Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

This Month In Harness Racing History: August 2006

August 1, 1957 – Torpid sets the track record at Ocean Downs with a 2:00 mile.

August 1, 1884 – Jay-Eye-See sets the trotting world record of 2:10, recording the mark at Providence, Rhode Island.

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

August 3, 1955 – Scott Frost 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 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 and Park Avenue Joe finish in a dead heat in the race-off to decide the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

August 5, 2000 – Moni Maker becomes harness racing’s first $5-million winner by winning the $500,000 Nat Ray at the Meadowlands.

August 6, 1947 – Hoot Mon 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 14, 1867 – Dexter trots a world record 2:17¼ at Buffalo, lowering his own record from 2:19.

August 14, 1931 – Calumet Butler wins the Hambletonian at Good Time Park in Goshen, New York. Calumet Butler’s two heat victories in the Hambletonian are the only wins of his career.

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

August 16, 1993 – Cambest sets the pacing world record of 1:46.1 in a time trial at Springfield, Illinois.

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

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 wins the Yonkers International Trot by two lengths over SJ's Photo, covering the mile-and-a-quarter in 2:26.2.

August 20, 1987 – Keystone Harem equals the world record for female trotters, winning in 1:53.4 at Springfield, Illinois.

August 28, 1993 – Riyadh wins the Cane Pace in a track record 1:51.2 at Yonkers Raceway in New York. 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 Hambletonian, held at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. The purse is $73,451.

August 30, 1980 – Lindy’s Crown 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, 1969 – Nevele Pride breaks Greyhound’s 31-year-old world record of 1:55¼ by trotting 1:54.4 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

August 31, 1996 – She’s A Great Lady sets the world record for female pacers on a five-eighths of a mile track by winning in 1:51 at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania.