Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing

Legend Horse of the Month
for October 2010

Emily's Pride

Emilys Pride

                                          3 , T 1:58.0M $130,751
                                           Bay Filly, foaled 1955
                                   By Star's Pride-Emily Scott-Scotland
                         Driven  by “Flick” Nipet & trained by Fred Egan
                         Bred by Connecticut breeder Charles W. Phellis
        Owned by Castleton Farm and Walnut Hall Farm of Lexington, Kentucky

The three-heat victory of Emily’s Pride in the 1958 Hambletonian was the beginning of a new era — that of the domination of Victory Lane at DuQuoin by sons and daughters of Star’s Pride.
It was the first Hambletonian clocked faster than 2:00; the mile in 1:59.4 was a world record for a 3-year-old filly trotter at the time. Emily's Pride was voted Horse of the Year.

Emily’s Pride won her first heat in 2:00 1, beating Mr. Saunders and Gene Riegle, and Sharpshooter, driven by Harry Pownall.   She was 12th in the second heat after going offstride on the backstretch.

Fred Egan recaptured her form in the third heat, trotting past second dash winner Little Rocky and Joe O’Brien in a beautiful 1:59 4 mile, which at the time was the fastest mile trotting in this stake. The new stake mark did not come easily as Emily’s Pride had to circle the field from the 12th post position and was still parked on the outside past the half in :59 3 . Nearing the three-quarters, trotted in 1:29 3 , Nipe asked the filly to trot again and she zoomed into command and held off the close of Sandalwood and Ralph Baldwin.

Fred Egan, 79, was the oldest trainer ever to win the hambletonian; it was his third. Egan referred to his driver, 62-year-old Flave "Flick" Nipe, as "that boy!" The previous year Egan had driven Cassin Hanover to a 3-3 finish. At 70 years of age, he won the Hambletonian driving Miss Tilly (1949).

Egan was certain he had the 1958 Hambletonian winner in his barn all along, but he was focusing on Gang Awa, another trotter he had initially trained for C.W. Phellis, the breeder and original owner of Emily's Pride. Gang Awa was the offspring of two Hambletonian winners, Hoot Mon (1947) and Miss Tilly (1949), but only finished 6-13-8 that day.

Both Gang Awa and Emily's Pride had been initially trained by Egan for Phellis and remained in his stable when they were sold to Walnut Hall Farm and Castleton Farm privately after Phellis' death.

Emily's Pride was the dam of Noble Victory, the favorite for the 1965 Hambletonian.