Some Red Mile facts about Oct. 1, 1980, Walner and Jenna’s Beach Boy
by Bob Heyden
Oct. 1, 1980 was the day that the sport witnessed its first sub 1:50 mile at The Red Mile: a 1:49.1 time trial by Niatross. I came across a handful of new items I had glossed over a couple of years back.
1. Carl Becker was the announcer and Herman Brickel the racing secretary.
2. A total of 231 time trials were scheduled that week.
3. The existing track race records were 1:56.1 by Colonial Charm on the trot, and Super Clint and Governor Skipper in 1:54 on the pace.
4. Toy Poodle won twice that day with 1:55.4 being the fastest.
5. There was a $1,270 match race, a non-betting event, before the nine-race card, between Overkill and Motor Home called the Allwood.
6. The oldest driver participating was 72-year-old Chester Goatley.
7. Corwin Nixon drove a 7-year-old trotter named Liebestraum in race 2, a $500 conditioned trot.
8. Greyhound’s 1938 1:55.1 time trial was still the trotting track standard.
9. The pacing time trial standard at The Red Mile was first set in 1966 by Bret Hanover (1:53.3), and then Steady Star (1:52) in 1971.
10. Niatross’ fractions in his epic 1:49.1 time trial were :27.3, :54.3, 1:21.4, and 1:49.1.
WALNER
Walner only raced 10 times with nine wins and one break on Sept. 9 2016 at The Meadowlands in the Kindergarten. He set a world record of 1:51.3 at The Red Mile at 2 on Oct. 6, 2016 in the International Stallion Stake. His son Apex just won the Mohawk Million. As a sophomore, Walner had only two pari-mutuel starts, both wins, the fastest of which resulted in a 1:50.2 seasons best in the Stanley Dancer among all 3-year-olds. My favorite Walner stat is that he won nine times with five more in qualifiers for 14 in all. A different horse was second to him in all 14.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JENNA’S BEACH BOY
It’s the 30th anniversary of Jenna’s Beach Boy’s 3-year-old world mark of 1:48.4 set at The Red Mile on Sept. 30, 1995. By far the most remarkable part of this was his missing the entire summer due to injury.
