusual facts and numbers. Here's a closer look at that maginificent 50.

1) Stanley Dancer has had a huge-maybe an even bigger impact on the sport AFTER he raced his horses-if that is possible. That's a mouthful for the only man to have three Triple Crown winners and 23 driving Triple Crown wins (22 of which he also conditoned), second to Campbell's 26 all-time. But his horses-at stud (and he has six in the top 50) have accounted-as sires-for a mind-numbing 386 million $$$! Take a look:
Albatross-$146.7 million (still counting)
Super Bowl-$81.5 million (and counting)
Most Happy Fella-$94,971,429-He made over $56 million after his passing in December, 1983 at the relatively young age of 16.
Bonefish-$21,977,668
Nevele Pride-$20,526,642 (Oddly-of the top 25 trotting sires ever-he's the ONLY one who was a Horse of The Year 1967-1968-1969)
Donerail-$20.1 million (and counting)
That is four different decades of horses-all extremely successsful ON the track, and with an incalculable impact OFF it.

2) Abercrombie is on the cusp of $150 million (around September 15-20 or so he should reach this) to become the ONLY sire EVER to accomplish this-of any breed. Not bad for a relatively non-descript two-year-old, a horse who had several different trainers and one who fell a couple bucks himself short of the 7-figure plateau.

3) Cam Fella--He's at $105.3 million and still has performers like Eternal Camnation carrying his name proudly. He is the ONLY sire on the list who's starters AVERAGED over 100g per-he sent out 858 in total. Of the six sires in history over $100,000,000 Cam Fella is the ONLY one with less than 1,000 starters.

4) Artsplace--He is on the fast track to $100 million, around $92 million as August came near a close. He is the ONLY one of the top eight sires of all time who was foaled in the 1980s, being nine years younger than any other sire on the list. The combination of his sire-Abercrombie and Artsplace-together-will hit $250 million-or a quarter billion, sometime in 2005. In 2005-Artsplace will become the fastest stallion to ever reach $100 million.

5) Balanced Image--Now retired, he's about to pass Super Bowl for the #2 spot all-time among trotting stallions. ($82.6 million) But Speedy Crown is nowhere in anyones telescopic range at #1. ($108 million)

6) Meadow Skipper finished his stallion career with 1,028 starters and $66,640,712. It is important to note that he was well into his siring career LONG before the purses began to skyrocket. But that didn't stop him at all from grabbing his share of THOSE pots, too. In the very first $2 million race in harness history-1980-$2,011,000 Land Grant winning the Wilson, EVERY starter in tht 12 horse field was either a son or grandson of Meadow Skipper. ALL 12!!!!

7) Direct Scooter will--likely in 2005 somewhere--become the seventh stallion to eclipse $100 million career. He was at $99.3 million with a week to go in August.

8) Valley Victory had $33.8 million from 340 starters, or just under $100,000 per. His money-PER horse among trotting stallions is by far the best.

9) Stars Pride wound up with $24,610,605 and is the only foal from the 1940s to make the trotting top 25. His impact is mind-boggling-especially considering how he and his son Super Bowl ruled the roost in the Hambletonian among sires for as long as they did.

10) Albatross--$146.7 million-He was the ONLY stallion-and this can never be duplicated-to win a race at the Meadowlands each and every year with a son or daughter. ALL 28 YEARS!! His first crop in 1976 coincided with the opening of the Meadowlands, and he has accounted for more money earned at the Big M than any other sire ever-trotter or pacer.

11) No Nukes is the leading active sire still alive. Retired last year, he's knocking on the door of $121 million, and is the ONLY sire to sell a $100,000 yearling in each of the last three decades.

12) The 1980 Meadowlands Pace was the first million dollar race. Niatross was invincible, and would never again lose a race. Storm Damage was second and Tyler B third. But they would actually do Niatross a little better in the breeding department. Take a look:
#14 all-time Storm Damage $66,556,368
#16 all-time Tyler B $65,045,476
#19 all-time Niatross $60,510,169
(Numbers thru August 20-all three still have sons and daughters still active)

Rainbow Blue's Incredible Season
When she won her Fan Hanover elimination in 1:49.2, Rainbow Blue equaled the world record for a three-year-old pacing filly set four years and four days earlier--at Springfield--by Incredible Tillie (8/17/00). She improved to 19-21 lifetime, with a 16-race winning streak in there, for George Teague, Jr.

Ron Pierce drives the daughter of Artiscape and has already compared her to Shady Daisy, but added that "she carries her speed further." The 1:49.2 was one fifth better than her sire's record--a 1:49.3 by Artiscape--set at Colonial in the 1998 Breeders Crown in one of the bravest efforts of all time.

An oddity in the elim--both Rainbow Blue and Invitro went off less than even money. This is all but unheard of--it has happened in full fields before. In 1983 on July 25th at the Meadowlands (10 horse field) for the first of three matchups between Cam Fella and Its Fritz (Cam won all three), they both were sent off at 80 cents on the collar, with Cam Fella the very slight betting fave.

Armbro Romance was the first sub 1:50 three-year-old pacing filly, on June 27, 1998 in the Ladyship stakes at the Meadowlands. John Campbell drove for Brett Pelling and the Armstrong Brothers in that momentous occasion. It should be noted that Galleria was second in that race--and she would come back the following year at four and post a then world record for four-year-old mares of 1:49. Incredible Tillie was second to do it, then three-year-old filly Apple Krisp this year posted a 1:49.4 at the Meadowlands for Cat Manzi and Don Swick.

With Kikikatie winning her elim the same night, perhaps an even more unusual item occured. BOTH fillies-Kikikatie and Rainbow Blue-emerged from the night with a 19-21 career slate. That alone is all but unheard of, but in the SAME CROP!!!!!

The Longest Time Between Millionaire Horses
Sometimes it is worth the wait. Just when you think you'll never be able to duplicate the magic you once had--as in a million dollar performer--up pops another. The following--as far as we can tell--are the 6 trainers who went the LONGEST time in BETWEEN million dollar winning horses.
(Note-The years are the years they raced-the million dollar plateau-WHEN they reached it-determines the actual amount of time between)

1) 15 YEARS-Stew Firlotte
1983-Ralph Hanover $1,828,871
1996-1998 His Mattjesty $1,038,861

2) 14 YEARS-Blair Burgess
1987-Frugal Gourmet $1,349,560
2000-2002-Real Desire $3,159,814

3) 14 YEARS-Richard Stillings
1986-1989 Jaguar Spur $1,806,473
2000-2002 Pegasus Spur $1,296,683

4) 13 YEARS-Kelly O'Donnell
1984-1985 Stienam $1,355,474
1997-2000 Dragon Again $2,343,428
(Note-Kelly did not train him his entire career)

5) 13 YEARS-Yves Filion
1987-1989 Runnymede Lobell $1,615,125
1998-2001 Goliath Bayama $1,493,663

"Over And Out"
The following three horses--one a thoroughbred--all started for the last time in a race that is almost impossible to forget. But sometimes it was not THEY who made the headline:
1) Sham--He was second to Secretariat in the 1973 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, both times beaten two and a half lengths and both times in a stakes and track record. But in the 1973 Belmont-won by Secretariat in 2:24 by 31 lengths, Sham called it a career after finishing 45 and 1/2 lengths back last.

2) Falcon Seelster--he blitzed the oval at Delaware as a three-year-old in 1:51, a world record that would last almost two decades. But his FINAL race came versus Forrest Skipper, in the 1986 U. S. Pacing Championship, when he was beaten over 18 lengths by the eventual undefeated Horse Of The Year. Never again did Tom Harmer and Falcon Seelster go postward after that 1986 Hambletonian day--it was not actually a match race--they were the ONLY two horses to drop in the box for the U. S. Pacing Championship and thus became more widely known as a match race.

3) Bonefish--he won the 1975 Hambletonian for Stanley Dancer, but that was it. He is still the LAST horse to win trotting's biggest prize and NOT race ever again.

Notes from Around The Ovals
Dave Palone has now 14 straight seasons of 400 plus wins, extending his own record. He's about to enter the 10,000 win club, likely by the of 2004. The 10,000 win club, by the way, with three members--Filion-Case-Manzi--has a combined FIVE Triple Crown wins between them. 37,000 plus driving wins, but only a handful of victories in the Triple Crown-Filion has 3-Case-0 and Manzi 2.

Three geldings win all the Adios elims and then the final. Ron Pierce and Timesareachanging set the world record of 1:49.3 on the 5/8ths. What kind of year is his sire Cams Card Shark having?? How about the fastest two-year-old--Village Jolt--1:51.3 (Wilson), the fastest three-year-old--1:48.4 Timesareachanging and the fastest horse--period-1:47.4 Four Starzzz Shark.

In 2005, Mike Lachance and John Campbell--together-will pass $200 million at the Meadowlands alone between them.

Who are the most famous stablemates of all time-both on and off the track? It would be hard to top Super Bowl--Albatross on the harness side and Secretariat--Riva Ridge on the thoroughbred side. In 1971-1972 Albatross and Super Bowl ruled the pacing and trotting world-racing for Stanley Dancer.

To this day, they are the LAST stablemates to be Pacer/Trotter of the year--that's right, it has NOT happened since. Then, they spent the next quarter century at Hanover Shoe Farms and never has any form of racing seen a more successful tandem at stud. Combined their get earned over $228 million between this incredible pair.

Secretariat and Riva Ridge--both Kentucky Derby winners, raced for Lucien Laurin and Penny Chenery. Upon retirement, BOTH went to Claiborne Farm in 1974. How's THAT for a daily double?.

Ron Pierce set an unusual record in the Hambletonian this year--he went the LONGEST time between favorites for the Hambo--11 Years. In 1993, he won it with American Winner and this year drove Tom Ridge who just wasn't on his game and wound up 8th.

Triple Crown Scoreboard: 26 for Campbell, 23 for Stanley Dancer, 21 for Billy Haughton. Billy has two sons with a pair each--Tommy and Peter. Stanley's brother Vernon also won twice in Triple Crown events.

Jim Morrill, Jr. already the upset winner this year with Holborn Hanover in the Meadowlands Pace, is 11 years removed from his pair of Triple Crown wins--both with Riyadh--who lost a head in the Jug of giving him the 1993 Triple Crown (To Life Sign). Of the nine drivers who have won exactly three Triple Crown races, only Clint Galbraith did them all in the same year, in 1980 when Niatross swept.

John Simpson, Sr. and Jr. are the only father-son tandems to EACH have more than five Triple Crown victories. The elder had a dozen, while junior managed six.

Rod (2) Mike (1) and Carl Allen (2) made their presence felt in Triple Crown events--all with trotters. Did anyone notice there is just a 17-day period this year between the first and last pacing Triple Crown race? September 6th--the Cane Pace at Freehold; September 14th--the Messenger at Harrington; and September 23rd, the Little Brown Jug at Delaware.

Perhaps the most unusual driving slate of ANY Triple Crown winning driver comes from Bi Shively, who in 1952 won his two Triple Crown events, the 1952 Hambletonian and the Kentucky Futurity. The Hambo went for $87,637 that year and the Futurity $66,231. Bi chose his 75th year on earth to win his first two Triple Crown events--and ONLY two!

Cabrini Hanover is making noise this year in the freshman filly division. A $350,000 yearling from the first crop of Western Ideal, there's a little side note worth mentioning here. That was the highest priced paid at auction in 2003 for a pacer. The LAST time a stallion had a first crop yearling that was the HIGHEST priced pacing yearling of any year? That was in 1996--Jefferson Stein--$250,000 (by Presidential Ball).

Speaking of sires, Muscles Yankee in 2003 and Artsplace in 1997 are the last two sires to lead all of North America in trotting and pacing credit (in terms of money) with their OLDEST sons and daughters being just three-year-olds.

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