The 15 Biggest Harness Racing Stories of 2017 by Dave Briggs
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Sunday, December 31, 2017 The 15 biggest harness racing stories of 2017 by Dave Briggs In today?s HRU Commissioner Bailey: ?In 2018, It will be a (more) wonderful sport? page 5 In breeding, everything old is new again page 7 The incredible book on The Pacing Machine page 9 Betty Holt, Michael Carter and Wild West Show to be honored by USHWA page 11 What The Hill to Hickory Lane page 13 Standardbred Canada?s media award finalists announced page 14 New Image Media chugging at age 55. On July 12, he recorded his jaw-dropping Dr J Hanover and driver Doug M cNair after setting a Canadian 18,000th career win. Palone won 421 races on the year and record of 1:46.4 at M ohaw k in early June. now sits at 18,193 lifetime. Counting down my list for the 15 biggest harness racing 14. Dr. J Hanover in 1:46.4 stories of 2017: Few people saw this coming when the 4-year-old son of 15. Palone pushes past 18,000 Somebeachsomewhere equalled his sire?s world record in a Remember when many of us thought Herve Filion?s 15,183 Graduate leg on June 3 at Mohawk with Doug McNair at the lifetime driving wins was an unbreakable record? Dave reins for trainer Tony Alagna. It was an all-time Canadian Palone is more than 3,000 wins past that now, and still record. Harness Racing Update | Page 1 | December 31, 2017 Harness Racing Update 13. Hail to the female trotters 8. Record-breaking Lexington sale Older trotting mare Hannelore Hanover, three-year-old Few people figured the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale trotting filly Ariana G and two-year-old trotting filly could surpass its record-breaking 2016 auction, but the 2017 Manchego were the top three horses in the sport in a year of sale smashed records in all categories ? gross ($36,410,000), female empowerment. average ($58,537), median ($42,000) and number of 12. What The Hill beats older horses yearlings that sold for $100,000 or more (103). On Nov. 25 in the TVG Open Trot at the Meadowlands, The $480,000 sale topper ? a Muscle Hill filly purchased What The Hill became the first 3-year-old trotter in 10 years by Swedish agent Robert Lindstrom ? came on the second to defeat older horses in an event with a purse of $100,000 night, not the first and was the highest-priced yearling ever or more. sold by either the filly?s breeder, Jeff Gural, or the consignor, 11. Hanover Shoe Farms sets earnings record Bob Boni?s Northwood Bloodstock. After being the leading breeder for 69 straight years ? ever 7. 250th anniversary of horse racing in Canada since breeding records have been kept ? it?s sometimes easy Canada celebrated the 250th anniversary of the first to overlook the incredible output and consistent excellence recorded horse race in the country by playing host to the of Hanover Shoe Farms, which broke its own record for World Trotting Conference and World Driving Championship. earnings in a single year by exceeding $31.4 million. Fittingly, James MacDonald won the WDC for the host 10. Twister Bi dominates Yonkers Trot nation in his hometown of Charlottetown where the Italy?s Twister Bi was so impressive while winning the $1 conference was held during OId Home Week that concluded million Yonkers International Trot on Oct. 14 in a 2:22.1 with the magical Gold Cup and Saucer. world record for 1 1/ 4 miles, the Jerry Riordan trainee even 6. Aaron Merriman's 1,000+ wins cracked the North American-dominated Hambletonian Society / Breeders Crown Top 10 poll for a brief time. Aaron Merriman became just the fourth driver to exceed 1,000 victories in a year when he piloted Official Kisser to 9. Herve Filion dies Harness racing lost a legend and larger-than-life figure on June 22 when former world driving king Herve Filion died due to complications from respiratory distress at age 77. Herve Filion w ith Hot Hitter after w inning the 1979 Little Brow n Jug. The former dash champion w ith more than 15,000 w ins to his credit, died this year at age 77. Harness Racing Update | Page 2 | December 31, 2017 Harness Racing Update victory on Dec. 2 at Northfield Park and Park stole the sport?s spotlight and joined Tim Tetrick, Walter Case, Jr. and won many new admirers for a great job Tony Morgan in the history books. as Crown host. Through Friday, Dec. 29, Merriman had 3. Hail to Hannelore 1,091 wins on the year. Hannelore Hanover not only beat the 5. Tetrick youngest to 10,000 boys in the $486,260 Maple Leaf Trot career victories and the $526,250 Breeders Crown Two weeks before turning 36, Tim open trot, she also recorded the fastest Tetrick became the youngest man to mile by a female trotter in the history record 10,000 career driving victories of the sport while beating her male when he drove Earl Variera to victory rivals (again) when she won the on Nov. 3 at Harrah?s Philadelphia. The $136,000 Allerage Farms open trot on previous youngest to 10,000 wins was Oct. 7 at Red Mile in 1:49.2. 40-year-old Walter Case, Jr. 2. Hambletonian won by DQ 4. Indiana in the spotlight It certainly wasn?t a good story when Beckhams Z Tam?s mild upset in the Perfect Spirit and Ake Svanstedt won $527,500 Breeders Crown for the 92nd Hambletonian on Aug. 5 at the Meadowlands by disqualification, sophomore pacing colts on his Courtesy Standardbred Canada but it was still one of the biggest of hometown track was the highlight Canada not only celebrated the 250th anniversary of horse racing in the country, it the year. Three-year-old trotting colt of victory for the wife-and-husband capped a successful World Trotting Conference tandem of trainer Jamie Macomber and w ith James M acDonald's hometow n w in in the the year What The Hill and David World Driving Championship in Charlottetow n. driver Rick Macomber, Jr. as Hoosier Miller crossed the wire first, but were Harness Racing Update | Page 3 | December 31, 2017 Harness Racing Update Dave Landry John Campbell retired from driving - and gave a heartfelt address to the crow d - on Legends Day at Clinton Racew ay. set back to ninth for interference in the stretch in a race also marred when International Moni was interfered with in the first turn. 1. John Campbell retires at Clinton takes reins of Hambletonian Society John Campbell, the sport?s most decorated driver and career earnings leader with $299 million, officially retired from the sulky with a massive farewell party at Clinton Raceway on Legends Day on July 30 that drew more people than the town?s population of 3,000, raised $57,000 for the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation and ended with a classy goodbye speech from Campbell to the crowd just down the road from where he grew up. That it came a month after he became chief executive officer of the Hambletonian Society made him the newsmaker of the year. Dave Landry A t age 35, Tim Tetrick became the youngest driver to w in 10,000 career races. Harness Racing Update | Page 4 | December 31, 2017 Harness Racing Update Commissioner Bailey: ?In 2018, It w ill be a (more) w onderful sport? by Dean Towers Here at Harness Racing Update we?ve landed some major scoops over the years, but if I do say so myself this might be the best scoop ever: We?ve been granted an interview with the newly elected Commissioner of Harness Racing, George Bailey. Below the new Commissioner will share what will be implemented in 2018, and detail his grand plan for harness racing?s revitalization. HRU: Thanks for granting us this interview Commissioner Bailey. What?s first and foremost on your list to fix in 2018? CB: A new directive we?re most excited about is a Any track which does not comply with our directive will 12-month plan for revitalization of our on-track product. lose their harness racing licence and be unable to race. We?re We believe John Campbell?s rules committee will have to very much looking forward to the modernization of the be fast tracked, and in six months uniform rules will be harness racing product. enacted across North America. No longer will trainers, HRU: What about bettors, Mr. Commissioner? Is there owners, drivers and fans be in the dark on how many pylons anything new for them in 2018? is a violation or not based on what track they?re at, or CB: You bet. watching. Whip rules will be the same everywhere. Post parades will be uniform. If you?re watching a race in Ohio or It?s well known that when takeout is lowered a horseplayer Ontario, you?ll be watching the same exact race, with the gets her wings, so on Jan. 1 we?ve arranged takeout at all same exact rules. tracks be set at 8 per cent win, place, show with all other exotics 12 per cent. We?ve assembled a crack staff of analysts In addition to this, we?ve created a Harness Racing Control to monitor the results, and we?ll be able to slide this number Room. Any and all inquiries will now go to this central office up or down for various bets as needed.