In this week's Rewind Robert Smith takes a look back to a time when the sport's best young horses continued racing past the age of three. This era saw many great races staged between older horses. His story profiles a trio of very well known "aged" performers who thrilled fans from coast to coast and also describes a race from the 1961 season.
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​Left: Adios Butler and driver Eddie Cobb​. In 1960 this horse was syndicated for a then record $600,000 but was kept on the track. A portion of the agreement stated that Paige West would continue as trainer and part-owner and Eddie Cobb would be his driver. They went on to set numerous records and at the end of the 1961 season "The Butler" retired as the sport's fastest and richest performer. Right: Later in his career Adios Butler erased any doubt when in 1961 he time trialled in 1:54.3 at Lexington with his long-time trainer Paige West in the sulky and Eddie Cobb and Delvin Miller driving the two prompters. He even earned his own personalized lip tattoo for the performance.

​Adios Butler Wins Pace Of The Century - July 31, 1961 ​

Closing night of the summer meeting at Roosevelt Raceway on Long Island New York was a memorable happening on Saturday July 31, 1961. A small but outstanding field of seven aged pacers faced the starter in the $25,000 event, named The Pace of The Century. The field included (in order of finish) Adios Butler, Apmat, Mr. Budlong, Tar Boy, Stephan Smith, Countess Adios and Bye Bye Byrd.

All eyes were on Adios Butler, then a five-year-old and at the time the toast of the harness racing world. Driven by Ohioan Eddie Cobb, the son of Adios had won eight straight coming into the race and with 32 career wins in just 45 lifetime starts, he was the third winningest horse​ (in earnings)​ in history trailing only Bye Bye Byrd -- who was also in this race -- and Tornese, from Italy. At this time in history, top horses were not retired at age three but often went on to exciting careers as "aged" performers.

In 1959 as a three-year-old, Adios Butler was a sensation winning harness racing's Triple Crown -- The Cane, Messenger and Little Brown Jug. What was most amazing about his sophomore campaign was that he accomplished so much in so little time. As a three-year-old, Adios Butler started just nine times, winning seven and finishing second twice. His season's earnings were just over $150,000. He was driven throughout this campaign by Clint Hodgins, who obviously did quite a job. Adios Butler was owned by Paige West who later formed the Adios Butler Syndicate. West was also the trainer who on occasion drove in races.

Many had hoped for a new Roosevelt track and world record on this occasion but rains earlier in the evening dashed those hopes. The current record of 1:57.4 for a half-mile track was jointly held by Adios Butler and Bye Bye Byrd who was now a six-year-old and was slightly past his prime.

As the race unfolded Apmat, an eight-year-old Australian import, grabbed the early lead taking the field to a quarter in :29.2. As the horses neared the half-mile station Cobb pulled his horse and marched to the lead reaching the halfway marker in 1:01.1 and from there coasted home in a relatively slow 2:00.3, undoubtedly attributable to the slow track conditions. Apmat was second with Mr. Budlong taking the show spot.

​Established as the prohibitive favourite at 1-5, Adios Butler drew a huge "investment" from the betting public as $158,085 was wagered on this event alone. Of that total, $100,729 went on Adios Butler with almost $61,000 to win. His mutuel payoff of $2.30; $2.30; $2.20 was the second lowest in the track's long history, almost matching a 1944 win payout of $2.20 on a horse named Singapore.

At season's end Adios Butler closed his racing career by winning 13 of 14 starts, losing only his season's debut. He rang up another $180,250 giving him a career bankroll of nearly $510,000. ​During​ that season he took part in three time trials: at Foxboro, Mass., Delaware, Ohio and Monticello, N.Y. On each try he bettered the track mark including a world record for a half-mile track at Delaware when he was timed in 1:54.4. Great horses like this do not come along too often.

The huge crowd of 21,120 people were treated to a nostalgic touch during the evening when the great pacer Hi-Lo's Forbes was paraded past the stand in a cameo appearance. Back in 1953 this memorable horse paced an unbelievable mile in 1:58.3 over the old Roosevelt half-miler for driver Henry Clukey. Many observers at the time believed that this mile time would not be eclipsed for many years, if at all. At the time of his record he was five years old and was then a spry 13 years of age when he appeared for this event. That same season of 1953, this horse started many times at Vernon and won on a number of occasions but took a record just a few ticks better at 1:58, despite the lightning fast Vernon oval.

​He was retired to the stud at the end of this season and like many before him, his career as a sire was somewhat below his own accomplishments. Critics placed a portion of the blame on the fact that he stood in Ohio which was then not considered a prime location. ​​​Adios Butler went out like a true champion winning his final lifetime start at Roosevelt with trainer Paige West in the sulky. West, who owned and trained this great horse throughout his career truly loved him. He later remarked that he had seen all of the greats come and go -- including Bret Hanover, Niatross and Albatross -- but said " I never saw one I would trade him for."

​Adios Butler, driven by Clint Hodgins as a three-year-old, sets a record at Lexington in a time trial clocked in 1:55 4/5. At the time this was considered the fourth or fifth fastest mile of all time, bettered only by Adios Harry 1:55, Billy Direct 1:55 and the trotter Greyhound 1:55 1/4. Experts of the day were undecided how to consider Dan Patch's windshield miles of 1:55 which raises the question.

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​Bye Bye Byrd with Clint Hodgins is shown setting the world's record for a half-mile track at the finish with Widower Creed second for Howard Beisssinger. This horse was a top colt performer and continued to race until the age of six. He thrilled fans wherever he performed and his presence in a race usually brought out record crowds as evidenced in this photo at Roosevelt Raceway.

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Bye Bye Byrd and driver Clint Hodgins are welcomed in the Brandywine winner's circle by track officials headed by Raceway founder Howard R. Miller on the far left.

​Another performer from this era that remained on the track well past her three-year-old season was the mare Dotties Pick, one of the early great performers owned by the Armstrong Bros. of Brampton. She raced at a time when she had to compete against the toughest horses around and that nearly always included her male counterparts. In 1956 at the age of four she hooked up with the then fastest performer in the sport, Adios Harry (with a mark of 1:55) in a much-celebrated $25,000 match race at Yonkers Raceway. She was a convincing winner in this epic battle that showed her class, determination and speed. She competed at the highest level until retirement with one of her final victories in a 1-1/8 mile contest in California with Eddie Wheeler driving.

In 1959 at the conclusion of her six-year-old season she was retired and went on to her next career as a valued broodmare in the Armbro band. She took a lifetime best of 1:56.4 at age four and banked a huge $263,948. The Armstrongs, especially Elgin 'loved' the Adios breed and was usually willing to spend whatever it took to secure one he liked.

Dotties Pick is shown in the winners circle at Santa Anita in California after winning the $19,500 Californian Pace. ​Driver Delvin Miller and Dottie are joined by Mel Eaton of Vernon Downs presenting the trophy to owners Elgin and Victoria Armstrong on the far right (Harness Horse)

​A half-century ago horse owners were not as eager to retire great colt performers at the end of their sophomore season as they are today. The lure of large amounts of money being paid to syndicate horses for breeding purposes following their three-year-old campaigns has taken many great performers off the track when perhaps their best was yet to come.
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