Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

This Month In Harness Racing History

For the Month of April 2005

April 1, 1988 – Nadia Lobell, driven by John Campbell, wins the Overbid Series final in 1:55 at The Meadowlands.

April 2, 2000 – Million Dollar Bye, driven by Joe Anderson, wins the Staley Series final in 1:55.2 at Los Alamitos in California.

April 3, 1987 – Follow My Star, driven by Bill O’Donnell, wins the Overbid Series final in 1:56.1 at The Meadowlands.

April 4, 1910–World champion pacer Single G is born in Indiana.

April 5, 1996–Impeccable Image sets the world record for trotters 5 and older on a half-mile track by winning in 1:55.4 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.

April 6, 1991–Multi-million-dollar winner Jake And Elwood, driven by John Campbell, captures a leg in the George Morton Levy Series at Yonkers.

April 7, 2000–Givemewhatineed, driven by Jim Lackey, sets the track record for pacers at Cal-Expo in California by winning in 1:50.

April 8, 1955–John Campbell, harness racing's all-time money-winning driver with $227 million, is born in London, Ontario.

April 9, 1995–Sunrise Stevie, driven by Ron Pierce, sets the world record for gelding trotters 5 and older by winning in 1:53.4 at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.

April 10, 2000–Cam Knows Best, driven by Catello Manzi, equals Riyadh’s world record for pacing on a five-eighths mile track by finishing in 1:49.1 at Dover Downs in Delaware.

April 11, 1986 -- Bree's Brief, driven by John Campbell, wins the Overbid final in 1:56.1 at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.

April 12, 1933 -- Jack "The Ripper" Bailey, the all-time leading driver at Vernon Downs in New York, is born in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He wins more than 3,300 career races.

April 14, 1990 -- Mark Johnathan, driven by Mike Lachance, wins the Berry's Creek in 1:54 at The Meadowlands.

April 14, 1991 -- Ed Huntbach becomes the sixth driver in history to win eight races on a single program, accomplishing the feat at Kingston Park Raceway in Ontario.

April 15, 1997 -- Dave Palone wins his 5,000th race, driving Know How to victory at The Meadows in Pennsylvania.

April 16, 1994 -- Arrive At Five, driven by John Campbell, wins the Freehold Cup Invitational in 1:52.3 at Freehold Raceway in New Jersey.

April 17, 1988 -- Mack Lobell wins the Coors Silver Bullet Invitational Trot in 1:57.3 at Raceway Park in Ohio.

April 18, 1984 – Little Stinker, driven by Ray Remmen, wins the Blossom final in 1:56.3 at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.

April 19, 1985 – May Wine, driven by John Campbell, wins the Overbid final in 1:54.4, equaling Green With Envy's race record, at The Meadowlands.

April 20, 1967 – Driver George Brennan is born in Monticello, New York.

April 20, 1985 – Denny Boy's Dream, driven by Randy Jacobs, sets the world record for older gelding pacers on a half-mile track by winning in 1:55.3 at Maywood Park in Illinois.

April 21, 1888 – World champion trotter Dexter dies.

April 22, 2002 – Olle Goop wins his 6,000th race, driving Herr Jagermeister to victory at Farjestad Racetrack in Sweden.

April 23, 1993 – Six Day War, driven by Ray Schnittker, sets the world record for horses five and older trotting on a half-mile track, winning in 1:56.4 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.

April 24, 1993 – Silver Almahurst, driven by Jim Morrill Jr., sets the world record for pacing on a half-mile track by winning the Levy Memorial final in 1:50.4 at Yonkers Raceway.

April 25, 1953 – Yonkers Raceway in New York sets a national nighttime harness racing attendance record with 32,365 fans.

April 25, 2000 – Ultimate Message and Cyrano De Bergerac each equal the track record of 1:57.4 for trotters at Lebanon Raceway in Ohio. Ultimate Message ties the mark in the fifth race, Cyrano De Bergerac in the ninth.

April 26, 2001 – Catello Manzi becomes the third North American driver to reach the 9,000-win mark, driving OK’s Super Chris to victory at Freehold Raceway in New Jersey.

April 27, 1950 – The Empire City Trotting Club is renamed Yonkers Raceway and opens to 21,178 fans.

April 28, 1984 – Two-time Horse of the Year and champion trotter Mack Lobell is born.

April 28, 1997 – Gallo Blue Chip, the 2000 Horse of the Year and leading money-winning pacer of all time, is born.

April 28, 2002 – Striking Memory, driven by Del S. Miller, sets the track record at Hoosier Park for 3-year-old filly trotters by winning in 1:56.1.

April 29, 1896 – Legendary pacer Dan Patch is born in Indiana.

April 29, 1989 – Fiorello Blue Chip, driven by Serge Ouellet, wins the inaugural Berry’s Creek at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

April 30, 1993 – Cambest, driven by Wally Hennessey, wins a leg of the Graduate series in 1:51.4 at Blue Bonnets in Montreal.