One thing is for certain: if there is an interesting, obscure tidbit regarding high-end harness racing stakes events on North America soil, Meadowlands Racetrack's statistician Bob 'Hollywood' Heyden is going to find it
.
With the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup coming up this Saturday, rest assured that Heyden is going to shed light on something you just didn't know about.
According to Heyden, driver Ron Pierce will be entering the 'Cup' with the colt to beat, All Speed Hanover.
If All Speed Hanover wins, and if he does so in a sub-1:49 clocking, the feat will mark the first time ever that a driver in two different million-dollar races will hold the two fastest times in both, concurrently -- and, Pierce will have done it consecutively.
Meadowlands Pace
• 2008 - Art Official - 1:47
• 2009 - Well Said - 1:47.3
North America Cup
• 2009 - Well Said - 1:48.1
The last driver to have won both the NA Cup and the Meadowlands Pace consecutively and concurrently?
John Campbell
Meadowlands Pace
• 1994 - Cams Card Shark
• 1995 - Davids Pass
North America Cup
• 1994 - Cams Card Shark
• 1995 - Davids Pass
Also, if Pierce wins the NA Cup on Saturday, he'll become the first and only driver in harness history to have won four races valued at over $1.3 million. Currently, only he and Bill O'Donnell have done it three times -- 13 others drivers have done it once each.
Also, last but not least, Heyden brought to light that today is Pierce's 54th birthday.