June’s super and rich history
by Bob Heyden
Welcome to June; the racing season unofficially is really now underway. There is a ton of history to go through, so let’s take a look at some standout June moments from the past.
• June 2, 2007: Southern Lynx wins the $1 million Art Rooney at Yonkers. It was the first and only million $ event ever held on a half-mile track. George Teague trained the colt who then won the $1 million Meadowlands Pace in July. Tim Tetrick’s first two million-dollar drives were with “Lynx” and he was the first horse to ever record back-to-back victories, no wins in between, both in seven-figure events. The previous high pot in the Rooney was $490,904 set in 2006.
• June 3, 1987: Harmonious is foaled. Three years later he would team with John Campbell to capture the Hambletonian, without a stakes victory on his card.
• June 3, 1978: Dream Maker ($27.60) won the very first Graduate final at The Meadowlands. Ron Waples drove the winner for Bill Robinson and Antonio Chiaravalle. That team of trainer/owner 13 years later would leave the 1991 yearling sale in Kentucky with a three pack, Lotta Soul, Riyadh, and Presidential Ball. That triumvirate would combine for career earnings over $7 million.
• June 6, 1987: Jate Lobell wins the NJ Classic in 1:51.2 at The Meadowlands. That time would remain his career best. He then made his way two weeks later to win the first $1 million race held in Canada, the 1987 North America Cup.
• June 6, 1984: The first of 12 straight editions of the Miss New Jersey are held. Showplace Trixie and Ray Remmen captured the initial sophomore pacing filly state-bred event. Remmen repeated in 1985 with Poplar Lil. The Miss New Jersey was contested up until 2015 with the stakes mark set in 2013 by I Luv The Nitelife in 1:49 flat.
• June 9, 2006: Tioga opens in upstate New York. Bruce Aldrich, Jr. wins the opener with So Real.
• June 10, 2000: Magician wins the first of consecutive Cutler Memorials at The Meadowlands in 1:53.4 with Dave Miller. He went on to a $3.5 million plus career without ever taking a single step overseas.
• June 11, 1982: A record crowd of 52,975 cram into The Meadowlands to watch the Gerry Cooney and Larry Holmes heavyweight title fight. The irony here is that two decades later, from 2001-03, Cooney spearheaded a movement to help disabled fighters and had a dinner every year in Pegasus, and Larry Holmes was among the featured guests.
• June 13, 1984: Highly-touted Nihilator makes his pari-mutuel debut a winning one with Tommy Haughton driving for father Billy. It would be nine weeks later when he would capture the richest race ever, the $2,161,000 Wilson, and that still remains the high-water mark today.
• June 14, 2008: Paul MacDonell becomes the first driver on NA Cup night to bank over $1 million. He took down the Elegantimage with Lantern Kronos for a purse of $576,932, but the feature, the North America Cup, of course also went to him 18 years ago for $1,470,000 with Somebeachsomewhere.
• June 17, 1985: The Statue Of Liberty debuts. Meadow Road dominates the 1½ mile test in a track record time of 2:57.3. But the most memorable part of the evening might have been the ad which was advertising the “Free Statue Of Liberty button to the first 20,000 patrons while supplies last.” Oh, those were the days.
• June 18, 1999: Day In A Life becomes the very first Meadowlands Pace winner to ever be claimed. The $156,250 ticket went to Perfect World Enterprises, one year after his career moment.
• June 19, 1993: Staying Together lowers the world race record to 1:48.2 down from the 1:49.2 Artsplace posted the year prior in the same race the Driscoll. Both were trained by Bob McIntosh.
• June 21, 1956: Ron Pierce turns 70 this year, 11 years after his finale. He’s the only driver to win a million-dollar race in six consecutive seasons (2006-11).
• June 22, 1996: We are staring at the 30th anniversary of Jenna’s Beach Boy posting his 1:47.3 scorcher at The Meadowlands as a 4-year-old. Riyadh was second.
• June 23, 1983: Cam Fella’s streak of 28 in a row to end his career had a hold-your-breath moment when he dead heated with Walt Hanover in 1:53.1, a time that stood up as his career mark.
• June 25, 1999: Red Bow Tie romps in 1:48.2 in the William Haughton Memorial, the first year the Alfred E. Driscoll was renamed for the one and only Billy Haughton.
• June 28, 2010: Mark MacDonald has a night for the ages. Actually, the biggest night ever in Canada on NA Cup night. He won the Fan Hanover with Western Silk for a healthy $646,020 followed in the very next race in the $1,455,000 Cup with Sportswriter for $1.22 million on the night.
• June 30, 2017: John Campbell wins race 6 at The Meadowlands with Muscle Diamond in his driving farewell. Oh wait, that doesn’t count Goshen the next week and he won there too.
