Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

This Month in Harness Racing History: August 2005
Harness Happenings from the world of Harness Racing throughout the years!

August 1, 1884 – Jay-Eye-See, driven by E.D. Bither, sets the trotting world record of 2:10 at Providence, Rhode Island.

August 2, 1884 – Maud S., driven by William Bair, reclaims the world trotting record from Jay-Eye-See by going 2:09¾ at Cleveland, Ohio.

August 2, 2001 – Mini Me, driven by Dave Magee, sets the world record for a two-year-old gelding pacer on a mile track, winning the Robb Ranger at Balmoral Park in 1:50.4.

August 3, 1955 – Scott Frost, driven by Joe O’Brien, wins the Hambletonian at Good Time Park in Goshen, New York. He goes on to become the first trotting Triple Crown winner in harness racing history and is voted Horse of the Year.

August 4, 1944 – Northville Downs opens in Michigan.

August 4, 1978 – Speedy Somolli, driven by Howard Beissinger, sets the world record for three-year-olds trotting on a five-eighths of a mile track by winning in 1:58.1 at the Meadows in Pennsylvania.

August 5, 1989 – Probe, driven by Bill Fahy, and Park Avenue Joe, driven by Ron Waples, finish in a dead heat in the raceoff to decide the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

August 5, 2000 – Moni Maker, driven by Wally Hennessey, becomes harness racing’s first $5 million winner by winning the $500,000 Nat Ray at the Meadowlands. Her time of 1:52.1 sets the world record for trotting mares ages five or older.

August 6, 1947 – Hoot Mon, driven by Sep Palin, wins the Hambletonian at Good Time Park in Goshen, New York. Hoot Mon becomes the first Hambletonian winner to sire a Hambletonian winner when his daughter, Helicopter, wins in 1953.

August 7, 1874 – Goldsmith Maid trots a world record 2:15¼ at Buffalo.

August 7, 1999 – Self Possessed, driven by Mike Lachance, set the world record for three-year-olds trotting on a mile track by winning the Hambletonian in 1:51.3 at the Meadowlands.

August 15, 1946 – Harrington Raceway in Delaware opens.

August 15, 1997 – David Miller gets career win No. 4,000 by driving Bea In Your Bonnet to victory at Northfield Park.

August 16, 1984 – Fancy Crown, driven by Bill O’Donnell, sets the world record for trotting fillies and mares by winning in 1:53.4 at Springfield, Illinois.

August 16, 1993 – Cambest, driven by Bill O’Donnell, sets the pacing world record of 1:46.1 in a time trial at Springfield.

August 17, 1892 – Nancy Hanks trots a world record 2:07¼ at Washington Park in Chicago.

August 17, 1894 – Alix trots heats of 2:06, 2:06¼ and 2:05¼, the fastest-ever heats, at Terre Haute, Indiana.

August 17, 1998 – Ted Wing wins his 5,000th race, driving Pappy’s Folly to victory at Yonkers Raceway.

August 18, 1892 – Hal Pointer sets the pacing world record of 2:04¼ at Chicago.

August 19, 1995 – His Majesty S, driven by Stefan Melander, wins the Yonkers International Trot by two lengths over SJ's Photo, covering the mile-and-a-quarter in 2:26.2.

August 20, 1989 – Delray Lobell, driven by Don Irvine Jr., sets the world record for four-year-old geldings trotting on a five-eighths of a mile track by winning at Freestate Raceway in Maryland.

August 21, 1987 – Mack Lobell, driven by John Campbell, sets the trotting world record of 1:52.1 at Springfield, Illinois.

August 22, 1986 – Buckfinder, driven by Bill O’Donnell, and Tarport Ramey, driven by Delvin Miller, set world records for two-year-old trotters. Buckfinder, a colt, wins in 1:55.4 and Tarport Ramey, a gelding, wins in 1:58, both at Indianapolis, Indiana.

August 22, 1987 – A Su Gusto, driven by Michael DiFranco Jr., sets the track record for two-year-old trotting colts by winning in 2:01.1 at Cal-Expo in Sacramento, California.

August 23, 1957 – Northfield Park in Ohio opens.

August 24, 1894 – Robert J defeats Joe Patchen in 2:05, 2:06, and 2:06½ to establish the world record for three heats.

August 25, 1968 – Nevele Pride, driven by Stanley Dancer, wins the Hambletonian at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois and goes on to win the trotting Triple Crown.

August 26, 1979 – Hot Hitter, driven by Herve Filion, sets the world record for pacing on a five-eighths of a mile track by winning in 1:54 at Blue Bonnets in Montreal, Quebec.

August 26, 1989 – Crystal Tree, driven by Gerry Bookmyer, equals the world record for female pacers competing on a half-mile track by winning in 1:54.4 at Northfield Park.

August 27, 1897 – Star Pointer, driven by David McClary, becomes the first pacer to go under 2:00, finishing in 1:59¼ in Readville, Massachusetts.

August 27, 1988 – Mack Lobell, driven by John Campbell, wins the Challenge Cup Trot in a track record 1:57.1 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.

August 28, 1993 – Riyadh, driven by Jim Morrill Jr., wins the Cane Pace in a track record 1:51.2 at Yonkers Raceway. Presidential Ball is second and Life Sign is third.

August 29, 1894 – Robert J paces a mile in 2:03¾ to set the world record at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

August 30, 1926 – Guy McKinney, driven by Nat Ray, wins the first-ever Hambletonian, held at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. The purse is $73,451.

August 30, 1980 – Lindy’s Crown, driven by Howard Beissinger, equals the trotting world record by winning in 1:54.4 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois.

August 31, 1892 – Nancy Hanks lowers her trotting world record to 2:05¼ at Independence, Iowa.

August 31, 1955 – Pronto Don retires at DuQuoin with career earnings of $332,000, at the time the most in harness racing history.

August 31, 1969 – Nevele Pride, driven by Stanley Dancer, breaks Greyhound’s 31-year-old world record of 1:55¼ by trotting 1:54.4 in Indianapolis, Indiana.