Eliminations for the Cane Pace, the only Pacing Triple Crown event held in New Jersey, go postward on Saturday and statistician Bob 'Hollywood' Heyden has compiled a list of interesting facts and figures pertaining to the race.
This Cane, held at Freehold for the 11th consecutive year, kicks off the Pacing Triple Crown for 2008 (Jug-September 18; Messenger October 25). This year marks the 54th Cane Pace.
Before looking at some of the contenders for this year – a few Cane Pace highlights – at Freehold – through the years:
1998 – The Cane Pace moves to NJ for the first time – and Shady Character – en route to winning 2/3rds of the Triple Crown, takes it for Mike Lachance/Brett Pelling/Sandy Goldfarb.
1999 – Blissful Hall takes the Cane, upending The Panderosa in the process, and goes on to win the Triple Crown – the last time the Triple Crown had a bonus attached to it. ($250,000)
2001 – Four Starzzz Shark did what his sire couldn't do – win the Cane Pace. As a matter of fact, the ONLY race that his sire Cams Card Shark missed the board in during his HOY season in 1994 WAS the Cane Pace.
2002 – Art Major romps in the Cane Pace – a late-blooming son of 1992 HOY Artsplace, he went on to become the dominant 3 YO of 2002 and winningest – well over $1.5 million. Not bad for a colt who entered August with $70g on his dance card for the year. Art Major is also the sire of the FASTEST 3 YO ever – Art Official, who has supplemented to the Cane this year. (1:47 flat)
2003 – The LAST Pacer to win the Triple Crown – No Pan Intended – becomes the ONLY HORSE EVER to win a Triple Crown AND a Breeders Crown.
2004 – The ONLY Dead Heat in a Pacing Triple Crown event came this year in the Cane – Timesareachanging/Western Terror. Not only that, but they were STABLEMATES for the same TRAINER/OWNER!!!!!!
2006 – Total Truth wins the Cane Pace en route to becoming Pacer Of The Year, making George Teague, Jr. the ONLY conditioner to have a MALE and FEMALE Pacer Of The Year! (2004 – Rainbow Blue)
Some of the main contenders:
Moon Beam – A $700,000 buy at the January Meadowlands sale. His sire Dragon Again was second to Shady Character in the very first ever Cane Held at Freehold in 1998. He raced in the George Teague, Jr. barn at 2. Eric Abbatiello is trying to do what his father couldn't – win the Cane Pace – even though it was held in his own backyard for years. Carmine, the "Redman" Abbatiello never visited the winner's circle in the Cane.
Badlands Nitro – World record equaling performance at 2 – 1:51.1 on the 5/8ths, tying Artsplaces' 17 YO mark set in the 1990 Breeders Crown at Pompano. George Teague with FOUR Millionaire pacers in his barn at the SAME TIME!!! Southwind Lynx, Western Ace, Total Truth are the others. He was second in the NA Cup – the richest race of the year for sophomore pacing colts. Sears won this last year with Always A Virgin. Mike Lachance is the last to win this back-to-back – 1997-Western Dreamer, 1998 Shady Character. Teague has been first and second in this race the last two years...
Art Official – 24 YEARS since the last Meadowlands Pace winner also won the Cane – 1984 On The Road Again!! (Southwind Lynx was second last year)...The last time the fastest 3 YO in the world won the Cane Pace? 1980 – Niatross...Trying to complete the first father-son tandem to EACH win the Cane Pace (Art Major – 2002) since Western Hanover-Western Dreamer did it in 1992, 1997. BOTH times it would be the first crop – Art Major was the sports leading first crop stallion of 2007 and won the Governors Cup and Breeders Crown with Santanna Blue Chip....
Etcetera
The 1977 Cane Pace is the race where father and son-DRIVERS-finished 1-2 in the richest ever race for ANY father-son combo. Jack Kopas and John Kopas – 1-2 with Jade Prince and Nat Lobell – 296g. (293g – 1980 Hambo Billy-Tommy Haughton the second highest – Burgomeister and Final Score)
John Campbell is the sport's all-time leader with 30 Triple Crown wins, including 5 Cane Pace trophies.
The world half mile track record was just set last week for sophomores of 1:49.2 by Somebeachsomewhere in the Confederation Cup. Jet Laag-1999-Delaware-Ohio-holds the all time record at 1:49 flat (Luc Ouellette-Linda Toscano)
No Pan Intended was the last HOY to win the Cane Pace – 2003
Cams Card Shark may have been off the board in this very race, but he is the ONLY sire with THREE Cane Pace winners in the new Millennium – Four Starzzz Shark, Timesareachanging and Royal Flush Shark
Stanley Dancer won the Cane Pace in 1976 with Keystone Ore, and then was assigned the second tier in the Messenger – eventually losing a neck to Windshield Wiper – costing him his record 4th Triple Crown (Nevele Pride, Most Happy Fella, Super Bowl)
Art Official paid his way in via the supplemental route-a la Cam Fella, who did the same in 1982 and beat favoured Merger. That's right, Cam Fella was NOT favoured in either the Elimination or the final that year
When Jack Moiseyev won the 1991 Cane Pace, he did so with Silky Stallone for trainer Brett Pelling. That colt debuted for Pelling and owner Lou Guida in that very race. In the 17 years SINCE then, only one time has a horse won ANY Triple Crown event DEBUTING for a new stable – 2006 Messenger – Palone Ranger-Greg Peck-Yonkers
The last female to get $$ in the Cane? 1986-second H H Shadow for Jody Stafford.
Village Jolt finished third in the 2005 Cane Pace. You might remember that he was a 3 YO stablemate for HOY Rocknroll Hanover, but at two he was a 195-15 winner over Rocknroll Hanover as the 2 YO of the season. When was the last time you saw a horse win THAT decisively over another in year end balloting and THEN switch barns early at three? (Ed Hart to Brett Pelling)
Stanley Dancer had the most Horses Of The Year with seven. The Most Triple Crown winners – 3. But, get this – TWO of those Triple Crown winners were NOT Voted Horse Of The Year!!!
1970 – Most Happy Fella second to Fresh Yankee, and in 1972, Super Bowl, second to stablemate Albatross. Albatross, the 1971 Cane Pace winner and Super Bowl, to this day, are the last STABLEMATES to be honoured at years end as Pacer Of The Year and Trotter Of The Year same season (1972).