Trainers and drivers discuss some of harness racing's most underrated racehorses of all time in this week's Standardbred Canada video feature.
This week's video shines the spotlight on a few of the sport's underrated trotters and pacers -- the ones often overshadowed by division standouts, international superstars, more popular stablemates and stakes calibre horses.
While some horsemen discuss racing's overshadowed competitors, others acknowledge stars of the past that were ahead of their time and perhaps don't get as much recognition in today's discussion of all-time greats.
Who do you think is harness racing's most underrated racehorse of all time?
(Note: If you are having difficulty loading the SC Video Features in HD quality, you can adjust the settings to a lower quality and quicker web stream by clicking on the red 'HD' symbol near the right hand corner of the video.)
Talking about Bret Hanover, I
Talking about Bret Hanover, I saw him win at Liberty Bell Park and after the race he came towards the crowd and bowed before them. As you can imangine the crowd went wild. I also saw Cardigan Bay at Liberty Bell, they handed out 'I love Cardy' buttons to the crowd. Some of the other great horses at Libery bell and Branywine; Best of All, Adios Vick, Miss Conna Adios, Fresh Yankee ( a tiny trotting mare who beat the big boys ), Savoir, Rum Customer and Nevele Pride.
The best I ever saw go was OVERCALL, what a stride and what a brush coming down the stretch (With Del insko in the bike). What a race he put on with BEST OF ALL at Brandywine, BEST OF ALL came after OVERCALL three times, OVERCALL won bt less than a length. OVERCALL won twenty one straight.
By the way, my vote for best racing announcer goes to Roy Schudt.
Hope I stired some great Harness Racing Memories,
John Allen
There was a horse in Windsor
There was a horse in Windsor around 15 years ago by the name of Mike Jenna. You can look it up on Track It but I believe she raced for 7 or 8 years without having to qualify... Tough, big mare and the epitome of Durable. The Cal Ripken Jr. of the sport. Also if I may mention Liberty Dancer. I raced him at Woodbine as a 14 year old about 10 years ago. Not many 14 year olds can boast hitting the ticket at WEG in this millennium. As far as all time greats, my old buddy Admirals Express... No matter what is said about him he will always be the toughest, fastest and best horse Ive had the pleasure of sitting behind...
When I was a kid I saw
When I was a kid I saw Cardigan Bay win the Provincial Cup in Windsor(the last stake race of the year)Stanley Dancer searched the World over to find a horse to compete with arguably one of the best of all time(Bret Hanover). Cardigan Bay had fallen and broke his hip twice and he developed Bursitis when he healed. I watched him jog and warm-up before the race and it was painful to see the way he hobbled around the track, but when the horses lined behind the starting gate he pinned his ears back and seemed to forget his aches and pains for 2 minutes. He made 4 moves during the race as they all took him on and won. It was a time when Horseman dreamed of having a horse good enough to make 3 moves. He faced Bret Hanover(3 time Harness Horse of the year and winner of 63 of 67 races), and defeated him 3 times!!
Shipps Dream was as good as
Shipps Dream was as good as they come out of Canada. I recall her being parked the entire mile at Greenwood 1st up in a snowstorm against the boys...turned for home and she drew off on them. This was after a couple of what could/should have been career ending injuries. Top 20 in earnings for distaff trotters in NA when she retired...what a tough mare she was!
Bridger never gets much press but what a machine he was. To bad the owners took Dave off him for the big race.
RB Jet, now that was some kind of trotter Mr. Jones!
Cole Bin. Yeah, you never heard of him but for this then 14-year-old boy and his grandfather he was the star of the show. 0-26 with the best from Blue Bonnets training, my grandfather decided to become his own trainer. Built an 8 horse barn, put in a track and Cole Bin was 10-26 the next year and the talk of the town!
In reply to Shipps Dream was as good as by WB
I remember BRIDGER winning a
I remember BRIDGER winning a FFA at Mohawk one night. The last 1/8th of a mile he trotted away to win by close to 10 lengths at the line. What was even more impressive, after the mile he stormed around the turn like a runaway train while the rest of the field staggered to reach the turn. He was very full of himself that evening.
Dragon's Lair was very
Dragon's Lair was very underrated because of Jeff Mallet's driving him,and another horse that same year was Broadway Express.Alot of really good horses never got the recognition they deserved due to a super horse being out the same .year.Stonebridge Regal,Ponder,Make It Brief were all great horses and all raced against a super horse in their divisions.
Abbey Road C
Abbey Road C
I can think of many. ART
I can think of many. ART OFFICIAL was the real deal, a gutsy, determined, little guy who just may have beaten "THE BEACH" again, if they had hooked up in the same stakes division, after his Meadowlands Pace victory. STAYING TOGETHER was a freak. I remember him being parked the mile at Mohawk in the FFA with TOM STRAUSS driving and still winning under no urging. CAM FELLA, I would always (no odds) bet against him, but he'd always find a way to win. GALLO BLUECHIP was a professional, I always enjoyed watching him strut post race, after kicking butt. CAMLUCK would have won almost everything that year, if not for Bob MacIntosh's well managed dream team, which included an upset minded ODDS AGAINST, and, an undefeated, ARTSPLACE. RED BOW TIE, FORREST SKIPPER, both overcoming life threatening moments (Hoofbeats Magazine)to win at the highest level. SHADYHILL PRIDE had the same post finish strut as GALLO BLUECHIP, when coming from 20 lengths behind in the "Greenwood" stretch. WESTERN HANOVER was always on the engine, while, always winning. MASTER LAWRENCE, BARELY VISIBLE, TAKE A LOOK, ARMBRO AGILE,the one-eyed ARMBRO CHRONICLE, SUPER GRIT, KENTUCKY SPUR, SHARKY SPUR, STORM DAMAGE, TYLER B, RAINBOW BLUE, ARRIVE AT FIVE, BROUSSARD, BOOMER DRUMMOND, RUNNYMEDE LOBELL, VILLAGE CONNECTION, FALCON SEELSTER, ARMBRO ACTON, ARMBRO CRUISER, BANKER FRETZ, BRET DODGER, WILLOW WIPER, ONTHEROADAGAIN, ETERNAL CAMNATION, ABERCROMBIE, ARMBRO EMERSON, MISS EASY, VILLAGE JOVE, GOLDEN RECEIVER, GARLAND LOBELL, DRAGON AGAIN, FOILED AGAIN, WELL SAID, CAMS CARD SKARK, MCARDLE, DERBYS GENT, OLDPORT DUKE.
Agree w/ Ben
Agree w/ Ben Baillargeon--Shadow Play was magnificent. Also Red Bow Tie and Robataille--made for great race call when they duelled at Woodbine.
Niatross was mentioned, but
Niatross was mentioned, but what about the cast that chased him. Storm Damage, Tyler B, Trenton Time, Bruce Gimble, Justin Passing, Fundamentalist, Royce etc...
Niatross was so good, that many who chased him were underrated.