Counting down your picks, in order of the top on-track racing moments from 1974 to today.
We asked readers on Standardbred Canada’s website to provide us with their selections of the greatest on-track moments from the past 40 years in harness racing. After receiving submissions, we polled readers to choose their top 10 from more than 100 submitted responses. Finally, we ranked the top 40 choices, based on votes received.
#20 - Rambling Willie captures his third Canadian Pacing Derby in a row in 1977
August 20, 1977, Greenwood Raceway - Rambling Willie, known as “The horse that God loved,” raced 305 times, winning 128 races. To Canadians, his biggest wins came in the Canadian Pacing Derby… in 1975, 1976 & 1977.
#19 - Apaches Fame wins the 1990 North America Cup
June 23, 1990, Greenwood Raceway - Apaches Fame makes harness racing history, becoming the first Ontario-bred and sired colt to win the prestigious $1 million North America Cup. His head victory is celebrated by busloads of fans on hand at a jam-packed Greenwood Raceway.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#18 - Bee A Magician wins the 2013 Moni Maker to cap an undefeated season
November 30, 2013, The Meadowlands – Star three-year-old trotting filly Bee a Magician heads into the Moni Maker Stakes undefeated. With a well rated effort for driver Brian Sears, she completes her season a perfect 17-for-17, and earns Horse of the Year honours in both Canada & the U.S. (Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#17 - Cambest - world record time trial in 1.46.1
August 16, 1993, Illinois Fairgrounds (Springfield) – Cambest and driver Bill O’Donnell pace fractions of :26.1, :51.4 and 1:19, before stopping the clock in 1:46.1 – the fastest mile of all time.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#16 - Foiled Again breaks the Standardbred earnings record
November 30, 2013, The Meadowlands – Facing the red hot Pet Rock and three-year-old sensation Captaintreacherous in the TVG Pace, Foiled Again takes the lead and never looks back, winning his season finale. The nine-year-old becomes the richest standardbred of all time, surpassing the $6 million mark.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#15 - Foiled Again wins the 2013 Breeders Crown at age nine
October 19, 2013, Pocono Downs - Over a sloppy track at Pocono Downs, a courageous nine-year-old named Foiled Again bravely holds off all rivals to capture a neck decision.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#14 - Life Sign wins the 1993 Little Brown Jug
September 23, 1993, Delaware County Fair - With one of the best fields ever assembled for the Little Brown Jug, Life Sign and driver John Campbell, parked first-over almost the entire mile, win in a second-heat thriller over Riyadh and Presidential Ball.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#13 - Falcon Seelster 1:51 mile on Little Brown Jug day in 1985
September 19, 1985, Delaware County Fair - Ineligible to race in the Little Brown Jug but wanting to make a statement, three-year-old Falcon Seelster wows the harness racing world on the Jug undercard in Delaware, Ohio. He wins the race by the length of the stretch, in a world record time of 1:51.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#12 - Artsplace wins the 1990 Breeders Crown, setting a world record
November 30, 1990, Pompano Park – Despite strong winds, and a night producing slower miles than usual, Artsplace becomes the fastest two-year-old pacer of all time with a 1:51.1 world record in the Breeders Crown. Amazingly the record would stand for 18 more years until 2008 when it’s finally beaten by If I Can Dream.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#11 - Peaceful Way defeats the boys in the Maple Leaf Trot
September 9, 2006, Mohawk Racetrack – On paper, the 2006 Maple Leaf Trot is Sand Vic’s race to win. But on this night, the 1-to-5 favourite is no match for trotting mare Peaceful Way, who dominates to win by 3 3/4 lengths. (Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#10 - Fan Hanover wins the Little Brown Jug
September 24, 1981, Delaware County Fair - A record crowd of 45,907 are on hand in Delaware, Ohio for the 36th Little Brown Jug – a race that will not soon be forgotten. The race features a record field of 19 horses, an accident, and even a fight on the racetrack between drivers Ben Webster and Jim Marohn. In the end, filly sensation Fan Hanover steals the show in straight heats, becoming the first, and only, filly ever to capture the prestigious race.
#9 - San Pail wins the 2011 Breeders Crown over Rapide Lebel
October 29, 2011, Woodbine Racetrack - Before the 2011 Breeders Crown, Alexandre Provost, owner of French superstar Rapide Lebel, speaks out in his belief that he has one of the fastest trotters in the world. With Canadian Horse of the Year San Pail defending his own turf, and Swedish sensation Commander Crowe also accepting the challenge, the race shapes up as a dash of the decade. And hometown hero, San Pail, and driver Randy Waples, do not disappoint, triumphantly winning the race despite bold and brave challenges by his European rivals.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#8 - Sebastian K breaks world record, trotting a mile in 1:49
June 28, 2014, Pocono Downs – Sebastian K stuns onlookers by posting the fastest trotting mile in the history of harness racing with a jaw-dropping 1:49 victory in the $100,000 Mohegan Sun Invitational Trot at Pocono Downs. Trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt fires the Swedish trotting star off the gate from the outside post seven and carves out fractions of :26.2, :55.3 and 1:21.4 enroute to the record-setting mile.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#7 - San Pail wins his third consecutive Maple Leaf Trot
July 23, 2011, Mohawk Racetrack – Despite having won the Maple Leaf Trot the two previous years, San Pail enters the 2011 edition as the underdog. With Arch Madness a prohibitive 2-5 favourite, driver Randy Waples and Canadian trotting hero San Pail leave hard from post position nine and take the lead just past the quarter pole. From there, San Pail stays strong on the lead, eventually pulling away to a triumphant 3-length win, becoming the first horse ever to win the storied race three times in a row.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#6 - Cam Fella’s farewell race at Greenwood Raceway
December 10, 1983, Greenwood Raceway - With 27 straight wins under his belt, the horse they call “The Pacing Machine” squares off at the Toronto oval for his final start. Horse racing enthusiasts around the world watch the $75,000 Special Invitation to see if Cam is capable of surpassing Rambling Willie to become the richest pacer of all time. With a strong effort, Cam does not disappoint, extending his winning streak to 28, with a 1:57.2 triumph.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#5 - Billyjojimbob wins the Elitlopp for Canada
May 31, 1992, Solvalla Race Course - The Canadian flag is raised up at Solvalla Racecourse as Billyjojimbob and driver Murray Brethour defeats the likes of Peace Corps and Kit Lobell in the Elitlopp. Capturing the event in straight heats and world record time, he becomes the first Canadian-owned, bred, trained and driven horse to win Sweden’s most famous horse race. The words, “Go Canada Go,” as proclaimed by the track announcer, will provide chills for a generation of Canadian harness racing fans.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#4 - Niatross goes 1:49.1 in Red Mile Time Trial
October 1, 1980, The Red Mile – The harness racing world is focused on The Red Mile where Niatross would attempt to become the fastest pacer of all-time. While some wonder whether he’ll be able to beat his world mark of 1:52.4, or Steady Star’s time trial record of 1:52, others ponder the unthinkable – a 1:50 mile. After posting fractions of :27.3, :54.3 and 1:21.4 for the first three-quarters of the mile, the crowd roars. At the wire, Niatross has paced the mile in 1:49.1 – a moment that won’t soon be forgotten.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#3 - Cam Fella defeats Its Fritz at The Meadowlands
July 25, 1983, The Meadowlands - Riding an eight race winning streak, Cam Fella squares off with Its Fritz in the $40,000 Summer Championship at the Meadowlands. While Cam Fella is on the lead for most of the race, things change at the three-quarter pole as Its Fritz challenges on the outside, taking command and pulling away. What happens next still sends chills down the spines of harness racing fans… as Cam Fella and driver Pat Crowe refuse to quit, making up three-lengths in the final 70 yards to miraculously win the race.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#2 - Art Official defeats Somebeachsomewhere in the Meadowlands Pace
July 19, 2008, The Meadowlands - It’s Meadowlands Pace day and all eyes are on Somebeachsomewhere – the horse considered by many to be the greatest pacer ever to race. In a contest for the ages, the Pace features a remarkable three wide move by Beach, an extremely courageous effort by both horses, and a gut-wrenching stretch duel. In the end, Art Official and driver Ron Pierce snap Somebeachsomewhere’s undefeated streak, setting a world record with a 1:47 victory in the $1.1 million event.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)
#1 - Somebeachsomewhere sets a 1:46.4 world record at The Red Mile
September 27, 2008, The Red Mile - On a warm and sunny fall afternoon in Kentucky, pacing sensation, Somebeachsomewhere, steps out on to the red clay at Lexington’s Red Mile. It seems that everyone in attendance, and around North America, suspects that something special will happen on this day, and Beach does not disappoint. Competing in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes, he paces away from his rivals powerfully. In front of a roaring crowd, the amazing pacer and driver Paul MacDonell, blaze through fractions of :26.4, :52.4 and 1:19.2 before crossing the wire with a dominating 1:46.4 world record performance.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)