PRELUDE TO LAST STORY
Back in 1998 Phillip O’Brien asked me if I could write a story, for his website, on any exceptional horse I could think of from the 1960’s. I agreed to his request and wrote a story on Sparkling Pearl, the horse who I STILL think is the best 3yo filly I have ever seen. The story was well received and I was asked to do another, and another! When I was up to about the 5th story I decided to make it a ‘series’ of stories on 40 of the best horses I saw during the period 1960-1980. It took me about 4 years to write and all the stories were originally written between 1998-2002. I chose this 20 year period as there was nothing that I could find about horses from that era. I looked for info on horses like James Scott, Idle Raider, Gramel etc but nothing seemed available. I decided to fill that void as I had the information and wanted the ‘newer’ harness fans to know more about horses who were, to many of them, just a ‘name’ of a champion from the past. And so
the series
began. I made the cut-off point 1980 as the AHRC website had all the info on horses after this time.
I originally decided to only write about horses I had seen personally and so Lordship was not included in the list, although he certainly deserved to be there on his record and ability, but he never raced outside his homeland. The horses chosen were, in the main, the best I could write about, but there were 4 others who deserved to be on the list but were not. They were Raiarmagh Pool, Robalan, Markovina and Gammalite. My records of these outstanding horses were partially, or totally, destroyed in a fire I had in my garage some years ago, so, regretfully, they were excluded. The three other horses I deliberately ignored were Cardigan Bay, Mount Eden and Paleface Adios. All three have had books published about their exploits and anything I did would have been minute compared to what is included in their books.
I kept my ‘promise to myself’ about writing only about horses I had seen until I came to San Simeon. Here was a horse who just HAD to be included, his record demanded it, but I had NO background information on him. Then along came Noel Hughes to the rescue and all the ‘inside stuff’ was filled in.
When I wrote my first story I never imagined it would stretch out to be a series of 40 stories over the next few years. When I was about half way through the stories, and knew it was to become a 40 story series, I began to think it would be ‘nice’ to end it with a story on a really top class horse, a better then average champion. So where could I find such a horse that would fit in with my, chronological, order of doing the stories. He, or she, would have to be a better than average champion, pacer or trotter, who raced around 1979-1980 and be an absolutely outstanding horse! Was there such a horse at that time? After a bit of thought I realised that the perfect story was right in front of me just waiting to be written, about an absolutely sensational horse who raced exactly during that period and was considered then, and even now, to be possibly the greatest of them all! So my last story is on him and titled “Was this the greatest of them all”.
This is ‘The Big One’ . It is ‘big’ because the story takes up 35KB of space for a horse that only had 39 starts (the Koala King story took up 22KB for 210 starts!) I took that much space to describe, in detail, his every race, this horse DEMANDED nothing less! It is also ‘big’ because of the horse himself. This was a ‘BIG’ horse in every way, performance, ability, charisma and ‘star appeal’.
I hope you enjoy it.
GREAT HARNESS HORSES 1960-1980
NUMBER 40
WAS THIS THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL?
The tall bay horse, with the two white socks on his rear feet, a white star on his forehead and his distinctive purple nose-roll, ambled slowly out onto the track and paused to look at the crowd gathered along the rails and in the grandstand. There was only a bit over 4000 fans there for this mid week meeting, but somehow he knew that they were all there just to see him. He threw his head in the air, snorted, and began to move down the track to do his warm up. When his driver was satisfied he was ready, he turned him around and headed for the starting point which, at this track, was the winning post at the end of the long home straight.
A strange silence enveloped the crowd as they awaited this monumentous event. Everything he had done in the last year and a half had led, almost inevitably, towards this point in time. The conditions were as close to perfect as they could get, clear blue skies, very slight breeze, lightning fast track. As he neared the starting point he was joined by two galloping pacemakers and when they crossed the ‘mark’ the crowd cheered wildly as these three set off on their date with destiny.
Less than 110 seconds later he flashed across the finishing line to almost stunned silence from the crowd who were looking at the infield timer with absolute disbelief. The clock showed 1.49 1/5 and their silence suddenly turned into wild cheering as they realised that he not JUST broken the world record but had absolutely shattered it. No one would have believed, before the race, that he, or ANY pacer, could run such a time, but then no one had ever seen a horse as good as Niatross.
So where did he come from and how did he become the world champion that he was? To answer those questions we have to go back to around 1940 to where it all began.
In 1940 famed horseman, Delvin Miller, was talking to West Virginia owner, Hunter Bennett, who said he was going to buy a colt from prominent stallion Guy Abbey. True to his word Mr. Bennett paid $1025 for a colt called Scamp. Scamp never made it to the racetrack, but because he HAD shown ability Mr. Bennett used him as a stallion to cover some of his mares. In 1946 one of his mares, Doris Spencer, had a filly foal to Scamp named Scoot who turned out to be a handy trotter winning 31 of 184 starts between 1950-1955. Scoot was eventually sold to a Harold Graham who had a family friend, Elsie Berger, join him in partnership in the horse.
Scoot was initially bred to trotting stallions, but when she produced the very speedy pacer, Mr. Niagara, she was then bred only to pacing stallions. Her first (deliberate) pacing foal was from Bye Bye Byrd. He was named Niagra Byrd and was a handy pacer taking a 2.0 lifetime mark as a 6yo and winning over $103,000, a pretty handy amount in those days. The second foal to the same stallion, was a filly named Niagra Dream. She was trained and driven by Clint Galbraith in the late 1960’s and although she didn’t win much prizemoney due to an injury as a 3yo, she was a nice big mare and suitable for on-breeding.
Her first mating was to the Little Brown Jug winner, Best Of All, who was standing at the world famous Hanover Shoe Farms. Galbraith convinced the owners to send her next to Albatross arguing that her big size would be complemented by the smaller stature of the stallion. This mating produced a colt who was named Niatross. In Autumn 1978 he was shipped to Rodney Farms for his early education. Rodney Farms was owned by the family of Clint Galbraith’s wife, Barbara. As Autumn turned to Winter he was moved to Galbraith’s Winter stables in Orlando Florida.
Clint Galbraith remembers him as being an easy horse to break in with good manners and was a quick learner. He was also highly intelligent as Galbraith learned early. He was later to say he was one of the smartest horses ever to step onto a track and had natural ability.
He had two trials at Vernon in June 1979 and won both so it was decided he was ready for ‘the real thing’ and entered for his first race start at the same track on 22nd June. It was a 2yo event and from the 1 gate he jumped straight to the front, running a first quarter of 29 seconds, to put all of his rivals off the bit, and eventually won by 3 lengths in 2.2 3/5. On this night he was driven by Clint’s stepson, Don Galbraith, but Clint would drive him in every race for the rest of his career. A little over a week later he started there again and repeated his first up effort, winning easily in 2.7 1/5. Five days later he raced there again, this time running his first sub 2.0 mile, winning by 2 lenghts in 1.59 2/5.
He had won three from three, but Galbraith wasn’t getting really excited about him yet as he hadn’t done anything of real note up till now. All that changed, however, with his next start on 14-7-79 in the Hanover/Hempt Pace at Vernon. Up to that time Galbraith had held him together and had not given him his head at any stage but decided to ‘test’ him a little this night. From the 10 gate he was 3rd through the first quarter but went to the lead at the half. From there he made it a one act affair winning by 3 lengths. It was the times, however, that made his trainer/driver look at his charge in a new light. They had gone through the first quarter in a sizzling 28.2, the half in 59 with an overall time of 1.57 3/5, very good times for young, inexperienced 2yo’s. According to Galbraith, Niatross had done it easily with plenty in hand!
Eleven days later he took him to The Meadowlands for the heats of the Woodrow Wilson Pace. From the 5 gate he was 3rd to the first quarter, 4th at the half and 5th and wide at the three quarters, but came on strongly to win in track record time of 1.56 2/5 beating the previously unbeaten Whammo. For the Final Niatross drew the 9 gate and Whammo drew the rails and was made favourite. Whammo wasn’t quite fast enough away and was 3rd early but Niatross came out at top speed, ran straight to the front, and peeled off sectionals that left the opposition standing! He reached the first quarter in 28.4 and the half in 57.3. From there no one was going to get near him and he won as he liked in another new track record time of 1.55 4/5. Whammo made second but was never going to catch the winner. This race was worth $862,750 and the winner’s portion swelled the Niatross bankroll enormously.
Almost 3 weeks later he was at Liberty Bell for the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes. Once again he drew the 9 gate and, because the track was wet and sloppy, Galbraith didn’t rush him out as fast as usual, preferring to settle him early. He made his move at the half way mark but the leader, Dear Star, refused to hand up and these two raced 10 lengths clear of the rest of the field. Niatross, however, was STILL being held together by Galbraith and when he ‘clicked him up’ he raced clear of Dear Star and eventually won by over 17 lengths! His time of 1.59 4/5 was his 5th consecutive sub 2.0 mile.
It was mid September when New Jersey Stockbroker, Lou Guida, who had been watching the exploits of Niatross closely, made an offer to buy the horse. The offer was too good to refuse as it allowed the owners to have full control of him while he raced and they still retained a half share in him after his retirement. The price was $4,000,000 with contingencies of $1.25 million. It was the highest price ever paid for a 2yo pacer and also made him the most valuable harness horse of all time, valuing him at $10,000,000 only half way through his 2yo season!
At his next start at Louisville on 8-9-79, Niatross had his first start on a half mile track but it made no difference to him. From the 5 gate he went straight to the front going his first quarter in 28.3 and the half in 59.2 before winning by 2 lengths in 1.58 3/5. However that was only the warm up for the ‘big one’, the Kentucky Pacing Futurity a week later. He drew gate 8 and was almost 8 wide going into the first turn with Whammo leading and running 28.2 and 57.4, but Galbraith took Niatross to the lead at the half and from there he was never tested winning by 1½ lengths.
Then it was off to the Red Mile at Lexington for his last 4 starts as a 2yo. The first two were in the Meadowlands Pace where he won the first heat in 1.55 4/5 by 1½ lengths from Jiffy Boy, and later on that same day won the second heat in 1.58 1/5 by 2½ lengths. A week later he won the first heat of the International Stallion Stakes in 1.57 by over 6 lengths and just 2 hours later won the second heat in 1.56 2/5 by 5 lengths to end his 2yo season.
As a 2yo he had raced 13 times and was unbeaten, won $604,900, and had broken the 2.0 mark at his last 11 starts. He was the richest 2yo of all time and had more two minute victories than any other 2yo in the 173 year history of harness racing. Niatross received the ultimate accolade when he became only the third 2yo ever, behind Bret Hanover and Nevele Pride, to be voted Harness Horse of the Year. He was also voted Pacer of the year and 2yo Pacer of the year, becoming only the third horse ever to win this division unanimously, the other two being Scott Frost and Nevele Pride. In the Pacer of the year division, he won by a two to one majority over Hot Hitter.
He then was spelled at the Castleton Farm in Florida before coming back to Galbraith’s stables at the end of Winter 1980. He had grown bigger and looked stronger as a 3yo and Galbraith was anticipating another winning season, although he had no doubts that he WOULD get beat sometime in his 3yo season, as he had been racing horses for far too long to believe that he could go on undefeated forever. Niatross overcame an early lameness setback and went for his first Qualifier at Vernon in early May. Showing that he was back better than ever he won in 2.0 flat by 30 lengths. He was ready to resume his racing career. His comeback race would be the Hanover/Hempt Pace on 17-5-80. The largest crowd at Vernon Downs since 1977, 8,248 people, turned up to see his return to racing. From the 2 gate he jumped straight to the front and gave nothing else a chance running 27 and 59 before ‘easing off’ and coming home in 27.2/5, to win by over 8 lengths in 1.56 1/5.
He was DEFINITELY back!
Next was the Battle of Brandywine two weeks later in early June. In the heat on 1-6-80 he drew the one gate and just went straight to the front giving nothing else a chance. He won by almost 2 lengths in 1.55 2/5. In the Final the following week he was 3rd early from the 6 gate but went to the front at the half and won unextended by almost 4 lengths in 1.57 1/5 on a cold 40 degrees night. Galbraith then kept a long term promise to race him at the half mile Buffalo track in New York. The event was the Reynolds Pace and from the 3 gate he led all the way, winning by almost 9 lengths in 1.56 2/5 a time that broke the old track record of 1.57 4/5 that was held by his sire, Albatross. Staying in New York he next raced at Yonkers on 28-6-80 in the time honoured Cane Pace where 17,061 fans turned up to see him race.
In the Elimination he drew gate one but was held for the lead by Storm Damage, however he took control at the half and was always in charge from that point on to win by almost 4 lengths in 1.57 3/5. Two hours later he contested the Final and from the 2 gate jumped straight to the front and won as he liked in 1.57 4/5. It was his 19th consecutive win and his 17th consecutive sub 2.0 mile. After this race his lifetime earnings stood at $829,878! He also set a new on-track wagering record with $341,512 being bet on him alone in the first heat, beating the old record of $249,869 set by champion Kiwi pacer, Cardigan Bay, back in April 1966. Next was to be the Battle of Saratoga on 5-7-80.
It was a muddy track due to earlier rain, and this affected the crowd figures with just 7,065 fans turning up. In fact the track conditions were so bad that the race was delayed 50 minutes while track staff scraped the mud and excess water off the surface before putting down a layer of sand. Niatross had raced these conditions before and Galbraith had no reason to be concerned. From the 3 gate he went to the front and was nicely in control coming to the home turn when his driver suddenly realised something was wrong. He asked him to accelerate as Trenton Time came up to challenge but, for the first time, there was nothing there! He then started hanging in under pressure and his near side wheel caught the running rail and he fell over into the inner track! Galbraith, horse and sulky all went tumbling over but Galbraith held onto the reins and kept control of his horse. They both suffered a few bruises and scratches, but horse and driver got up and walked back to the stabling area. Galbraith never blamed the fall for his defeat, however, as he said he was beaten when he fell, he just didn’t seem right on the day. Trenton Time won the race in 1.59 3/5 but most people were more concerned with the condition of the previously unbeaten Niatross. Once back in his barn he was fully examined by a vet and found to be in perfect shape!
Six days later he was at The Meadowlands for the Meadowlands Pace heat. From the 5 gate he was 3rd early but Galbraith took him up towards the lead at the half mile mark. Safe Arrival, driven by Herve Filion, was leading at this point as Niatross made his move forward. As he passed one of the runners he hit his hocks on part of the sulky and almost bolted. Galbraith tried to bring him back under control but he then broke stride briefly, dropped his head and lost his overcheck, however he bounced straight back into a pace and took on Safe Arrival for the lead. They hit the half in a very fast 55.2 but as Niatross was passing Safe Arrival, Filion’s horse became headstrong and started to bolt. Filion yelled out to Galbraith to give him some more room, as he was having trouble controlling his horse, and Galbraith knew if he caused any interference to Safe Arrival he would be relegated, so he kept Niatross wider than normal. He continued to race wide, but in the run home Bruce Gimble passed them both and won in 1.54 4/5 with Niatross 4th. Galbraith was to say later it was his finest performance as he broke, lost a headcheck and raced wide outside the leader for most of the last half but still finished close up 4th. It was after THIS race that all the trouble started with Lou Guida.
Guida, speaking on behalf of the syndicate that paid the big money for a half share in Niatross just over a year earlier, made the point that every time Niatross was now beaten, his potential stud fee was being diminished. While he was going undefeated they had serious intentions of asking $30,000 for his first season at stud but with his two defeats they were now looking at maybe $20,000 IF he suffered no more defeats. Guida and the syndicate wanted him retired immediately but Elsie Berger and Galbraith were adamant that he was back to his best and would continue racing. Court orders were obtained and the lawyers went to work, but the judge decreed that the Guida syndicate had NO say in the horse’s racing career until the end of his 3yo season. There was, however, now ‘bad blood’ between the syndicate and Galbraith and Berger.
His next race was the harness world’s first $1,000,000 race, the Meadowlands Pace Final. A huge crowd of 42,612 fans turned up and wagered a record $4,004,246 on the meeting. From the 8 gate Niatross settled 5th early as Storm Damage raced to the lead from the 5 gate. He went throught the first quarter in 27.3 and then Niatross took control at the half in 55.1. From there he gave nothing else a chance, coming home his last 2 quarters in 29.1 and 28.4 for an overall time of 1.53 1/5, a new world record. Storm Damage was almost 4 lengths 2nd with Tyler B. 3rd. Niatross became the first horse to capture the Woodrow Wilson and the Meadowlands pace in successive seasons. Galbraith and Niatross had silenced the ‘doubters’ and had the syndicate members re-calculating just how much their horse was NOW worth with another world record under his belt!
To show that he was not as bad as some might think, Lou Guida, provided champagne for the press corps after the race!
A week later he was at Vernon Downs in front of 9,782 fans, the biggest crowd in 8 years, for the Gaines Memorial Pace. In his heat he drew 8 and charged to the front in a scintillating 26.3 first quarter, eventually winning by 1½ lengths in another world record time of 1.53 3/5, pacing fractions of 26 3/5, 56 3/5, 1.25 1/5 and 1.53 3/5. Two hours later he returned for the Final and led all the way in 1.54 setting a new 2 heat world record time. He then returned to The Meadowlands for the Oliver Wendell Holmes Pace. From the 13 gate he was 8th early and 5th at the half, but approaching the home turn Galbraith sent him up three wide to challenge for the lead and he raced away to win and equal the time for the world’s fastest mile, 1.53! It was his 4th consecutive win in 1.54 or less and was the fastest mile ever paced at night. Once again Storm Damage followed him home for the 4th time in their last 4 starts. With prizemoney for the season now of $870,754, Niatross had now passed Hot Hitter as the single season money winning champion.
Two weeks later he was at Syracuse for an attempt at Steady Star’s world record of 1.52, although this time was set in a time trial, not a race. This ‘race’ occurred between the 7th and 8th race and was a non betting event for a nominal purse of just $5,000! With just 4 rivals Niatross had no trouble leading from the 1 gate and went the first quarter in 27, reached the half in 55.3 and finished it off in 1.52 4/5, the fastest race mile ever, despite facing a head wind in the back straight estimated at between 12-15 MPH. His winning margin was 21 lengths but Galbraith said afterwards that if there had been a horse good enough to keep up with him and ‘push’ him he could have gone faster!
Next he raced in Canada at Blue Bonnets Raceway in the Prix D’Ete, winning by 6 lengths and running a new track record time of 1.53 4/5. It was the fastest mile ever run in Canada. Then onto the Dancer Memorial at Freehold where he led all the way from gate 4 in 1.56 2/5, taking his lifetime earnings to $1,609,079. Meanwhile the ‘words’ were still being thrown back and forth betweeen Galbraith, Berger and the Lou Guida syndicate, with where he would eventually stand at stud and WHEN he would stand at stud, being the two main points of contention at this time! Guida was adamant that this was his last racing seson and he would stand at stud the next year, and that this issue would be resolved in the courts. When asked what he thought of the horse’s performance that day he said “He won. I’m happy whenever the horse wins”.
Next was Batavia for the Hugh Grant Cup. From the 1 gate he had little trouble in winning but his time was sensational, 1.55, a new world record for a half mile track. Then it was over to Delaware for the Little Brown Jug.
In his first heat he drew the 1 gate and led all the way in another new world record time of 1.55, winning by 6 open lengths. A couple of hours later he repeated that effort but went slightly faster winning in 1.54 4/5, another world record and also a 2 heat world record. He was in the most sensational form of his career. He had won his last 10 races straight, set 7 world records and equalled another, and had run 9 miles in 1.55 or better! It was now time for The Big One!
Since he began to show that he was a horse of exceptional speed, the question was being asked “what could he do at the Red Mile?” As he blazed his way through the early part of his 3yo season Galbraith let it be known that if he kept winning in this fashion he would have a go at Steady Star’s world record of 1.52 around September. Well now it was the time and a record attempt had been set forSaturday 25th September. Bad weather, however, forced a postponement of the meeting and it was re-scheduled for the followingWednesday. It was a beautiful day on the Wednesday and 4,132 paying customers came through the turnstiles for this special occasion. At almost 4.20 in the afternoon he was ready for the attempt. The temperature was 78 degrees with just a ‘touch’ of a breeze at 5 mph, probably as close to perfect race conditions as you could get.
Every one of those 4,132 fans was watching as he made his way onto the track but the total number of people watching was much higher. There was a HUGE Media contingent there ready to record this momentous event. As well there were the owners, trainers, drivers, stable hands etc of the runners contesting the races on that afternoon. Then there was the staff of the Lexington track, ground staff, office staff, publicity and other personnel, ALL had taken up vantage points to watch this attempt by Niatross to become the fastest pacer in history. The most unusual thing about THIS particular record attempt was that NOBODY thought he couldn’t break the old record! In 1972 Steady Star had recorded 1.52 on this same track and that record had remained unchallenged until now, but today EVERYBODY expected that record to fall, just by how much was the REAL question!
Well known trainer/driver Howard Beissinger thought between 1.50 and 1.51, Delvin Miller predicted 1.50 2/5 but ventured that he just might be able to go a little faster. Stanley Dancer thought 1.51 while Clint Galbraith, the person who knew him best said “around 1.50”. The two who came the closest, however, were trainer/driver Glen Garnsey and Arch McNeil who predicted 1.49 and 1.49 2/5!
As he moved onto the track the two prompters, who were to be driven by Fred Bach and Dennis Lacey, waited for him to do his warm up. Unlike here in Australia, where we use pacers as galloping pacemakers, these two prompters were thoroughbreds hitched up to sulkies. When Galbraith thought he was ready he turned him around and headed towards the start/finishing line at an increasing pace. About 200 yards out he was joined by the two prompters, albeit a little bit behind, and the three of them charged at the post at an ever increasing speed. As he hit the line to start the time trial a huge roar went up from the assembled crowd who knew he was now on his way to his date with destiny, and they were there to witness it.
Clint wanted to keep something for his run home so he gave him an ‘easy’ first quarter of 27.3 (Steady Star went 28.2) and went the next 400 in 27 (Steady Star 26.1) to reach the half in 54.3, the same as Steady Star! The next quarter was to be the big test as it is timed over the final bend and horses tend to lose time there, Steady Star went this section in 28.2 but in HIS run but Niatross, still with something in reserve, went this section in a sensational 27.1 and to the three quarter in 1.21.4! He came around the home turn and faced the long run down the home straight at the Red Mile, but Galbraith knew he still had plenty of horse under him. He gave him his head and moved him one out from the rail to allow one of the prompters to come up on the inside while the other came at him from the outside. Niatross never shirked his task in the straight even though Galbraith later said it looked at least a mile long! When they flashed across the finishing line there was momentary silence as the people in attendance stared at the infield timer in disbelief, it read 1.49 1/5! Their silence lasted all of about half a second then an almighty roar swept across the track as pandemonium broke loose. Hundreds surged onto the track, some to offer their congratulations to Galbraith, many wanting to just touch the horse and others to just be there at this special moment in time. He hadn’t just broken the record, he had shattered it, taking almost 3 full seconds off a time that is normally broken, when it IS broken, in increments of a second. His stride was measured after the race and it was 23 feet and 5 inches, compared to Steady Star’s 22 feet.
It was after this event that Galbraitht and Berger began seriously talking about a 4yo season for Niatross, with Galbraith predicting that he could go even faster the following year! This brought about another dispute with Lou Guida who was adamant that he would go to stud at the end of his 3yo season. And the lawyers just rubbed their hands with glee!
Nine days later he raced at Roosevelt in the third leg of the Triple Crown, The Messenger, and had little trouble in becoming just the 6th Triple Crown winner. A week later he won the Hanover Stake at Liberty Bell by 7 lengths in 1.56 1/5. Then it was over to California for a series of races at Hollywood Park beginning with the Albatross Stake which he won by ‘just’ 13 lengths in 1.54 4/5. On the 15-11-80 he took on the older pacers in the American Pacing Classic but it made no difference to Niatross, he was the best there was and he knew it, winning by 10 lengths in a new world record time of 1.52 1/5. The following week in the Final he romped in, once again, by 5 lengths in ANOTHER new world record, rating 1.53 2/5 for the 9 furlong event. In all three races at Hollywood Park, Niatross was barred from the betting!
The courts had decreed that Galbraith and Berger had to hand Niatross over to the Lou Guida Syndicate at the end of his 3yo season so with just a month to go they decided to contest 3 more races. They travelled to Galbraith’s homeland, Ontario Canada, and won an Invitational on 7-12-80 and 6 days later won a similar event. It was now almost the end of the year and his driver was undecided as to where to contest his last race, it seemed EVERYBODY wanted him! He agreed to Stanley Dancer’s request and took him to Pompano Park, Florida, on the 27-12-80. A huge crowd of 18,451 people turned up to see the champion’s last race but it almost didn’t happen. When Galbraith took him out onto the track earlier for a ‘look’ he was lame! His off hind foot was placed in a bucket of warm water and a puss pocket burst, easing the pressure he was feeling. He then ‘went out’ like the true champion he was, winning by 15 lengths in a track record time of 1.54 3/5. And then it was all over.
When the word got out that his racing career was at an end the accolades poured in from all over. Legendary horseman Billy Haughton said “The greatest horse I’ve ever seen” while the Lexington Herald proclaimed “The greatest horse in harness history”.
Dean A. Hoffman said “His existence is due to a quirk in genetics, a one in a million shot which results in a single horse emerging as a veritable mutation in the breed, a horse so far ahead of the normal evolutionary process that he truly belongs not among his contemporaries but rather to future generations”.
John Berry stated “Undoubtedly the greatest standardbred in the 175 year history of American harness racing”. While the New York Post stated “The greatest pacer, or perhaps even racehorse, of all time”
Stan Bergstein, long time Executive Vice President, Harness Tracks of America, said ” A generation ahead of the rest of the breed”, while Australia’s own international horseman, the late Eddie Sims stated “That he is the greatest standardbred ever in the history of the sport is totally beyond argument”. The Meadowlands Publicity Department said “Niatross raised the bar of immortality so high that there’s been no need to adjust it since.”
The final complement came, however, from a most unexpected source. Every year for almost 180 years the prestigious New York Post has named a sportsman in December as the Athlete Of the Year. The award has been won by some of the most famous sportsmen and sportswomen in history but this year was to be different. This year for the first, and only, time the Athlete of the Year was NOT human, it was a horse, and it was, of course, Niatross.
Galbraith would have liked him to stand at Rodney Farms but had no say in this and Guida selected Castleton Farm in Kentucky as his new home for his stud career.
When Niatross arrived at his new home in Kentucky he faced a welcome of amazing proportions. Over 300 political, community, media, sports world and business leaders were in attendance, including the Governor of Kentucky, John Brown, to welcome the world champion to his new domicile. The Governor even read a proclamation in which he said “I, John Y. Brown jnr., Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, do hereby proclaim Monday January 5th 1981 as NIATROSS DAY in Kentucky, in honour of this great Standardbred champion who has returned to Kentucky to further his career and to advance the future of the breed”.
His stud fee was set at $35,000, the highest ever for a first season sire, and was only slightly behind the ‘giants’ of the breeding industry, Meadow Skipper, Most happy Fella and his own sire, Albatross, who all stood at $40,000. The fee was no deterrent to breeders who ALL wanted to breed to this super horse, and he served over 200 mares in the first year. He was given the ‘cream of the crop’ as far as consorts was concerned, so he had every chance to prove himself. In 1983 91 of his first season yearlings went under the hammer and averaged $85,374, not a bad return for the $35,000 stud fee!
His first crop was a ‘boomer’ with Semalu Dancer 1.54 $880,187 and Pershing Square 1.52 2/5 $812,277 being some of the outstanding examples, but the horse that REALLY stood out was a colt who was almost, ALMOST, as good as his sire, Nihilator 1.49 3/5 $3,225,653. With his second crop he did it again with Barberry Spur 1.50 2/5 $1,634,017, the brilliant filly Caressable 1.55 4/5 $1,006,380 and Smartest Remark 1.52 1/5 $607,537 being outstanding examples of what he could do. In his first two years at Castleton he served 470 mares and got 352 foals.
From his second crop 130 went to auction and in a declining market still averaged $83,077. And then the owners of Niatross did the unthinkable, they moved him! There is a thought amongst old time horsemen that says you NEVER move a stallion from his ‘home’ while he is producing results and it proved true with Niatross.
His third crop from his new home produced only 98 foals, as opposed to 204 the previous year, and slowly but surely the quality of his consorts began to drop. Before long he was, once again, moved, this time to Pine Hollow Stud owned by Morton Finder, a close friend of Lou Guida. As his foals failed to reproduce the same results as his first and second crop did, he was, once again, moved, this time to Saratoga Standardbreds.
From 1989 to his death he stood at Walnridge Farm and produced 629 foals who between them won $11,276,180. In 1996 it was decided to take him ‘on the road’ and he spent the next 2 years touring the United States and Canada on a promotional trip. The fans turned out in their thousands to see this ‘living legend’ for, perhaps, the last time, and that was how it was.
On the 7th June 1999, Niatross was humanely euthanazed at the University of Pennsylvania as he was riddled with cancer and in great pain. His remains were interred in the courtyard of the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York. He is the ONLY horse so honoured there.
Niatross had 39 starts and won 37 of them for $2,019,213. He was 2yo pacer of the Year and Harness Horse of the Year in 1979 and the following year was 3yo Pacer of the Year as well as Harness Horse of the Year. He ran the fastest mile of all time, the fastest race mile of all time, won in 1.55 or better 14 times, won more money in one season, $1,414,313, than any horse of any breed and was the first horse of any breed to win over $2,000,000 in two racing seasons.
Comparisons between him and his greatest son, Nihilator, are very interesting. As a 2yo Niatross was undefeated while Nihilator was only beaten once. In two seasons of racing Niatross won 37 races, 34 in 2.0 or better, while Nihilator won 35 races All in 2.0 or better. Niatross was the first horse to win a million dollar race while Nihilator was the first to win a TWO million dollar race. Niatross was the first horse to break the 1.52, 1.51 and 1.50 barrier while Nihilator was the first to break the 1.50 barrier in a race. Niatross paced the fastest mile of all time while his son ran the fastest race mile of all time. Niatross was the first horse to post wins in 1.55 on all size tracks while Nihilator was the first to post wins in 1.53 on all size tracks. Niatross won 6 consecutive races in under 1.54 while Nihilator won 6 consecutive races in under 1.53. Both were straight heat winners of the Little Brown Jug in world record time, and both held the track record at the Meadowlands. As a 3yo Niatross won 23 races in 2.0 or better and Nihilator also won 23 races in 2.0 or better as a 3yo. Both were also the richest 3yo’s ever. Both were voted harness Horse of the year, Niatross twice, as was HIS sire, Albatross. All three horses, Albatross, his son Niatross, and his son, Nihilator, were voted 2yo of the year, 3yo of the year, Pacer of the year and Harness Horse of the year!
Earlier I quoted some of the praises heaped upon Niatross by prominent harness racing identities when he ran his last race, but I kept one till last.
The person who loved him the most, his devoted owner Elsie Berger, had this to say about her horse. “God is the creator of life, beauty and perfection, and he put it all in Niatross”.
I couldn’t think of a better way to finish this, last, story.
I hope you have enjoyed the series.
Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
