OT: Hambletonian

[bac2therac]

I have always been a much bigger fan of harness racing than thoroughbred and will be attending my 29th Hambletonian in the last 30 years, missing only 2000 because of a good friends wedding. Anyone else headed out. Back in the day they used to draw crowds of 35K but its been closer to 25K lately and last year in the new building it was around 20K. Always a great day of racing and betting in the daylight hours with a stellar card of racing featuring the Hambo, Hambo Oaks, Cane Pace, Shady Daisy, Jim Doherty Memorial, Peter Haughton Memorial, John Cashman Memorial, US Pacing Championship, Fresh Yankee, and Lady Liberty

This year a filly takes on the boys so lets see if Mission Brief can knock off the favorite Pinkman. Uncle Lasse, Canepa Hanover, The Bank and French Laundry are also major contenders

Of course this annual thread wouldn't be complete without the video of Scarlet Knight winning the Hambletonian back in 2001

 

[RU Husky]

My first Hambo was when the great Ayres won in 1964, the first sub 1:57 Hambo winner. My next and most favorite was when Super Bowl won in ' 72(?). Been to a few others after the race moved to the Big M. I prefer pacers and went to far more big pacing races than the trotters. Haven't been to a standardbred race of any type in over 15 years.

Edit: Ayres won when the race was run in 2 heats. It was in the first heat that the sub 1:57 was run. T

 

[RocktheRac]

Always the best day of the year. Sadly it also ends the harness season at the Big M until November. The Scarlet Knight Hambo was one of 2 that I have missed.

Sadly Spirit To Win who was the favorite to win the Hambletonian Oaks was tragically killed on Monday after her she was spooked as her jogging cart was being attached. She ran off and flipped the cart thus making her fall and ending her life. It was a brutal scene from reports.

Sixteen races on the card which carries 164 horses with over 4 million in purse money given out. Hopefully we have a sunny day and some bombs come in.

Look for the mandatory payout of the Super Hi 5 which could go over the 1 million dollar mark. Tough to pick but consolations payouts will be high.

 

[RUhasarrived]

It's awfully tough to immerse yourself in a two night a week track when you can remember 6 nights a week.Even with attached casinos,how can some tracks run 60-70 races a week?Are there that many suckers racing cheap horses?Most must be losing substantial sums every year.

 

[wisr01]

My favorite Hambletonian:

 

[RocktheRac]

Notice how Mack Lobell broke at the finish also.

 

[bac2therac]

My favorite Hambletonian:

View embedded media

Wisr.....that's one of my favorite Hambos too....Tom Durkin did such a great job with his call....."Mack Lobell....and he's POURING IT ON!"...gives me chills. The trotter he beat called Napolitano was no slouch and just was born in the wrong year. He ended up upsetting Mack Lobell I think in the Kentucky Futurity. Mack Lobell was an amazing animal and one of the best trotters of all time. This time period of the mid to late 80s was probably the Big M at its peak.

 

[bac2therac]

It's awfully tough to immerse yourself in a two night a week track when you can remember 6 nights a week.Even with attached casinos,how can some tracks run 60-70 races a week?Are there that many suckers racing cheap horses?Most must be losing substantial sums every year.

Yonkers and Pocono have such poor on track handles but they get so much from the casino revenue that they can offer the highest purses and render the Meadowlands to purgatory until NJ finally wises up after a decade of inaction in allowing slots at the Meadowlands. Rememer the Big M would get over 10k during the week and close to 20K on Saturday...crazy to think how times have changed but at least for one day you get to relive the big crowd atmosphere on Hambo Day

 

[bac2therac]

My first Hambo was when the great Ayres won in 1964, the first sub 1:57 Hambo winner. My next and most favorite was when Super Bowl won in ' 72(?). Been to a few others after the race moved to the Big M. I prefer pacers and went to far more big pacing races than the trotters. Haven't been to a standardbred race of any type in over 15 years.

Edit: Ayres won when the race was run in 2 heats. It was in the first heat that the sub 1:57 was run. T

wow you go way back...was this out in Illinois? You know your racing if you bring up those greats They have gone back to heats in the past couple of years but you don't have to win 2 heats anymore...one of the more classic Hambos was the dead heat third heat race off between Probe and Park Avenue Joe in 1989

I also like pacers a bit better. I was too young to see Niatross but really liked his son Nihilator and his dominance when he raced

 

[RUBand]

Yonkers and Pocono have such poor on track handles but they get so much from the casino revenue that they can offer the highest purses and render the Meadowlands to purgatory until NJ finally wises up after a decade of inaction in allowing slots at the Meadowlands. Rememer the Big M would get over 10k during the week and close to 20K on Saturday...crazy to think how times have changed but at least for one day you get to relive the big crowd atmosphere on Hambo Day

We could have made the Big M into a casino years ago, but the powers catered to AC, and look what happened. AC had too many casinos, Yonkers is busy everyday, Philadelphia Park is a beautiful casino/track (racino).

 

[RU Husky]

wow you go way back...was this out in Illinois? You know your racing if you bring up those greats They have gone back to heats in the past couple of years but you don't have to win 2 heats anymore...one of the more classic Hambos was the dead heat third heat race off between Probe and Park Avenue Joe in 1989

I also like pacers a bit better. I was too young to see Niatross but really liked his son Nihilator and his dominance when he raced

View embedded media

Yup, I'm an old geezer.Yes, those earlier Hambos were in Du Quoin, Illinois.

I first really took interest in the sport when Su Mac Lad , the great trotter, would compete in international races at Roosevelt. Then along came the likes of Adios Butler, Cam Fella, (and Most Happy Fella), Bret Hanover, Albatross and Abercrombie. Niatross may have been the best that I've seen in person. Nihilator was a rocket. I loved it when the Meadowlands was built and racing would be over a mile oval, rather than the 1/2 mile or 5/8 mile surfaces elsewhere. Race times/records just kept dropping.

 

[ho26rus]

well husky you must have loved those cardigan bay---- bret hanover matchups

the excitement of the best European trotters to race our best in the international at yonkers

But consistantly best to me, is all those races where Speedy Scot broke at the start, fell ten lengths behind, then circle the field, on a half mile track then pull away in the stretch

Watching No Nukes, at the big m, make up 7 lengths in the stretch to win a stakes with a 25.1 last quarter
It simply was not done back then

Watch the French champion, mare, Roquepine, in the International trot, racing 1 and 1/2 miles on the outside, then three deep , on the final turn and pull away against our best trotters

it sounds like we are about the same age and should have a couple of beers some day

 

[RU Husky]

well husky you must have loved those cardigan bay---- bret hanover matchups

the excitement of the best European trotters to race our best in the international at yonkers

But consistantly best to me, is all those races where Speedy Scot broke at the start, fell ten lengths behind, then circle the field, on a half mile track then pull away in the stretch

Watching No Nukes, at the big m, make up 7 lengths in the stretch to win a stakes with a 25.1 last quarter
It simply was not done back then

Watch the French champion, mare, Roquepine, in the International trot, racing 1 and 1/2 miles on the outside, then three deep , on the final turn and pull away against our best trotters

it sounds like we are about the same age and should have a couple of beers some day

We could most certainly fill some time reliving those great days of standardbred racing. Speaking of the International races- do you remember Jamin, the French horse that dined on artichokes? Thanks for reminding me of the great Cardigan Bay, which makes me think of Stanley Dancer, which gets me thinking of Sholty, Haughton, and the Abbattiellos. The Meadow Skipper- Albatross-Niatross breeding line was to me the all time great. Remember when Castleton Farms and Hanover Shoe Farm ruled the roost and New Egypt,NJ was the capital of harness racing in NJ? The good old days!

 

[ho26rus]

husky I knew castleton well
Bill Brown left thereto pilot blue chip farm in walkill
I had broodmares and babies there and he was not afraid to impart knowledge and taught me a great deal over 20 years, or so.
Owning from that farm On The Road again statebreds was very lucrative for a few years

Anyway remembering how filled and exciting was in the 60.s jogs my memory

 

[bac2therac]

Peretti Farms is already gone and Showplace Farms just announced last week they are closing....sad times..it didn't have to be this way

I grew up watching Racing From the Meadowlands Fridays and Saturdays at midnight or whenever it got bumped to on MSG and SNY...also any remember watching racing from Yonkers and Roosevelt with Stan Bergstein and Spencer Ross on Channel 9...the days of Ideal du Gazeau, Ourasi, and Lutin D'sgnay winning the International Trot

 

[ho26rus]

really sorry to hear about bill perettis place
class act

I was there for years, with brett pelling,until he move back to Australia

great memories