I don’t know what it is about humans. If we are talking about the Indianapolis 500 or kids riding on their tricycles, for some reason we seem to enjoy crashes. Harness Racing fans are no different than the rest of the population. There is no doubt that harness racing has its shares of crashes, bloopers, falls, wrecks, and accidents.
We will share with you some of the most memorable ones here.
HARNESS RACING ACCIDENTS
HARNESS RACING BLOOPERS
That’s right..see that picture above? That is a REAL 7 time lottery winner being honored by “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not”.. and for years people tried to say he didn’t win.. that he was a cheat, a liar, and just plain “lucky”
See his story here… and how Ripley’s Believe It Or Not honored him after his 5th lottery win..
That’s right..
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.. the famous museum and book of weird, crazy, and unbelievable things and occurrences came and investigated this lotto genius after his 5th win.
They had heard of someone winning once or twice, but never 5 times…
Richard had nothing to hide so he met with the staff at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and showed them everything.
What did they find?
They found that his “crazy method” of playing the lotto actually worked.. and that all his wins were real.
After that..
They honored him in their Florida museum and now he is in all of the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museums and books!
Check out the picture of him at the exhibit opening at the bottom of this e-mail!
Since he was honored a few years back he has won 2 more times bringing his total documented win count to 7 times and well over a million dollars won.
What is that method he used to win an astounding 7 times?
Go here to see it free (access expires soon!)
What is the method that Ripley’s Believe It Or Not discovered when they went to visit him?
Go here now to see it free (access expires soon!)
To You Winning!
Johnny Davis
The house that hold the Harness Racing Museum was originally built in 1913 as a horse stable. The collection is worth seeing if you are a racing fan.
Exhibits include more than 19,000 photos, 100’s of driver uniforms, 1800 painting, lithographs and sculptures, numerous sulkies and carts. There are also over four thousand books and videos on the sport of harness racing.
The Harness racing Hall of Fame is contained inside the museum.
| Bucket List ! | |
| Established | 1951 |
|---|---|
| Location | Goshen, NY |
| Website | harnessmuseum.com |
If the Harness Racing Hall of Fame & the museum is not on your Bucket
List, I would recommend it.
The Museum is located in Goshen, New York.
Like many of us, the Harness Racing Museum collects and preserves the history of the wonderful sport of Harness racing. They just do it on a much grander scale than I do. I buy my harness racing collectibles on eBay & I have a collection I am proud of, as you probably do.
The museum also serves as the American Standardbread Horse Hall of Fame.
Back in the day the Hambletonia Races were held in Goshen at the Good Time Park mile track. The track was founded in 1838, it is a National Historic Landmark & the oldest harness horse track still in use in the United States.
Stables still operate on the grounds and races are held annually. The popular museum opened during Goshen’s Hambletnian Stake Era in 1951,
The house that hold the Harness Racing Museum was originally built in 1913 as a horse stable. The collection is worth seeing if you are a racing fan.
Exhibits include more than 19,000 photos, 100’s of driver uniforms, 1800 painting, lithographs and sculptures, numerous sulkies and carts. There are also over four thousand books and videos on the sport of harness racing.
The Harness racing Hall of Fame is contained inside the museum.
The Hall of Fame inducts both horses and humans, owners, trainers, drivers.
The Top 3 Categories of inductees into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame are:
1) Living Persons
2) Living Horses
3) Immortals.
Winners from each category are inducted on what is called Hall of Fame day in Goshen, which the first Sunday in July, annually.
If you ever plan on visiting the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, it can’t get much better than the first Sunday in July!
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame Vacations
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame Facebook Page
We hope you enjoyed this article and kinda behind the scene look at the Harness Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Please visit our advertisers so we can continue to provide you insights into the history of the sport many of us love.
Harness racing is one of Australia’s biggest spectator sports. With large amounts of money wagered in over a hundred race tracks all over Australia, harness racing can mean big earnings for lucky bettors.
But before you start gathering any harness racing tips, it’s important to familiarize yourself first with its history. Let’s start by defining it. Harness racing is a type of horse racing that focuses on the horses’ gait method.
Unlike regular thoroughbred horse racing, harness requires the horse to pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky. The driver sits on this cart and then controls the horse using reigns and a long whip. This type of racing is believed to have originated from the chariot races held during the early Roman Empire.
The activity eventually became popular and was made into a sport by the Dutch. Anybody was allowed to participate, even poor farmers as long as they had a good trotter. This transcendental quality increased the sport’s popularity and in the 17th century, harness racing began to grow as an international trend.
Modern harness tracks found their roots in North America and became a favourite rural past-time until the end of the 18th century. This was followed by the establishment of the first harness racecourses.
Harness racing made its way to Australia in 1810. Ask for the best harness racing tip from experts and they’ll tell you that it was a lucky horse named “Miss Kitty” that took the grand prize in the first ever official race in the country. This happened on the 30th of April 1810 at Parramatta, New South Wales during a sports carnival. Miss Kitty served as the pioneer for a long line of legendary race horses and the sport soon captivated the interest of many Australians.
Australia’s first harness racecourse was constructed at Elsternwick Park, Melbourne in 1882. And in 1902, the New South Wales Trotting Club came into existence. This event formalized harness meetings after the government banned unregistered racing in the country.
Australia soon developed its own harness culture. Most meetings are conducted at night with major metropolitan meetings held on Saturdays and Fridays. When compared to American racing, Australian racing stands out with its unique measuring system, bigger number of starters in a race and variations in the tracks’ length.
From a simple activity enjoyed by families who couldn’t afford a thoroughbred horse, harness evolved to become an international sport with millions of dollars in annual wagers and revenue.
Here’s a good harness tip, always check with the HRA or Harness Racing Australia for any questions or concerns. This federal body is tasked to monitor and regulate the industry. Each state has a principal racing authority that must abide by the HRA’s racing rules and regulations.
For more harness racing tips, consult with veteran harness racers and experienced bettors. You can even go online and check out the many harness betting sites for any useful news. Now that you’ve brushed up on the history and basics, you’re on the way to earning some big winnings!
1:50 2/5/ Tom Ridge/ DuQuoin – 9/4/04
1:50 4/5/ Victory Tilly/ The Meadowlands – 8/3/02
1:51 4/5/ Beat the Wheel/ The Meadowlands – 7/8/94
1.51 4/5/ Peaceful Way/ The Meadowlands – 7/23/05
1:54 2/5/ Possess The Magic/ The Red Mile – 10/4/06
1:54 4/5/ Chocolatier/ The Red Mile – 10/6/05
1:55 3/5/ Kennans Max/ Springfield, Il – 8/14/03
1:50 2/5/ Tom Ridge/ DuQuoin – 9/4/04
1:51 2/5/ Vivid Photo/ DuQuoin – 9/3/05
1:52/ Queen Serene/ The Red Mile – 10/6/06
TT1:51/ Pine Chip,h/ The Red Mile – 10/1/94
1:51 3/5/ Corleone Kosmos/ The Meadowlands/ 7/22/06
1:51 4/5/ Beat the Wheel,m/ The Meadowlands – 7/8/94
1.51 4/5/ Peaceful Way/ The Meadowlands – 7/23/05
1:50 4/5/ Victory Tilly/ The Meadowlands – 8/3/02
1:51 1/5/ Varenne/ The Meadowlands – 7/28/01
1:52 1/5/ Moni Maker/ The Meadowlands – 8/5/00
1:52 1/5/ Peaceful Way/ The Red Mile – 10/7/06
TT1:46 1/5/ Cambest/ Springfield, IL – 8/16/93
1:48 / Color Me Best/ The Meadowlands – 7/3/99
1:48 / Life Source/ The Meadowlands – 7/3/04
1:48 / Eaton Road Kill/ The Meadowlands – 7/3/04
1:49 4/5/ Rocknroll Hanover/ Woodbine – 9/4/04
1:50 1/5/ Home Bed Advantage/ Balmoral Park – 9/09/06
1:51/ Cabrini Hanover/ Woodbine – 9/4/04
3-Year-Olds
1:47 4/5/ American Ideal/ The Red Mile – 10/01/05
1:47 4/5/ My Boy David/ Springfield, Il – 8/12/06
1:49 2/5/ Incredible Tillie/ Springfield, Il – 8/17/00
1:49 2/5/ Rainbow Blue/ Woodbine – 8/21/04
1:47 3/5/ Jeanna’s Beach Boy/Meadowlands – 1996
1:47 3/5/ Lis Mara/ The Meadowslands – 7/29/06
1:48 / Color Me Best/ The Meadowlands – 7/3/99
TT1:46 1/5/ Cambest/ Springfield, IL – 8/16/93
1:46 4/5/ Holborn Hanover/ The Meadowlands – 8/5/06
1:48 4/5/ Frightening P/ The Meadowlands -6/21/02
MORE HARNESS RACING WORLD RECORDS
Some Harness Raising Speed and Track World Records May Never be Beaten
For as much as speed in harness racing has increased through the times, all-time speed barriers on both the pacing and trotting gaits have proven stubborn in recent years. All of that changed this past year when Always B Miki set a world record for pacers and three years ago when Sebastian K set a similarly improbable new record for trotters. While obliterating previous established records, both horses might have made it impossibly difficult for their own records to ever be beat.
Decades ago, the sign of a top pacer was if it could break the 2:00 mark. As time went on, and the sport became faster, 1:55 was the new standard and to be considered a top pacer today you probably would need to be able to go a mile in a sub-1:50 time. Much like when Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile in 1954, teenage girls are doing it today.
In recent years, as track records are broken seemingly daily and pacing a mile in 1:48 is no longer unheard of, horses have coalesced around what seemed to be the fastest physically possible times pacers and trotters were capable of. By breaking through the 1:46.4 log jam on the pacing side and 1:50 on the trotting side (on a two-turn track), Always B Miki and Sebastian K solidified themselves not only as superior against the clock, but against their competitors of the time.
Comparing the world records set by Always B Miki and Sebastian K to the other fastest race miles of all-time is easy. But to illustrate the sheer dominance of these two records, we can compare their record times against the other top miles set by horses in those racing years using a statistical measure called a standardized score. ( Also known as Z-Score)
The Z-Score measures each performance (or record time) relative to all other top times from a given period. In doing so, z-scores are comprised of not only a single metric (race time, in this case), but also by assessing that race time against others. Not to get too nerby, but you can think of z-scores in terms of a traditional bell curve, where 99 per cent of the scores will fall between values of 3.00 and -3.00, with those values representing complete opposite ends of the curve.
When Always B Miki paced his mile in 1:46 this past October at Red Mile, he rated an “off the charts” z-score of 3.02 when compared against the 20 fastest miles paced that year. Always B Miki was so dominant based on his 1:46 win that the next closest time of 1:47 was by Mel Mara and he was assigned a z-score of just 1.36; only slightly better than average when compared to all other top miles that year.
The conclusion we can come to from all of this is that times continue be as fast as ever (the average time by year of the fastest 20 races from 2013 through 2016 was always roughly 1:47.4), Always B Miki was able to establish himself with a lifetime mark that demonstrates an unquestionable superiority to any other pacing record holder; a truly unique animal.
As dominant as the Always B Miki world record is, the findings are even more profound on the trotting side.
Prior to Sebastian K, no trotter in history had ever broken the 1:50 barrier (excluding Enough Talk’s 1:49.3 mile that occurred on the one-turn track Colonial Downs). Even today’s super sire Muscle Hill could do no better than 1:50.1 in 2009.
But when Sebastian K shattered the 1:50 mark by his sensational 1:49 world record clocking at Pocono Downs in what would be the fastest night in harness racing history, he earned a z-score of 3.27. That z-score even exceeded that of his pacing record holding counterpart, Always B Miki.
The z-score of 3.27 was accomplished while being compared relative to the other fastest trotting times of that year, including a 1:50.2 mile from Father Patrick accomplished during the same race card as Sebastian K’s mile. For his 1:50.2 lifetime mark, Father Patrick rated only at a 0.69 z-score in the 2014 season, tied with Market Share and Cee Bee Yes. Archangel rated second best that year with a 1:50 mile.
The former mystical 1:50 trotting mark was broken the following year in 2015 although not with the dominance and authority that Sebastian K did it with. JL Cruze won in 1:49.4 good for z-score of 2.66; but still not close to the z-score of Sebastian K.
In 2016, Homicide Hunter earned a 2.75 z-score with a 1:50.1 seasonal mark, but that is largely attributed to a year in which only three trotters managed to go even sub 1:51.
More and more horses will be able to pace in 1:47 and trot in 1:50 as speed in harness racing continues to evolve, but the data suggests that it would take a horse of an all-time great caliber to eclipse these what seem to be unbreakable records. It might never happen.
Data in this column was used with the permission of, and is sourced from, the United States Trotting Association.
Unfortunately it is not easy to find harness racing apparel. The best place to find Harness racing apparel is actually at your harness racing track. Other than that when I am looking for a new Tee, I go to Ebay.
Below are some of the harness racing tee-shirts currently available, you can click on any of them below to learn more.
By Career – Drivers by Wins
| Driver Name | Years Active | Starts | Wins | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palone, David M “Dave” | 1981 – | 73674 | 19139 | $145,731,926 |
| Morgan, Anthony N | 1974* – | 84899 | 16632 | $135,019,505 |
| Filion, Herve | 1960* – 2013 | 82336 | 15183 | $88,477,467 |
| Manzi, Catello R “Cat” | 1968* – 2014 | 95690 | 14812 | $158,560,958 |
| Miller, David S | 1977* – | 69236 | 12915 | $242,073,967 |
| Merriman, Aaron E | 1997 – | 65282 | 12198 | $81,907,591 |
| Magee, David R “Dave” | 1973* – 2015 | 70919 | 11869 | $101,184,248 |
| Tetrick, Tim A | 1996 – | 58387 | 11560 | $219,183,857 |
| Parker Jr, William L | 1970* – | 59033 | 11311 | $31,263,163 |
| Case Jr, Walter H | 1977* – 2017 | 11049 | $43,746,706 | |
| Campbell, John D | 1972* – 2017 | 61887 | 10667 | $299,892,141 |
| Brennan, George | 1981 – | 63842 | 10605 | $182,487,890 |
| Hennessey, Walter J “Wally” | 1976* – | 45505 | 10491 | $69,376,972 |
| Lachance, Michel “Mike” | 1968* – 2017 | 67247 | 10422 | $190,786,957 |
| Wallis , Kevin W | 1976* – | 49088 | 10298 | $49,733,627 |
| Wrenn, Peter M | 1977* – | 55638 | 10228 | $76,284,405 |
| Sears, Brian J | 1984 – | 53706 | 10175 | $198,010,890 |
| Napolitano Jr, George “Geo.” | 1992 – | 47429 | 10158 | $92,009,761 |
| Moiseyev, Jack G | 1976* – 2019 | 62592 | 9877 | $128,923,149 |
| Pierce, Ronald D “Ron” | 1975* – 2015 | 67034 | 9570 | $215,343,077 |
| Miller, Andy R | 1985 – | 61211 | 9558 | $127,466,344 |
| Morand, James A “Jim” | 1981 – | 59109 | 9459 | $66,772,964 |
| Ranger, Bruce W | 1978 – | 45015 | 9174 | $37,457,093 |
| Dube, Daniel | 1987 – | 62995 | 9164 | $123,272,923 |
| Filion, Sylvain R | 1987 – | 52675 | 9107 | $103,746,384 |
* Statistics prior to 1977 may not be complete for individual drivers. While efforts have been made to research annual performances totals, not all lifetime information is currently accessible.
Fastest Triple Dead Heat in Harness Racing History!
2014 Dave Palone Breaks World Harness Driving Record
John Campbell Retirement Tribute
1982 Meadowlands GENGHIS KHAN World Record Bill O’Donnell
Enjoy -Think-Smile at these insightful Harness Racing Quotes
The deeper you get into the history of Harness Racing, the more fascinating it becomes. For me learning all I can about the history of this create sport is almost like an addiction.
In the HarnessSport.com libray here I am sharing some of my favorite books on the sport. I hope you find one your like, and remember books make great gifts.
Both breeds are race horses with huge fan bases throughout the world. Standardbreds are also known as Trotters and they race with a a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, occupied by a driver. Thoroughbreds race with a rider.
1. In a Standardbred horse race the competition is at a trot or pace, in a Thoroughbred race they gallop.
2. Thoroughbred horses have been bread to run. Standardbred horses are considered to have a better disposition with humans and are used for a variety of equestrian activities, including horse shows and pleasure riding.
3. The Standardbred is heavier in build than the Thoroughbred, but still shows quality and beauty. Standardbred’s are generally a bit heavier in build than Thoroughbreds, but have refined, solid legs and powerful shoulders and hindquarters.
Standardbreds have a wide range of heights, from 14 to 17 hands (56 to 68 inches, 142 to 173 cm), although most are between 15 and 16 hands (60 and 64 inches, 152 and 163 cm).
4. Many people tend to confuse Thoroughbred racing and harness racing, although the two racing games have many differences.
Thoroughbred racing is more popular then harness racing, however, I could argue that Trotters have a more dedicated fan base.
Both have a large crowd of dedicated fans. The major difference between these two types of racing is that the harness racing, also known as standard bred racing uses a sulky, which is a lightweight cart with two wheels and is attached to the horse by use of a harness. It gives the race its name, while in thoroughbred racing a jockey rides the horse.
5.There is a distinct difference between the two types of races that many fans are not aware of. In a Standardbred race horses are not allowed to Gallop.
In a standardbred race the risk exist that the horse might start to gallop, if this is the case & it’s not slowed down in time by the driver, it could face disqualification. Standardbred drivers are as skilled as Thoroughbred riders in my opinion.
This has been an ongoing argument that will never be settled.
6. The start of the races are different. Thoroughbred races commence behind a motorized starting gate, and start as soon as the final horse enters the starting gate.
In a Harness races the horses can stand behind the starting line or trot around in circles behind a moving vehicle to start the race.
7. Thoroughbred racing contain two types of races: the Jumping races and the flat racing. The flat racing can be carried out over different distances and on different terms while Jumping races and steeplechase are run over very long distances and the horses carry extra weight. These races start with the horses behind the startup tape and by flag.
