by Bob Heyden

There have been 44 years of Hambletonians at The Meadowlands, so here are the first 20 of 44 facts on drivers who have participated in America’s Trotting Classic in New Jersey.

1. Erik Adeilsson is the youngest driver to make it to the New Jersey Hambletonian elims at 20 years nine months. He finished seventh with Easy Lover, a son of Mack Lobell, in the 1995 elims.

2. Ron Pierce won the first Hambletonian/million dollar race for an African American trainer, Milton Smith, in 1993 with American Winner. Pierce also did the same on the pacing side, seven figures, for George Teague in 2006 taking the North America Cup with Total Truth.

3. Six drivers in the 21st century and nine overall in NJ who won the Hambletonian were born in the U.S.: Tommy Haughton, Stanley Dancer, Ben Webster, Ron Pierce (three), Eric Ledford, Roger Hammer, Ray Schnittker, Brian Sears (three) and Tim Tetrick.

4. Two drivers from the 1960s who drove in the Hambletonian are still with us. Bruce Nickells, 97, on July 5, made his debut in 1964 with Scribe Rodney (seventh) and Art Hult, third with Speed Model in 1967.

5. Just Dave Magee and Stefan Melander had a lone Hambletonian drive and were favored. And it happened consecutively. In 2000, Dreamaster was fifth at 9-5 for Magee and then $3.40 to win for Melander in 2001.

6. They were leading men in 1999, to say the least. The top four drivers in order of finish in the Hambletonian won the last fourteen driving money titles, 1999 included. Mike Lachance won with Self Possessed, John Campbell was second with Angus Hall, Luc Ouellette was third with Enjoy Lavec, and Jack Moiseyev was fourth with Raffaello Ambrosio.

7. Only Ron Pierce won twice during the 2005-12 period, when the Hambletonian went for $1.5 million, with Donato Hanover (2007) and American Winner (1993).

8. Has the leading dash-winning driver of any year also won the Hambletonian the same year? Yes. In 1991, with 769 victories, Jack Moiseyev led the pack and handled, for the very first time, Giant Victory to a Hambletonian score for Per Eriksson.

9. Speaking of dash-winning leaders, right before Aaron Merriman’s streak of 10-straight, he was third in his lone Hambletonian drive with Il Sognos Dream at 90-1 in 2014.

10. Who was the sports leading money per drive leader in 2004-05? Trond Smedshammer. That’s right, the last trainer/driver to have a Triple Crown winner with Windsong’s Legacy (2004) was up and over $8,100 per start.

11. Who drove the first 200-1 shot in any Meadowlands Hambletonian? Jim Miller in 1982 with Bone Meal at 274.40-1 finished sixth.

12. Who did the youngest Hambletonian winning driver Tommy Haughton, 25, drive the following year in the Classic after winning with Speed Bowl in 1982? T V Yankee who was second and then sixth in the final.

13. Who did Jimmy Takter send out in the 1989 dead heat Hambletonian? Classic Air was eighth at 259.20-1.

14. The 1989 dead heat Hambletonian was Howard Beissinger’s swan song 20 years after his stirring debut with Lindys Pride in 1969 winning the Triple Crown. Beissinger was fourth with Shogun Lobell, but, the $90,480 check was more than Lindys Pride’s $62,455.

15. The years 1989 and 1990 were the last that a 60-year-old or older driver cashed in back-to-back Hambletonian. Howard Beissinger was fourth in 1989 at 63 and in 1990 Carl Allen, 60, was third with Royal Troubadour and Stanley Dancer was 63 and fourth with King Of The Sea.

16. Anthony Quartarolo won more thoroughbred races at The Meadowlands (51) than standardbred races (38), but he drove and trained the even-money favorite in the 1984 Hambletonian in his heat finishing sixth with Speed Merchant.

17. The finish of the 2000 Hambletonian was quite unique. The top seven drivers had never won a single Hambletonian prior, while the last three had won nine. It was Trevor Ritchie, Jim Meittinis, Ray Schnittker, Cat Manzi, Dave Magee, DeWayne Minor and Daniel Dube with Ron Pierce, John Campbell and Mike Lachance rounding out the field.

18. Dan Shetler got money in the 1986 Hambletonian finishing fifth with Express Ride. Now 75, he’s the only driver from that final still active today.

19. The all-time top five dash-winning drivers have 446,218 drives among them and 85,084 wins, but Hambletonian trophies are not a part of all that winning. They — Dave Palone, Tony Morgan, Aaron Merriman, Herve Filion and Cat Manzi — have a combined 12 finals and four checks.

20. Thirteen times since the Hambletonian moved east has a driver been favored while winning for the very first time: Tommy Haughton ($4.60) in 1982 with Speed Bowl, Bill O’Donnell ($2.60) with Prakas in 1985, John Campbell with Mack Lobell ($2.20) in 1987, Bill Fahy and Ron Waples ($2.10) in the 1989 dead heat with Probe and Park Avenue Joe, Ron Pierce ($3.20) with American Winner in 1993, Mike Lachance ($2.80) with Victory Dream in 1994, Mal Burroughs ($2.60) with Malabar Man in 1997, Stefan Melander ($3.40) with Scarlet Knight in 2001, Ray Schnittker ($2.80) with Deweycheatumnhowe in 2008, Brian Sears ($2.60) with Muscle Hill in 2009, Andy McCarthy ($2.80) with Ramona Hill in 2020 and Yannick Gingras at odds-on in 2024 with Karl in his Hambletonian breakthrough.

1982 HAMBLETONIAN: WHERE WAS CAMPBELL?

John Campbell that is. He had not yet driven in the Hambletonian despite being a two-time Meadowlands leader and national earnings leader, too. Eighteen different drivers participated and somehow no one thought to utilize the services of the soon-to-be all-time money leader (1987) and of course the all-time Hambletonian king.

By the way, this is not Monday morning quarterbacking, because I ranted right then and there on that weekend 43 years back.

To further this oversight/absurdity/total joke, three veteran drivers made breaks with brand-name horses: Robert Williams with Diamond Exchange (last), Del Miller with Arndon at 6-5 (eighth) and Frank O’Mara as the day’s biggest favorite at 1-5 off-stride and ninth.

Was Campbell really poolside for these bellyflops?

Oh, just in case you didn’t notice, Diamond Exchange was trained by Chuck Sylvester. The same Chuck Sylvester with Pine Chip, Mack Lobell, Armbro Keepsake and Britelite Lobell all with Campbell.

It wasn’t until the next year that Campbell did drive in the Hambletonian, and surprise, he won right out of the box with Joie De Vie from post 12, second overall money at days end. It would be 34 years until he was not in a Hambletonian elim/final again.