Champions | 1970-1979

Father-Son Combo too Tough

  • September 2, 1970

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $143,630

The year could have been devoted to the two father-son teams which combined for a Hambletonian in world record time. First Ayres, winner of the 1964 Hambletonian was the sire of one of the favorites, a colt trained by John Simpson, Sr., named Timothy T. The colt was scheduled to be driven by Simpson’s son, John, Jr., and there was little doubt he would win this classic race after his first heat win in 2:001 over Flower Child and Victory Star. But, in the second heat, young Simpson moved too early with his charge and Formal Notice, trained and carefully driven by Jimmy Arthur, got home on top in 1:582 , fastest trotting mile of 1970. Both young Simpson and Timothy T. got their act together again in the final heat, drawing clear from Formal Notice in 2:003 to gain the Hambletonian silver. At 27, John Simpson, Jr. became the youngest driver at the time to win the Hambletonian. Flower Child, who wound up third over all in the summary, became a top notch free-for-all trotter as a four and five-year-old and trotted the fastest mile ever in Europe at 1:584 in Sweden as a five-year-old. The training of Timothy T. was a swan song for John Simpson, Sr., one of the finest and most accomplished colt trainers ever. Simpson hung up his training goggles shortly after that and assumed command of the vast Hanover Shoe Farms breeding operation, the largest stan-dardbred nursery in the world. Timothy T. went on to a successful career in Europe, being a champion on two continents.

The Simpsons wer the first father and son driver pair to win the classic. Despite the impediment of diminishing vision, which originated from a driving accident, Simpson Sr. brought the difficult colt to the peak of his ability perfectly. The youngest driver (27) to win the Hambletonian to that point, it was John Jr.'s first drive in the Hambletonian - a race his father won twice 91957 and 1964). Timothy T. was voted the 3-year-old Trotting Colt of the Year. Exported to Italy, by 1975 Timothy T. had won his second straight Elitlopp, making him arguably the best trotter in the world.

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Champions | 1970-1979

Speedy Crowned The Champ

  • September 1, 1971

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $129,770

There are several accepted routes to Hambletonian fame. One is to make all the stops and meet all opposition and reach peak form at DuQuoin. Another is to pick your spots along the way, bring your colt to a peak of performance and hope everything happens the right way. It certainly did for Howard Beissinger and Speedy Crown in 1971. Speedy Crown was considered a rank outsider when the 1971 seaon began, but during the course of the season, Beissiner brought his charge along carefully, showing that he could trot with the best of them early and often. Not eligible to the Review Futurity at Springfield's Grand Circuit stop, he instead elected to go a time trial with Speedy Crown, and the colt responded wtih a 1:57.2 "workout" which was faster than the 1:58.2 mile recorded by Quick Pride and Hoot Speed in the Review. After that, with the rest of the field shipping to Indianapolis for the Horseman Stake, Beissinger elected to ship right to DuQuoin and work his charge out for two weeks over the Hambletonian track. He put several stiff works in him as he was razor sharp for the race, trotting two near perfect 1:57.2 and 1:58.1 miles, easily whipping Savoir and A.C.'s Orion. Speedy Crown went on to complete the 1971 Triple Crown.

As Beissinger pulled him off the rail up the backstretch in the second and final heat, Speedy Crown stepped on Hoot Speed's sulky wheel. According to Beissinger, "he never missed a beat!," exhibiting the trotting talent he would pass on to his sons and daughters in an extraordinary stallion career that ended in 1996 with his retirement at age 28. Trainer/driver Howard Beissinger's wife Ann was the breeder of Speedy Crown. Speedy Crown was voted Trotter of the Year. Top Hanover, by 1963 winner Ayres out of the exported free-for-aller Elaine Rodney, was the first "European horse" to start in the Hambletonian. Through sired at Hanover, Elaine Rodney was owned in Italy at the time. Top Hanover was trained in Europe and driven by leading German reinsman Gerhard Krueger. Elaine Rodney finished second to Blaze Hanover in the first heat of the 1960 Hambletonian. Gay Blossom won the first Hambletonian Filly Stake (renamed the Oaks in 1982). From 1926 to 1970, 141 fillies started in the Hambletonian; only seventeen have started in the Open since the inauguration of the Hambletonian Oaks in 1971.

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Champions | 1970-1979

A Super Fast Colt

  • august 31, 1962

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $119,090

Although it took Stanley Dancer quite a few tries to win his first Hambletonian, Dancer trained and drove Super Bowl to two perfect victories in 1:572 , and 1:562 , the latter a new world standard for three-year- old trotters in 1972. Super Bowl was the eighth winner for his sire, Star’s Pride, in 12 years, adding to the luster of his great sire’s accomplishments in this most famous trotting race. Super Bowl’s chief rival was the gifted Delmonica Hanover, a filly handled by the veteran Delvin Miller. Delmonica was second in both heats and trotted miles that would have been world filly marks in chasing Super Bowl. But she never really bothered the winner in each heat. Super Bowl and Dancer were simply the best. The Bill Haughton stable entry of Flush and Spartan Hanover traded a pair of thirds with The Black Streak fourth in each heat. It was a predictable end to this Hambletonian, and a "super" victory for Super Bowl, who won all three legs of the Triple Crown in 1972, the last trotter to do so.

Super Bowl was the sixth horse to win the Triple Crown of Trotting and the last to do it before Winsong's Legacy in 2004. His second and final heat was in a world record 1:56 4/5; the first 3-year-old mile under 1:57. Star's Pride sired his record eighth Hambletonian winner. His stallion record was something of a redemption. Star's Pride, the pre-race favorite in the 1952 Hambletonian, finished 2nd (2-2) to Lusty Song. One of the commentaries that year noted he was following in family tradition: his sire Worthy Boy was 2nd (2-2) in 1929 to Walter Dear; and Worthy Boy's dam Warwell Worthy was 2nd (7-2) in 1935 to Greyhound. Super Bowl is the Hambletonian winner that has subsequently sired the most winners (6). Super Bowl's caretaker, John Barker, ws married the night before the Hambletonian on the stage next to the race track in front of the grandstand. His bride Peggy was a caretaker for the Bill Haughton Stable. Stanley Dancer stood up for Barker, while Bill Haughton "gave away" the bride. Barker is now track superintendent for the Little Brown Jug. Super Bowl was voted Trotter of the Year. The filly Delmonica Hanover was second in both heats, timed in 1:57 flat in the second dash, three-fifths of a second faster than the existing world record race mile for a filly or mare (Fresh Yankee, 1:57 3/5). She is the dame of 1989 co-winner Park Avenue Joe. Probably the longest shot ever in the Hambletonian was Axystar, who "prepped" for his stakes debut in three overnight races at the Michigan fairs. He had a grand total of $77 to his credit when his owner Dr. Anderson Arbury, a retired orthodontist from the state, drove him. True to form, Axystar was well back at the start of the two heats, and maintained that posistion, finishing last in both heats (7-7). However, Dr. Arbury got to tell his grandchildren that he drove in the Hambletonian.

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Champions | 1970-1979

Almost Overlooked

  • august 29, 1973

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $144,710

Few geldings have ever won the Hambletonian, the first being the immortal "Grey Ghost" Greyhound, who accomplished that feat in 1935. Another came in 1973 in the form of the Florican gelding Flirth. Owned and bred by the Arden Homestead Stable and trained by Ralph Baldwin, Flirth was a rank outsider to most observers on this Hambletonian Day, with most of the interest centered on John Simpson, Jr.’s Knightly Way or Gene Riegle’s Arnie Almahurst. Then there were the talented Florican fillies, Florinda and Honeysuckle Rose. Nearly everybody overlooked Flirth. Baldwin had brought Flirth and stablemate Fetisil to DuQuoin nearly a week ahead of schedule and put some blistering workouts over the DuQuoin track, operating in near obscurity except for some local observers. Flirth was lying in ambush on Hambletonian Day. He took over the lead in the first heat shortly after the quarter and never looked back, trotting home in 1:582 over Florinda and South Bend. In the second, he lowered the all age world mark for geldings to 1:571 with the same don’t-look- back style. Noble Jade rallied for second in the final heat and South Bend was again third, but there was no menacing the winner.

Second of only three geldings to win the Hambletonian; the great Greyhound (1935) being the first. Flirth set four world records, including the fastest race mile (1:57 1/5) ever by a gelding. The previous mark (1:57 1/4) of almost forty years was held by Greyhound, which he set as a 4-year-old in 1936. Flirth was voted Trotter of the Year. Arden Homestead is the ownership credited with the most starters in the Hambletonian. Through 1998, they have raced 32 horses since their first entry of Cinema and First Choice in 1926. The 13th and last Axworthy line trotter to win; Axworthy was the dominant sire line in the first decade of the Hambletonian.

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Champions | 1970-1979

Now haughton Can Smile

  • August 30, 1974

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $160,150

Bill Haughton had a lot of frustrating days at DuQuoin. Many times, he had come to this classic harness race with a horse he thought could win. It is an irony that the Hambletonian victory that finally came his way was one he didn’t think he had a shot to win. He was second with Galophone in 1955, third with Circo in 1959, third with Speedy Count in 1964, fourth with Carlisle in 1966, second with Keystone Pride in 1967, third with A. C.’s Orion in 1971, and fourth with Spartan Hanover in 1972. In 1974, a colt he did not want to start named Christopher T. surprised Haughton, his owner John Thro, and nearly everyone else with two relatively simple wins over a modest field of colt trotters in the rain delayed Hambletonian. The purse had grown to a record $160,510 and Christopher T. blew past the leaders in late stretch in the first heat to score 1:594 win over Golden Sovereign and Sing Away Herbert. Nevele Diamond captured the second elimination, trotting in 2:002 for Stanley Dancer. The final, though, belonged to Christopher T., the full brother to 1970 winner, Timothy T., in command in the 1:583 mile. The race was delayed for two days due to heavy storms in the area and was raced over a track less than fast.

For the first time, the elimination system was implemented in the Hambletonian; only the first five finishers came back from each elimination division of eleven starters for a second heat. Christopher T. and Timothy T. (1970) were the fourth pair of sibling to win the hambletonian. They were full brothers by 1964 Hambletonian winner Ayres and out of the Victory Song mare Flicka Frost. Their three-quarter sister Cora T. won the Hambletonian Oaks in 1978. She was by Ayres' sire Star's Pride. Flicka Frost was owned by the partnership of Don Millar (Bonnie Keek Farm) and John Thro, although Bonnie Keek was listed as the breeder of record on Christopher T. as well as Timothy T. Millar recalled that initially the partners would flip a coin and alternate each year on the ownership of each foal. Bill Haughton won his first Hambletonian 25 years after making his first start (with Crossbow who did not finish in 1949). He went on to win three of the next six (1976,1977 and 1980), and trained the winner of 1982. Christopher T., Haughton's 16th starter in the Hambletonian was entered at owner Thro's insistence despite Haughton's pessimism regarding his chances. The event was postponed two days by rain, and the highly regarded Golden Sovereign may have hurt himself in the stall during the delay, finishing second in his elim and fouth in the final. The other co-favorite, Nevele Diamond, won his elim but suffered from bad feet and could not overcome the rain-hardened racetrack.

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Champions | 1970-1979

Pressure Squarely on Dancer

  • August 30, 1975

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $232,192

The 1975 renewal of the Hambletonian had several things going for it. There was a nationwide television audience, the first parimutuel betting in DuQuoin, and it was the 50th renewal of harness racing’s greatest race. It also became one of the most thrilling events in the history of the Hambletonian. The undisputed favorite was Bonefish, the handsome son of Nevele Pride—Exciting Speed, owned by the A. M. Cuddy Stable of Canada and Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Dancer. The Dancers and the Cuddys had sold Bonefish to Castleton Farm of Lexington, Ky., prior to the race and a $1 million tag rode on Bonefish’s nose throughout the day. The pressure was clearly on Dancer from the word "go." The crowd was buzzing aplenty when Bonefish, in the words of trainer Dancer, "just went bad a heat" to be ninth in the first heat, which was trotted in 1:59 by outsider Yankee Bambino and young Walter Ross. The second heat was won by Noble Rogue and Jimmy Arthur, trotting in 1:592 over Yankee Bambino and Bonefish, who made a late, but impressive rally. The day was growing old, but the field had set it up for Bonefish to win if he could go the distance. Carefully prepped by Dancer, Bonefish was ready to assume his favorite role by the time the third heat rolled around and his cruising 2:003 win in the third heat foretold his eventual victory, but not without the struggle of his life. Bonefish, Yankee Bambino, and Noble Rogue all reappeared for the fourth and decisive heat, only the sixth time in history the race had gone that distance. Three tough, tired and game trotters answered the call for the final. And in a stretch battle that might have come out of a Hollywood script, Bonefish prevailed by a scant nose. Yankee Bambino showed he was dead game and gave it a marvelous try. It was victory number three for Dancer in trotting’s number one event and another vindication of his supreme training and driving skill.

First $200,000 purse in the Hambletonian. First live television coverage on CBS Sports Spectacular moved the race from a traditional Wednesday race day at Goshen and DuQuoin to Saturday. After a debilitating fourth heat race-off, neither the winner, Bonefish, nor Yankee Bambino (who was second beaten by a nose) would ever race again. Bonefish was the only winner of a fourth heat not to win the first or second heat. Bonefish was the 30th winner sired by a Kentucky stallion; Pennsylvania also has a record 30 through 1995 (Tagliabue). Bonefish was voted 3-year-old Trotting Colt of the Year.

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Champions | 1970-1979

2nd Straight 4-Heat Clash

  • September 4, 1976

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $263,524

In the long and storied history of the Hambletonian, only six races had taken four heats to declare a winner. In 1975, Bonefish proved toughest of all and in 1976, Steve Lobell and Bill Haughton responded to the call of greatness with a record-breaking victory. Haughton, who won his first Hambletonian with Christopher T. in 1974, returned to Victory Lane for the second time in three years with Steve Lobell, a son of Haughton pupil Speedy Count. The first heat of what would be the sixth four-heater in history was taken by the cleverly named Zoot Suit, a son of Nevele Pride—Glad Rags, who trotted in 1:582 for Vernon Dancer. Steve Lobell and Haughton returned in the second, equalling Super Bowl’s three-year-old record of 1:562 . Then the filly queen, Armbro Regina, knocked the colts over with a resounding 1:563 photo decision of the narrowest kind with Zoot Suit and Quick Pay right there. The final was cut out by Armbro Regina, but Steve Lobell prevailed in the final sixteenth for Haughton and his owners.

First heat winner Zoot Suit was a son of 1965 winner Nevele Pride and the multiple stakes winning pacing mare Glad Rags (who was second to Meadow Skipper in his last career start). Despite his mixed gait pedigree (a trotting sire on a pacing dam) Zoot Suit became one of the foremost trotting stallions in Sweden. Steve Lobell's 1:56 2/5 second heat was a world record for a 3-year-old; the first sub 1:57 3-year-old trotting mile. Armbro Regina's third heat in 1:56 3/5 was a world record for a 3-year-old filly. Winner Steve Lobell collapsed after an exhausting fourth heat race-off. This, along with the four heats of the 1975 race, precipitated a change in the conditions to limit the greatest number of heats to three (beginning with the 1981 race). Steve Lobell also won the Yonkers Trot, but was beaten in the Kentucky Futurity by less than half a length in each of three heats. He lost by a nose to Soothsayer in the first heat and by a nose and a neck to the eventual winner Quick Pay, ironically driven by Haughton's son Peter. Steve Lobell was voted Trotter of the Year.

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Champions | 1970-1979

The Colt That Had Raw Speed

  • September 3, 1977

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $284,310

Although it took Bill Haughton nearly 20 years to win his first Hambletonian, this famous trainer-driver now has a strangle hold on trotting’s top prize after Green Speed rolled to two world record miles with Haughton in the bike in 1977. A son of the Rodney stallion, Speedy Rodney, Green Speed turned in two letter-perfect miles in 1:55.3, equaling the all-age mark for trotters held by Noble Victory and lowering the Super Bowl—Steve Lobell three-year- old mark by nearly a full second. Green Speed was the favorite, and he looked and acted like the best all day. Texas tried gamely in both heats but was no match for the winner. It seemed the outcome would have been no different under any circumstances. The winner was bred by Lloyd Lloyds, a longtime patron of the Haughton Stable, and was given to his wife, Beverly, after she refused to purchase the horse. He was syndicated in the off-season for $3.2 million for stud duty at Pine Hollow Stud in New York.

Green Speed was consigned as a yearling to the Standardbred Horse Sale and had actually been shipped to Harrisburg, PA. He was withdrawn from the sale at the last minute after a call from Haughton, who had seen the colt, and asked Lloyds not to send him through the sale. Lloyds turned ownership of Green Speed over to his wife, Beverly, and sent him off to the Haughton Stable for training. Green Speed's 1:55 3/5 first heat was a world record for a 3-year-old (the first sub-1:56 mile for a 3-year-old) and ties all-age race mark for a trotter. His second heat was an identical 1:55 3/5. When asked about three or four heats, Haughton said, "I would not have started Green Speed in the 3rd heat if we had lost the 2nd. I do not believe in racing more than two heats in this weather...perhaps I would later in the year." The only serious threat to Green Speed's journey down DuQuoin's Victory Lane came from stablemate Cold Comfort, driven by Haughton's son, Peter. The younger Haughton mounted a serious challenge in the stretch, getting within a neck of Green Speed, but Cold Comfort eventually faded to fourth. Comedian Red Skelton made the trophy presentation. CBS televised the race, which featured both the colorful attire and commentary of Heywood Hale Broun. Green Speed won the Yonkers Trot earlier int he season. The Hambletonian marked the 5th consecutive Trotting Triple Crown event for the Haughton Stable: Steve Lobell won the 1976 Yonkers Trot and Hambletonian, while Quick Pay (with son Peter driving) won the 1976 Kentucky Futurity. The string would come to an end; Green Speed was not kept eligible to the Kentucky Futurity, "an oversight for which Haughton accepted) responsibility." Green Speed was voted Horse of the Year.

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Champions | 1970-1979

Historic Miles

  • september 2, 1978

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $241,280

For the sixth time in seven years, the heat of the Hambletonian battle produced world marks. First, Speedy Somolli hauled Howard Beissinger around the DuQuoin mile oval in 1:55, trotting the final three-quarters in 1:25 and holding off Brisco Hanover and Florida Pro. In the second heat, Florida Pro, driven by George Sholty, moved out past the half following Speedy Somolli, then engaged the first heat winner from the five-eighths pole home and was up by a scant nose to grab victory in an identical 1:55 time. It was the first time in harness racing history that trotters had raced in 1:55, and two of them did it on the same afternoon. Florida Pro was shuffled back to fifth in the third and concluding heat while Speedy Somolli and Brisco Hanover fought it out up front. Brisco appeared to be mounting a drive inside the seven-eighths pole when he went off stride, with Howard Beissinger gaining his third Hambletonian victory with a 1:57 mile behind Speedy Somolli. The winner was bred by Howard’s wife, Anne, and Barbara Mumma of Harrisburg, Pa., and was owned at the time of his victory by Alan Leavitt, William Rosenberg, the Beissingers and Mummas.

First Hambleonian mile in 1:55. Speedy Somolli won the first heat in 1:55 - the fastest race mile ever by a trotter of any age. Florida Pro won the second heat in an identical 1:55. It was the sixth time in seven years that a world record had been set in a heat of the Hambletonian. Speedy Somolli had a third generation Hambletonian winner pedigree. He was the first horse to be sired by a Hambletonian winner (Speedy Crown) who was sired by a Hambletonian winner (Speedy Scot). Beissinger's wife Ann was the breeder of Speedy Crown. Speedy Somolli also won the Yonkers Futurity, but made breaks in both heats of the Kentucky Futurity which was won by Double Mint. Speedy Somolli was voted Trotter of the Year. In addition to 15 minutes live with Frank Glieber and Stan Bergstein on CBS following U.S. Open Tennis, the Hambletonian was broadcast live on the Mutual Broadcasting Co. radio network. First year of par-mutuel wagering at DuQuoin.

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Champions | 1970-1979

Sholty + Legendary Owner’s First Win

  • September1, 1979

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $300,00

Legend Hanover was two-year-old Trotter of the Year in 1978 and was one of the early choices for Hambletonian favorite. But coming into the race, he had only four wins in 19 starts and he was to be driven in the biggest race of his life by a driver who had never ushered him around a racetrack. But Legend Hanover overcame these obstacles and provided one of the most interesting Hambletonian victories ever with a straight heat 1:57, back in 1:561 triumph in the sport’s greatest race. George Sholty, who had driven Florida Pro to a world record 1:55 heat win in 1978, got his first Hambletonian victory with two flawless drives of the Messenger Stable’s Super Bowl colt.

Hambletonian was awarded to The Meadowlands, its present host, beginning in 1981. First $300,000 purse in the Hambletonian. Because of par-mutuel wagering, George Sholty got the last minute driving assignment after Illinois racing officials ruled that Joe O'Brien, Legend Hanover's regular catch-driver, could not dirve him because O'Brien trained another horse in the race. The problem was ironic given that it was only the second year of pari-mutuels at DuQuoin. Legen Hanover was owned by Dr. Arthur Galt, the only Illinois resident to win the Hambletonian during its tenture at DuQuoin. Corinne Tripp, wife of trainer Ray Tripp, was the regular caretaker for Legend Hanover. Mrs. Tripp was so nervous on race day that she watched the Hambletonian from the grandstand while veteran groom Pat Troll "heeled" the horse in the paddock that afternoon. It was Troll's second visit to the Hambletonian winners' circle; he took care of Christopher T (1974). In 1980 he was the caretaker of Burgomeister and is believed to be the only groom to care for three Hambletonian winners. Legend Hanover was a three-quarter brother to Somolli, the dam of 1978 winner Speedy Somolli. The filly division purse topped $100,000 for the first time and was won by Pegan Princess.

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Champions | 1970-1979

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