Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Over the years many trotters and pacers have race through their 14th years. According to the USTA, there were 103 fourteen-year-olds who raced in 2004.

Bob "Hollywood" Heyden of the Meadowlands Publicity staff recalled horses such as Momentous, who raced at the Big M for trainer Robert Rahner in the Au Lang Syne Pace many years ago.

"Lyn Forbes is another horse that comes to mind, and Jigs And Reels raced at the Meadowlands when he was 13-yars-old," Bob said. "Instrument Landing retired in January of this 13th year but didn't race in it. I do enjoy the stories of the 14-year-olds, but these stories become even better when the horse is a big-name horse."

"Momentum, with trainer Dale Ross (not to be confused with Momentous) raced here in the opening night feature in 1976. He raced at the Meadowlands the following season when he was five or six, and then came back in 1985 after a long layoff and raced for another year or so, I'm sure into his 14th year."

This writer looked into some of Bob's recollections and found some very tough old racehorses. Momentous was a bay gelding foaled in 1967, by Greentree Adios, out of the Titan Hanover mare Sonnet Hanover. He began his career at age three and only raced a few starts, taking a three-year-old record of 2:09.3F, then did not race again until age eight, when he took his lifetime mark of 1:59.4. He then raced consistently every year through his 14th year, earning $326,941. Momentous retired with a record of 43-47-23 from 225 starts.

The pacer Lyn Forbes, a foal of 1965, didn't begin his racing career until age 11, and raced consistently through his 14th season, earning $101,020. The altered son of Hi Lo's Forbes--Scottish Linda--U. Scott, last raced in 1979 and had a 28-17-9 record from 80 career starts.

The trotter Jigs And Reels raced as a 14-year-old, and took his record of 1:59.2 at age 13 at the Meadowlands. This bay gelding, a son of Delvin Dancer, out of the Canny Scot mare Canny Rose, was a foal of 1971 and began his career as a nine-year-old. He recorded a record of 20-11-6 from 114 lifetime starts, and earned $121,541.

Momentum was a foal of 1972, a son of Fulla Napoleon--Magda--Tar Hell, who raced at ages two, three, four, five and six. He then took a break and came back to the races at ages 13 and 14, and in fact, paced to a 1:58.1 victory at the Meadows as a 14-year-old. He also recorded seven wins at age 14, and retired with $477,779 in his bank account from a 27-19-17 record from 125 career outings.

Burr Rabbit was an obscurely-bred little Illinois foaled pacer by Rorty Hanover, out of the Egyptian Dancer mare Parka's Dream, who raced from age three through age 14. He had 78 career victories and $218,447, and won at age 14 at Maywood Park on May 3, 2000 in an impressive 1:55.1.

Reason To Shop is a son of Abercrombie, out of the prolific Meadow Skipper mare Turn To Reason. With a host of brothers and sisters who raced into their later years (including this writer's own Be Reasonable), Reason To Shop was a 60-race winner of $129,329 lifetime, who took a mark of 2:01.1 at Raceway Park at age 14 in 1999. That same year, this tough old pacer, who made most of his money in cheap claiming events, participated in Raceway's Old Timer's Pace on December 31, just a day before his 15th birthday.

Another tough horse was Sharp Response, a son of Landslide--Miss Cary S--Bret Hanover, who had 77 career wins and $307,183 in earnings, and paced to a 2:01.3 victory at Northfield Park at age 14. The extraordinary thing about this pacer is that he raced consistently from age two through age 14, averaging 30 starts per year from 1990 through 2002. In fact at age 14 he started 33 times, and lifetime recorded 397 trips behind the starting gate. Sharp Response recorded a mark every year that he raced.

Another pacer who took a mark every year that he raced (from ages two through 13) was the Hampton's Court gelding Ryan's Court. This Michigan-bred foal of 1989 raced week in and week out, including 1999, when he started 50 times. Overall he faced the starting gate a total of 362 times.

Pocono Julio was a son of General Star, out of the Lehigh Hanover mare Pocono Kitty. This pacer won at Raceway Park on September 18, 1999 in 1:58.1 at age 14, and wrapped up his career iwth 83 lifetime wins and $251,208 in career earnings.

Equitability, a New York foal of 1988, was an 86-race winner who amassed $185,243 in his career. The son of Equitable-Dolly Whisk-Easy Adios took a record of 1:56.4 at Scioto Downs at age 14 on May 21, 2002. This tough pacer had 361 career starts and spent most of his time racing around the Ohio ovals.