Perfectly exploiting the raging speed duel in front of him, Rembrandt Spur pounced on the tiring leaders and captured Thursday’s $25,000 Preferred Handicap Trot
in a remarkable 1:52.2 - the fastest mile ever trotted at The Meadows.
Winning Mister set the stage for the historic mile when he parked even-money favourite Triumphant Caviar well past the half. Triumphant Caviar eventually cleared to the lead but had to trot three-quarters in a wicked 1:23.3. That was the signal for Rembrandt Spur and trainer/driver Dick Stillings to cut loose. They came home in :28.4 to defeat the game Triumphant Caviar by 4-1/2 lengths, with Oatmeister a distant third.
Michaelrowyourboat set the previous all-age Meadows trotting mark of 1:52.3 last year. The mile by Rembrandt Spur was only two-fifths of a second off Macho Lindy’s all-age trotting world record for a five-eights mile oval.
Roy Davis owns Rembrandt Spur, a four-year-old Pegasus Spur-Marty E gelding who vaulted over $200,000 in career earnings. Rembrandt Spur now holds or shares three trotting track records - all achieved with Stillings - in addition to the all-age mark, including:
• fastest mile by a four-year-old gelding (1:52.2)
• fastest mile by a three-year-old gelding (1:53.3 - a world record for five-eighths mile tracks shared with Shermans Mountain)
• fastest dead heat (1:55.1 with Diamond Hunter - a world record for 5/8-mile tracks)
(The Meadows)