Harness Racing Trivia

• Which track initated the mobile starting gate?
  Roosevelt Raceway in 1946.

• What horse was the first 2 minute pacer?
  Star Pointer in 1897

• Who was the first trotter to break the 2 minute barrier?
  Lou Dillion in 1903

• Who was the first horse to break Greyhound's one mile trotting record of 1:55 1/4?
  Nevele Pride in 1:54 4/5 in a time trial at Indianapolis, Indiana in 1969.

• When was Niatross syndicated?
  1980 for $8,000,000.

• What year did harness racing begin?
  In 1554 there were trotting races in Holland.

• Who was the first trotter to break the 3 minute barrier?
  Yankee in 2:59 at Harlem, New York in 1806.

• What year was the Grand Circuit established?
  1871

• In 1788 Messenger was imported from England to which city in the USA?
  Philadelphia

• What was the original name of the Grand Circuit?
  Quadrilateral Trotting Combination

• What breed was Messenger?
  A thoroughbred stallion.

• In what year did harness racing first become an organized sport?
  1840 in New England.

• What was the weight of the first sulky's?
  125 pounds

• Which track was the first to have racing under lights?
  Roosevelt Raceway in 1940.

• What year was the Hambletonian first raced?
  1926

• What year was Cane Pace first raced?
  1955

• What year was the Messenger Stake first raced?
  1957

• What year was the Little Brown Jug first raced?
  1946

• Where was Billy Haughton born?
  Gloversville, New York

• What is the most common color of a standardbred?
  Bay

• What is the average height of a standardbred?
  15-16 hands

• What is the average weight of a standardbred?
  900-1,000 pounds

• Nevele Thunder by Nevele Pride was syndicated as a foal for how much money?
  $1,500,000 in 1975.

• The name standardbred originated from which publication?
  Wallace's American Trotting Register which was first published in 1871 and standardbred referred to horses that could meet certain standards of speed.

• The first standardbred organization which was formed in 1871 was known as?
  National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders

• Early champion Laddy Suffolk was also known as?
  Old grey mare

• Early champion Flora Temple referred as bobtailed mare in which song?
  Camptown Races

• What famous pacer retired undefeated in the early 1900's?
  Dan Patch

• What was the Long Island, New York Union Course known for?
  -South Challenge which drew 60,000 people in 1823 to watch a 3 heat 2 horse match race in which each heat was 4 miles.

• Who won the first Woodrow Wilson?
  No Yankee in 1977 and the purse was $280,000.

• Who took the first Meadowlands Pace?
  Escort in 1977 and the purse was $425,000.

• What horse has the most consecutive wins at The Meadowlands?
  Ellamony with 16 consecutive wins 1993-1996.

• Who was the top driver the first year The Meadowlands opened in 1976?
  Gilmour

• What year did John Campbell win his first Meadowlands driving title?
  1979

• Who was the only women driver that competed on a regular basis at The Meadowlands?
  Joanne Looney-King

• Who were the only 2 Afro-American drivers/trainers that competed in The Meadowlands Pace?
  Lew Williams and Dave Howard.

• No Nukes was syndicated for how much money?
  $5,000,000 in 1981.

• What is the oldest daytime track?
  Freehold Raceway which was established in 1853.

• Where did Joe O'Brien train in the winter?
  Shafter, Calif.

• What is the name of Joe O'Brien's stepson that became a trainer?
  Stanley Bayless

• Nevele Pride was syndicated for how much money?
  $3,000,000 in 1969.

• How old was Herve Filion when he started driving?
  13

• What was the name of Herve Filion training farm?
  Capital Hill Farms in Englishtown, N.J.

• When did Herve Filion start racing in the USA?
  1961

• Where was Stanley Dancer born?
  Edinburg, N.J.

• What was the name of Stanley Dancer's training farm?
  Egyptian Acres in New Egypt, New Jersey.

• Who was the first horse to win a $1,000,000 purse?
  Niatross

• Who was the first horse to break the 1:50 barrier in a race?
  Nihilator in 1:49.3

• What is the name of the horse that was favored in 2 of Niatross's starts as a 2-year-old?
  Whamo in 2 starts at The Meadowlands in which Niatross beat him.

• Niatross lost 2 races because of breaks. Who beat him? Bruce Gimble at The Meadowlands. Trenton Time at Saratoga.

• Was Niatross ever in a photo finish?
  No

• Who is the sire of Moni Maker?
  Speedy Crown

• How many Hambletonian winners did Speedy Crown sire?
  3 which are: Speedy Somolli in 1978. Prakas in 1985. Armbro Goal in 1988.

• What is Carmine Abbatiello's nickname?
  "Redman"

• What is Benny Webster's nickname?
  "The Whip"

• What was Joe O'Brien's nickname?
  "Jolten Joe"

• What is Bill O'Donnel's nickname?
  "Magic Man"

• What is Catello Manzi's nickname?
  "Catman"

• Who was Nevele Pride's trainer?
  Stanley Dancer

• What year did Stanley Dancer first become the leading driver at Roosevelt Raceway in New York?
  1951

• What year was Stanley Dancer named the driver of the year?
  1968

• Where was John Campbell born?
  

• What year did John Campbell first begin driving?
  1972 at Windsor Raceway in Canada.

• Who was the trainer of Speedy Scott the 1963 horse of the year?
  Ralph Baldwin

• Who was the driver/trainer that Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a verse about?
  Budd Doble "Budd Doble, whose catarrhal name/So fills the nasal trump of fame."

• Who was the trainer of Bret Hanover?
  Frank Ervin

• Bret Hanover won how many consecutive races?
  35

• Who was the trainer of Direct Scoter?
  Warren Cameron

• What year did Hot Hitter win The Little Brown Jug?
  1979 and the driver was Herve Filion.

• What year did driver Ben Webster win The Little Brown Jug?
  1975 and the horse was Sea Train.

• What year did Most Happy Fella win The Little Brown Jug?
  1970 and the driver was Stanley Dancer.

• When did Bill Popfinger win The Little Brown Jug?
  1978 and the horse was Happy Escort.

• Where was Michael Lachance born?
  Quebec

• What year did Jack Moiseyev win The Meadowlands driving title?
  1982

• What year did driver Walter Case, Jr. win over 1,000 races?
  1998

• Who is the dam of Valley Victory?
  Valley Victoria

• Who is the dam of Artsplace?
  Ms Elvira

• Who is the dam of Western Hanover?
  Wendymae Hanover

• Who is the dam of No Nukes?Gidget Lobell

• Who is the sire of Direct Scooter?
  Sampson Direct

• Who won the first Hambletonian?
  Guy McKinney

• Where did the first Hambletonian take place?
  Syracuse, N.Y.

• Which pair of drivers were known as the "gold dust twins"?
  Stanley Dancer & Billy Haughton

Place a bet on your favorite horse now.