An incredible trend continues
by Bob Heyden
When Louprint hit the wire capturing the 80th Jug it became readily apparent that am amazing trend is still in play. Let’s call it “Take Five” or maybe “Repeat After Me (Every Half Decade).”
You see, every five years, when the year ends in a “0” or “5” it’s a 3-year-old male pacer stealing the show, and it’s gone on for now 45 years.
Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon.
1980: Niatross was voted HOY (238-1) over French Chef. The Triple Crown champ was also unanimously voted 3-Year-Old Male Pacer of the Year.
1985: Nihilator, a son from Niatross’ first crop, was the Little Brown Jug winner and was voted HOY (231-53) over On The Road Again; oddly, the exact same tally as Pacer of the Year.
1990: Beach Towel won the Jug and was the first single season $2 million earner. He was voted HOY (273-13) over No Sex Please and Pacer of the Year (275-13) over Miss Easy.
1995: Jenna’s Beach Boy was Pacer of the Year, and won his second of three straight Breeders Crowns; to this day the only pacer ever to do so. In HOY balloting he came close to CR Kay Suzie (119.5 to 81.5).
2000: Gallo Blue Chip was voted HOY (152-40) over two-time defending HOY Moni Maker and Pacer of the Year (187-14) over Western Ideal.
2005: Rocknroll Hanover was voted HOY (124-32) over Mr Muscleman and Pacer of the Year (176-9) over Jereme’s Jet.
2010: Rock N Roll Heaven was voted HOY (123-2) and Pacer of the Year (127-2). He was from the first crop of sophomore HOY Rocknroll Hanover.
2015: Wiggle It Jiggleit was a decisive winner for HOY (130-3) over Pinkman. His 26 22-3-0, $2,181,995 made him the sport’s last $2 million single season earner.
2020: Tall Dark Stranger was voted HOY (89-29) over Party Girl Hill and an easy winner as Pacer of the Year.
2025: Louprint appears headed towards a similar upcoming awards season to keep alive this stunning display of sophomore pacing dominance.
HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY JIMMY TAKTER
On Sept. 29, 1960 in Sweden, a little fella an ocean away entered the world and 65 years later, coming up on seven years of retirement, Jimmy Takter’s name and face are still known to all.
Let’s take a brief look back at his stunning career.
1. His first driving victory in North America came with Baltic Speed in a NJSS race in 1983 at age 22 while working for the Nordins.
2. Only Takter has had a HOY in both the 20th and 21st centuries: both Malabar Man (1997) and Moni Maker (1998-99), and Always B Miki (2016).
3. The last two trainers to win the Hambletonian back-to-back are both named Takter: Jimmy (2014-15) and his daughter Nancy (2023-24).
4. Jimmy debuted successfully in the Jug in 2006 with Mr Feelgood.
5. Jimmy is the only trainer to win four Hambletonians with four different drivers: Mal Burroughs, Ron Pierce, himself, and Brian Sears.
6. Nobody has won more money in the Hambletonian than Jimmy.
7. Nobody has won more Breeders Crowns than Jimmy (34).
8. Nobody in a Meadowlands Hambletonian not named Jimmy Takter has gone 1-2 in the same Hambletonian twice: Malabar Man and Take Chances (1997) and Trixton and Nuncio (2014).
9. Jimmy is the only trainer ever to win six Breeders Crowns in one year (2015).
10. Jimmy’s Shake It Cerry went on to bank better than $2.7 million for her career.
11. Jimmy trained both a Hambletonian Oaks winner as well as a Hambletonian winner driven by amateur Mal Burroughs: Gleam (1994 Oaks) and Malabar Man (1997 Hambletonian).
12. Jimmy conditioned the only female pacing filly to win the Dan Patch at 2, 3, and 4: Pure Country.
40 YEARS SINCE GLEN GARNSEY’S PASSING
The harness racing community mourned his passing on Sept. 27, 1985, leaving the sale in Lexington in a car accident. A veteran of the Korean War, at 20, he opened a public stable in 1963. He headed Castleton Farm in late 1969, and was the head man for the top shelf outfit the K.D. Owen Stable (1968). He and his father Garland were the first pair to each drive 1,000 winners.
His 1:50.4 time trial with Fan Hanover was two full seconds better than the pacing female mark by Tender Loving Care. He drove No Nukes as a 3-year-old in 1982, and in 1983 marked his well-deserved Hall of Fame induction. He won more than $11.1 million and 2,058 races. He twice had a sophomore pacer as HOY: Abercrombie (1978) and Fan Hanover (1981). He won three of the first four Hambletonian Oaks and is the only one to win the Jug with a filly (Fan Hanover in 1981).
40 years later his memory lives on, because 52 years was just not enough.
