by Bob Heyden

On Oct. 5, 1984, The Red Mile played host to the very first Breeders Crown which was for freshman colt trotters. The first ever winner was Workaholic, a son of Speedy Crown out of Ah So. The $167,000 Harrisburg yearling raced for the Workaholics Stable which was made up of businessmen from the Eastern shore of Maryland: Ken Heineken and Paul Ewell, the major decision-makers, along with Harold “Chip” Gordy, Bruce Moore and Bob Warfield.

Hakan Wallner trained the colt who would catapult to divisional honors on the strength of this convincing two-length score over nemesis Prakas. Berndt Lindstedt drove him for the first time as fellow Swede Jan Johnson had handled the occasionally cantankerous colt prior.

Workaholic went off at 5-1 and that the first Breeders Crown was not the only featured event that day. It landed on Kentucky Futurity Day in 1984.

The excellent yearling choice by the Workaholic group was far from their only one. Just the week before the initial Crown, they plunked down $210,000 for a yearling named Royal Prestige — also a Speedy Crown — who’d go on to a stellar career that culminated in a 13-for-19 sophomore season and a Hambletonian runner-up finish as the favorite. Then, they did it again, for the third-straight year in 1985, buying a colt by the name of Friendly Face.

But back to Workaholic. He never did top this moment in the sun and at 3 was timed in 1:54.3 (his best), but just fourth in a heat of the World Trotting Derby. He was placed second in the Breeders Crown behind Prakas. He then went to stand stud for three seasons in New Jersey before heading to France. There he was met with near 3,000 applications for his first-year services forcing a lottery-draw. He did make his presence felt there, but here, he will forever be known as the one who got the ball rolling in the now 40th anniversary year of the Breeders Crown.

AN OCT. 2 CONNECTION BETWEEN ALBATROSS AND SUPER BOWL

It’s pretty hard to believe the connection that these two superstars — Albatross and Super Bowl — had in their lives. On Oct. 2 this year we marked the 25th anniversary of the passing of Super Bowl.

First, a little history. They both starred in 1971-72 in the Stanley Dancer barn; Albatross as two-time HOY and Super Bowl as a freshman star then a Triple Crown winner in 1972 and HOY runner-up.

They both then went to Hanover Shoe Farms for a storied quarter century stud career. Both lived to age 30 with Albatross — a foal of 1968 — passing on Aug. 5, 1998 and Super Bowl on Oct. 2, 1999.

In 1972, Super Bowl won twice on Kentucky Futurity Day, the heat and final, with a flat tire. Super Bowl was the eighth and final Stars Pride Hambletonian credit.

Not to be outdone, Albatross had an epic day himself on Oct. 2, 1971. The very first Tattersalls was held that year, and the son of Meadow Skipper made it his own personal showcase with back-to-back 1:54.4 victories, the first and second sub 1:55 race miles ever. And they were adventurous to say the least. The first heat saw him starting from the second tier and was 10th at the quarter. As he was rolling the middle half he then shied from a swirl of leaves in his face. No matter.  World record time. Then, starting from post 1, he got away sixth in a pedestrian 30 second opener. No problem. He then roared through an epic middle half reaching three quarters in 1:26.2 before maintaining to yet another world-record mile.

Albatross wound up 1971 25-for-28 and was an easy choice for harness racing’s best.

That was 53 years ago for Albatross, and his buddy Super Bowl would pass away on that very day a quarter century ago. A fabulous lifetime together both on and off the track, and in the history books.

A COUPLE OF RARE JOHN CAMPBELL NOTES

It’s been seven years plus since John Campbell’s last competitive drive (June, 30 2017) but he’s still quite visible heading the Hambletonian Society. Here are a pair of John Campbell facts from way back that I believe are first hitting the surface.

1. Campbell and Niatross. Niatross burst upon the scene in 1979 the year Campbell won his first of 16 Meadowlands driving titles and 16 national earnings titles. But, did Campbell race against Niatross and hit the board at all? Yes.

On Aug. 2, 1980 at The Meadowlands in the $125,500 Oliver Wendell Holmes. In a historic event where for the one and only time in Meadowlands history where three second tier horses went 1-2-3! Niatross won it from post 13 and actually paid $2.60, $2.40 and $2.40 to show. Storm Damage, post 12, had the first-time services of Joe O’Brien and finished second ($4) and the same $4 to show, and Royce with Campbell from post 14 was third, despite being 50-1 on the morning line, and paid $7 to show.

Campbell had driven the son of Albatross last on June 28 at Yonkers, and the next year Royce would be voted the Older Pacer of the Year, posting three 1:53.4 victories along the way. This is the horse —

Royce — who became Campbell’s very first divisional champion.

2. This one I thought deserved oxygen mainly because, as we count down to Hambletonian #100, anyone similarly having a milestone anywhere near that would likely get overshadowed. One week before the Hambletonian hits the century mark the first Saturday of August in 2025, the Monticello OTB Classic turns 50!

On July 27, 1975, with $230,100 on the line, it was the richest race ever held to that point. Silk Stockings turned the tables on the boys in a new track record.

What does this have to do with John Campbell you ask? Glad to oblige. You see a 20-year-old Campbell was on that very program. Campbell was in the opener with Argyle Fay in a B-3 pace for $2,300 finishing third in the 2:06 mile. He trained too and his grandfather Dunc Campbell owned. John was then second best in race 3 with Shirley Duke for owner Murray Mackey of Ontario, another one conditioned by John, this was a B-1 contest that went in 2:02.1. I can’t prove the following sentence but it makes great sense. For the first time ever John Campbell and Billy Haughton drove in consecutive races at any racetrack. Haughton, 51, was fourth in the $10,000 OTB Classic consolation with Meadow Roy. Interesting to note this was the only Haughton entrant on the entire card; this coming a year after the “Green Wave” (AKA: Team Haughton) won an unheard of 88 stakes races in 1974.

Oh, one more item. In an era where Monticello was getting some of the best concerts right on track-the front cover program advertisement looked like this: Pointer Sisters July 28-31… Barry Manilow Aug. 4-6… Lesley Gore Aug. 7-8… Eddie Fisher Aug. 12-15 “The Catskills Favorite Son.”