Niatross had greatest recovery in Pace elims history
by Debbie Little
As we wait for the single elimination of the 50th edition of the Meadowlands Pace to take to the track on Saturday night (July ٤), there is no better time to look back at a Pace elim from more than four decades ago.
One of, if not the best, standardbred to ever look through a bridle, Niatross, won the 1980 Meadowlands Pace.
The son of Albatross out of the Bye Bye Byrd mare Niagara Dream, was impressive in his sophomore campaign, and no matter how well he performed in the Pace final, his elim could be viewed as the better of the two races.
Serena Williams once said, “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fall.”
You could say that literally described Niatross since his Pace elim followed an actual fall in his prior race, the week before, on July 5.
At Saratoga, trainer/driver/co-owner Clint Galbraith had Niatross racing on the lead along the inside but with less than a 16th-of-a-mile to go, the pair went over the hubrail into the infield. Remarkably, Niatross and Galbraith rolled right up seemingly unfazed.
Despite the fact that his perfect 19-race win streak — including a 13-for-13 2-year-old campaign — had come to an end, The Meadowlands faithful bet the classy colt down to 1-5 in his Pace elim, the second of three held on July 11.
Early in his elim, Niatross made a wicked break on the lead, which surprised all of those watching, including driver John Kopas.
At 23, Kopas had guided Nat Lobell to a second-place finish behind Escort in the inaugural Pace in 1977, and three years later was preparing to take on Niatross.
Kopas, driving Ontario-sired colt Alberton, trained by his father, Hall of Famer Jack Kopas, had finished second in the first Pace elimination to Storm Damage.
John said he remembers watching Niatross’ elim from the drivers’ room at The Meadowlands.
“He recovered and finished fourth to make the final,” John said. “Clint said he hit the bike causing him to make a break.”
A source close to the Niatross camp said that the pacing phenom’s regular bike was damaged in the incident at Saratoga and that the one they used for the Pace elims was apparently too small because Niatross was hitting it.
John said they must have figured that bike thing out because in the million-dollar, 12-horse final, Niatross was Niatross.
“I think he cleared to the front, maybe just past the half, and the race was over,” John said with a laugh.
That was the first year since its inception in 1977 that the Meadowlands Pace final went for at least $1 million; it was also the first horse race, harness or thoroughbred, to go for that amount of money.
Having a horse of Niatross’ caliber, cache, and charisma compete in and conquer the Meadowlands Pace helped to solidify the race as one of the top in the sport.
Niatross’ Pace elim has long been viewed as one of the best recovery performances in harness racing, perhaps only bested by the unbelievable accomplishment of T C I in the 20?? Mohawk Million.
At the age of 22, after being diagnosed with cancer, Niatross was humanely euthanized on June 7, 1999. Niatross was buried at Walnridge prior to being cremated and then buried on the plaza at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, in Goshen, NY, where there is a memorial marker that says, “He was perfect.”
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, he’s still the greatest standardbred ever,” John said of Niatross. “I’m not taking anything away from [Somebeachsomewhere], I mean, he was a great horse, no question, but to me, Niatross is still the greatest I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around quite a while. He was so far ahead of his time, it was incredible.”
Note: In ١٩٩٦, I was one of a small number of journalists that procured the profound privilege of jogging Niatross when, at ١٩ years old, he went on a ٢٠-city North American tour.
Under the watchful eye of Walnridge Farm’s Chris Coyle, I jogged the champ at a small training track near the Central New Jersey farm.
Not knowing what an incredibly sensitive mouth Niatross had, I let up a little on the lines and he just took off. I remember Coyle saying to me as I sped past him, “You may want to slow him down a little.”
Basically, the entire time I was jogging, all I was thinking was, “Don’t be remembered as the one who killed Niatross.”
A photo of me jogging Niatross appeared in the New York Post, the newspaper I worked for at that time.
Niatross also had a connection to the Post, because in 1980, when he had that incredible recovery in the Pace elims, he was named the New York Post’s Athlete of the Year, beating out Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, and the U.S. “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team.
