Poor Hambletonian results didn’t stop some from eventually finding the spotlight.

by Bob Heyden

You don’t have to be 1-2-3 in the Hambletonian to go on to greatness, or at least some amount of fame. Here’s a list of some who weren’t near the winner’s circle on Hambletonian Day but more than made up for it later.

1982: The second year of the Hambletonian in New Jersey, Arndon made a break as the 6-5 choice and wound up eighth for Del Miller, Mystic Park also jumped it off as the prohibitive 1-5 choice for Frank O’Mara and struggled home ninth and Diamond Exchange was 62-1 and also broke stride and finished last. What was interesting about those three you ask? Arndon would sire two-time Trotter of the Year Pine Chip (1993-94), Mystic Park gave us — from his very first crop — Mack Lobell, and Diamond Exchange, 11 months later at 4, became the first 1:55 trotter in Meadowlands history for Chuck Sylvester and Robert Williams.

1984: Future standout Sandy Bowl finished fifth and 10th in his two tries and Baltic Speed, en route to divisional honors, was fourth and third, not good enough for the three-horse raceoff. He then sired both Peace Corps and Valley Victory from his first crop.

1987: Will forever be the remembered as the year of Mack Lobell and Napoletano, but quietly a young man named Jimmy Takter debuted and finished sixth with Sir Taurus.

1992: The year you had to win once, and Alf Palema heard that. Where did the Yonkers Trot dead-heaters finish in the 1992 Hambletonian? McCluckey was seventh and Magic Lobell ninth.

1994: Gum Ball, a future international star barely gets noticed quietly finishing third then 10th in the final.

1996: The official coming-out party for the sheer greatness that was Continentalvictory. Lost in there was Kramer Boy was third in his elimination heat before getting fourth money in the final. The following year he was Sweden’s Horse of the Year.

2000: A colt named Dream Vacation was eighth and last not advancing, but he made up for that and a lot more, first setting a 4YO Meadowlands track record of 1:52 from post 10 no less and then was a solid second to Varenne in the 2001 Breeders Crown.

2003: Mr Muscleman failed to get out of the elim finishing sixth, but he dominated the rest of the year and was an easy choice for divisional honors.

2007: Arch Madness made $4.2 million lifetime, but none of that came in the Hambletonian elims where he was seventh at 5-2. But just 3 months later in November, he ended HOY Donato Hanover’s 19-race winning streak with an elim and final score in the Breeders Crown.

2008: A superstar to be had not yet sent out the notices. His name? Lucky Jim, who broke at three quarters and finished sixth at 9-1. The following year he’d be HOY runner-up to Muscle Hill with his only blemish coming via interference in a 17-for-18 season for the ages.

2009: Was all about Muscle Hill who posted the fastest Hambletonian in 1:50.1. But, did you know the sire of the all-time fastest trotter — Homicide Hunter (1:48.4) — was also in there? Mr Cantab finished fifth in his elim not advancing.

2014 and 2015: Resolve (fifth in the final) and the following year, Cruzado Dela Noche (ninth in an elim after an early miscue) each went on to win the Yonkers International Trot.

HAMBLETONIAN TIDBITS

• Ulf Thoresen is well-known on these shores for his expert handling of Nuclear Kosmos to victory in the 1986 Hambletonian. Easily overlooked is his Roosevelt International score, the same year, with Habib to make Norway doubly proud.

• Thirty minutes before declaring for the 1989 Hambletonian elims it was decided that Valley Victory would not start due to a viral infection and he never raced again. That decision completely changed the face of the 64th Hambletonian. Not only was the Yonkers Trot record-setting winner not going to compete but Bill O’Donnell was waiting for the decision too, being totally committed to the speedy son of Baltic Speed. O’Donnell had driven Park Avenue Joe the week before — a strong second — in the Beacon Course (now the Stanley Dancer) but that drive had already gone to Ron Waples with the natural assumption made by all that O’Donnell would drive the defending 2YO divisional king. Waples had never driven Park Avenue Joe prior. O’Donnell wound up third, then fifth with Egyptian Gentleman.

• Four of the first five Meadowlands Hambletonian winners were homebreds, but Prakas (1985) — following Shiaway St Pat (1981), Duenna (1983) and Historic Freight (1984) — was a $47,000 buy back yearling. Hans Enggren expected $60G and wound up with the Hambletonian record setter this gratifying year coming after he was scratched from the 1981 proceedings with Count Eden and the 1984 edition with Socrates Lobell.

• Finally, from the don’t count your chickens dept, T C I, Karl and Highland Kismet were all back of the top pair in divisions of the Dancer. Just remember that Peace Corps entered 1989 off a 17-race winning streak and in 1965 Noble Victory was 27-for-28 lifetime.