Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

This wonderful daughter of Valley Victory (out of the $20 winner Intercontinental) won 19 times in 29 lifetime starts and over $1,600,000 racing against the best of both sexes of her generation.

A $100,000 yearling, Continentalvictory didn't look like a world-beater in her baby race at The Meadowlands on June 14, 1995. She made a break early and then went on to trot her mile in 2:08.3…earning just $80! Less than a month later, however she won a NJSS event in 1:57.2.

From mid-August to the end of her 1995 freshman season, she won her next nine starts--including in the American-National at Sportsman’s Park (by 10½ lengths) and the Breeders Crown in 1:55.3 (by 8). She then made a bobble at the start of a Garden State Park stakes event, regained her composure and stride to still finish second by a nose. She was named Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year as a result of those efforts.

In 1996, Continentalvictory stamped herself as one of the bravest trotting fillies in history by going up against the opposite sex in the $334,700 Yonkers Trot, when she wired her field in 1:56.2.

Just a month later she was behind the starting gate in The $1,000,000 Hambletonian—and put on one of the most memorable performances ever seen in the sport. She won her opening heat wire-to-wire in a lifetime mark of 1:52.1 and then took the final—also wire-to-wire—in 1:52.4, trotting her final panel in that second heat in :27.3.

After a handy American-National victory at the now defunct Sportsman’s Park in Chicago, Continentalvictory traveled to DuQuoin for the $535,000 World Trotting Derby. In her first heat, she was parked through a gut-wrenching half in :53.3 and wound up finishing fourth to Kramer Boy--but that was good enough to make the next heat. In that second heat, she got to the front right at the quarter and got away with a "soft" half in :56.2 before tacking on a :56.1 final half to score in 1:52.3.   With the rail in the two horse final, she lollygagged through fractions of :31.4, 1:03.4 and 1:33.3 before striding home in :26.2 to earn the victory.

However, an injury prevented a trotting Triple Crown victory for this extraordinary filly, just prior to the Kentucky Futurity. Continentalvictory was voted Three Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year, Trotter of the Year and Harness Horse of the Year, wrapping up a sensation career that is unlikely to ever be seen again.

Continentalvictory's Career Statistics
Year     Starts/Wins/2nds/3rds   Earnings     Record       Venue & Date of Record
1996       12       9      0       1       $1,178,360   3, 1:52.1M      M 08/03/1996
1995       17      10       3       0       $432,810      2, 1:55.3M      GSP 10/20/1995
Total      29      19       3       1       $1,611,170 3, 1:52.1M