Harness Racing

The sport—Harness racing is conducted with Standardbred trotters or pacers drawing a light, two-wheeled racing cart known as a sulky. A driver sits in the sulky and controls the horse through long reins. Many years ago, the racing cart was a high four-wheeled "wagon" —and then a large two-wheeled wagon with the driver sitting high. Prior to one hundred years ago, trotters were raced under saddle and trotting races under saddle are common in France and Belgium today.

Harness racing is very popular abroad, especially in France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. It originated, however, in the United States.

THE SULKY—The sulky has small, bicycle-type wheels and the driver's seat is on a level with the shafts. The racing sulky weighs about 30 pounds and some are as light as 26 pounds. The term is said to derive from a sports-minded American wife, who seeing the single seat, contended that only a "sulky" man would want such a vehicle. THE HORSE—The horses used in harness racing in the United States are a distinctive breed known since 1879 as the American Standard-bred. They either trot or pace.
Messenger, a gray running horse stallion imported from England in 1788, is generally agreed to have provided the foundation stock for the Standardbred. However, the fastest harness horses today and for some time have included the great sire Hambletonian in their family tree. Hambletonian is, therefore, generally referred to as "Father of the Breed." Mambrino Chief and Axworthy were also dominant Standardbred sires.

As a rule, trotters and pacers do not race each other.

A trotting horse springs from one diagonal pair of legs to the other, e.g., the right fore and left hind—then the left fore and right hind.

A pacing horse springs from one lateral pair of legs to the other, e.g., the right fore and hind—then the left fore and hind.

The pace is a slightly faster gait than the trot, but only slightly so.

The age range of harness horses when they have established their best records is three to seven years old. Of course, some have been older, e.g., the famous Flora Temple at 14!

The length of a good trotter's stride is from 20 to 22 feet. Greyhound's stride was measured at 23 feet, Titan Hanover's at 22.

The greatest number of Standardbreds are bred in Ohio. Illinois is second, New York third. Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also breed large numbers of Standardbred horses. The largest Standard-bred breeding establishments are in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania and Walnut Hill Farm in Kentucky have produced more champions than all the others.

Factors affecting a harness horse's racing speed, in addition to the speed of the horse itself are: the driver, the sulky, shoeing, the track and the weather.

Horses whose natural gait is a trot can be taught to pace by use of hopples (leather straps looped about each pair of the horse's lateral legs) and horses whose natural gait is a pace may be trained to trot by the use of weighted shoes. However, the latter is seldom done since pacing is less natural and more difficult to maintain.

Harness horses frequently wear quarter boots (bell shaped, hinged and close fitting) as a protection against over-reaching.

Famous Standardbred Sires—The progenitors of famous Standard-bred blood lines are Messenger, the foundation sire; Hambletonian, for whom the famous race is named; Black Hawk, Justin Morgan, Bellfounder, Henry Clay, Mambrino Chief, Pilot Jr., Axworthy, Peter the Great and George Wilkes.

Famous mares are Lady Suffolk, Flora Temple, The Kent Mare, Nancy Hanks and Lou Dillon.

Hambletonian traces his breeding on both sides to Messenger (the foundation sire) who was his great grandsire through both his sire, Abdallah and his dam, The Kent Mare.

U.S.T.A. TROTTING REGISTER-Eligibility for inclusion in the United States Trotting Association's trotting register is based on: (a) registered Standardbred sire or dam or (b) a registered Standardbred sire —dam and grand dam sired by a Standardbred horse; (c) a standard record; (d) being a sire or dam of two or more performers with standard records (there are four specific requirements under this general classification—one for stallions, three for mares), or (e) the approval of a specially appointed committee of breeders.

Originally, admission to the Trotting Register required only a recorded mile of 2:30 minutes trotting or 2:25 pacing. This was "standard," hence the name Standardbred.

CLASSIFICATION—In order to assure fair and interesting competition, racing Standardbreds are classified as to the time in which they can usually trot or pace a mile, e.g., 2:00 (a mile in 2 minutes—a very superior horse), 2:05, 2:10, etc. Horses are also classified as to the amount of their winnings. Races are usually limited to horses of specified time classifications.

A classified race is one open to horses named by a committee or a specially designated person (a classifier). The horses are selected because of their presumed ability to compete on an equal basis.

A free for all race is one not limited to time or money-winning classification—usually classic events in which, as a rule, only the fastest horses are entered.

A bar race is one limited to horses which have not won a race at a designated official time or less, e.g., a 2:05 bar trot is limited to horses which have not won a race timed in 2 minutes and 5 seconds or less.

THE GRAND CIRCUIT—The "Grand Circuit" is an association of harness race tracks and associations in the most important centers of harness racing with generally fixed purses and uniform conditions. The Grand

Circuit is, in some ways, comparable to the Big Leagues in baseball. THE TRACK—Harness racing tracks are usually one-half mile or a mile and the horses trot or pace counterclockwise, the same direction as in Thoroughbred racing.

Races are usually one mile, although there are several two mile races at the bigger tracks.

Sometime ago, harness races were generally decided on the best two out of three heats. While a few of the classic races (The Ham-bletonian and The Little Brown Jug) and some at the small tracks are still raced in heats, this type of competition is rapidly vanishing and each race is now generally final.

The first trotting race held on a regular track was at Centerville, Long Island, New York on May 16th, 1826.

The greatest number of harness racing tracks in regular use is in Ohio. However, the greatest number of regular race meetings is in New York. Lexington, Ky., is usually considered to be the capital city of harness racing, while Orange County in New York is generally known as the birthplace of harness racing.

The largest purses and the greatest number of races are held at Roosevelt Raceway and the Yonkers Raceway, both near New York City.

TERMS—Scoring refers to brief warm-up dashes prior to the start and, where there is no starting gate, to trotting or pacing in hand to the starting line.

Brushing refers to a short dash at top speed generally on approaching the finish. At one time, the term also described short informal races between two or more road drivers—popular on the highways and speedways up to the turn of the century.

Sidewheeler, sandshifter, and wiggler—All are slang phrases to describe a pacer.

Hopples are leather straps looped about each pair of a pacer's lateral legs to cause him to pace and to keep him from breaking.

Cheating refers to a horse sulking and not doing his best in a race.

A twice around is a 2 mile track.

Breaking—breaking the trot or pace by galloping—a serious fault.

Blowout—A leisurely workout, often on the day before a race.

Toe-weights—Two to six-ounce weights of brass or lead, attached to the front hoof to improve a horse's gait or lengthen his stride.

Double-header—A two-mile warm up, usually at a slow pace, on the afternoon of the race.

Fresh-legged—Applies to pacers which race without hopples.

Going big—Using up a horse's speed so that he has nothing left for a strong finish.

Jughead—Slang term for a horse addicted to stepping on his feet or making other mistakes in a race.

Pole—Starting position nearest to the inside rail of the track. When a handicapper gives the horses their positions, he frequently places the best horse on the far outside and gives the least qualified horse the favorable pole position.

Out on the limb—This means that a horse has "lapped on" to another horse at the rail and can't get in. Caught in this position, the horse usually tires and drops back.

FIXTURES AND RECORDS-The most popular and generally considered the most important harness race in the United States is the Hambletonian Stake for three year olds, raced for many years at Goshen, New York but, since 1957, at DuQuoin, Illinois.

Other important races, considered to be tops in their classification, are: the Horseman Stake at Indianapolis for two-year old trotters; the Fox Stake for two-year old pacers; the Little Brown Jug and Messenger Stakes for three-year old pacers and the Western Harness Racing Association's American Classic for older trotters and pacers.

The trotting record for a mile is 1:554 by Greyhound on September 29, 1938 at Lexington, Ky. (It is interesting that this famous horse, in addition to his color, was distinguished by his height, 16.14, and that he was an unprepossessing yearling, sold for $800.) He also won the Hambletonian in 1935.

The pacing record for a mile is 1.54r by Adios Butler on October 4, 1960 at Lexington, Kentucky.

On the record, male horses have the better score. Since Nancy Hanks' 2:04 mile in 1892, seven out of nine new records have been established by stallions or geldings. In 21 Hambletonians, only seven fillies have won.

The time for a fast mile has changed considerably over the years: in 1870, it was about 2:20-the record was 2: TO, in 1900, it was 2:05 —with a record of 2:034, in 1920, it was 2:00-the record was 1:58.

The first horses to trot or pace a two minute mile established their records not in a race, but directly against time behind a running horse and a shield to eliminate wind resistance.

The first two minute or better mile harness record was established August 28, 1897—the time was 1:59V4 by Star Pointer, a pacer at Reid-ville, Massachusetts—only four seconds slower than the present record.

Dan Patch paced in two minutes or faster, 30 times between 1901 and his retirement in 1909. His record, 1:554—set in 1905—stood for 33 years!

The mile was trotted in two minutes or better in 1903—the time, a flat 2:00—by Lou Dillon at Reidville, Massachusetts. In the same year, however, at Memphis, Tennessee, she trotted a mile in 1:582— 34 seconds slower than the present record.

The long distance record against time is 20 miles in 58 minutes 21 seconds by Blackrod, driven by R. L. Parker, at Aiken, South Carolina in 1942.

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