by John Berry

Editor’s note: It is with great pleasure that we announce that Hall of Fame harness racing writer, handicapper and personality John Berry has joined the HRU team and will continue his popular Mane Attraction column in this space. He begins with an introduction, as if he needs one…

First and foremost, it is a great honor to be on the HRU roster with such talented folk that share the same undying love for the standardbred.

It’s amazing to think that my journey with the “potters and tracers” began on Aug. 22, 1959 when a gent who won a few bucks betting on my bowling skills — I was just 16 at the time — corralled me to Sportsman’s Park (SPk) to witness what, for me, became the greatest sport in the world.

“Luke” knew everyone at the track and, from his trackside box — 41-A — had nightly conversations with many of the top horsemen at the track.

Of course, I didn’t know then the likes of Del Insko, Harold Snodgrass, Don Busse, Jack Hankins or Glen Kidwell, among countless others that crossed in his path that night.

But it took, maybe, 2:04.4 to become hypnotized by harness racing’s beauty and action… especially after Dr. Hyslop won and padded my coffers by $8.80 (on the advice of Luke).

Here it is, 65 years later, and my love for the sport has not waned even a “ns,” as the charts might read.

Over those three-score and five years, I have had the great fortune of meeting many of my idols, first, on the Chicago circuit and, over the years, the North American circuit, and many from overseas, as well.

From locals like Edgar Leonard, Billy Shuter, Aubrey Petty, Dwayne Pletcher, Bob Williams, “Snake” Willis, the Grahams and Lou Rapone to the out-of-towners Gene Riegle, Bob Farrington, Jim Dennis, Chris Boring, Bruce Nickells and Gene Vallandingham in the days of Battleship N.

They didn’t have to be “famous,” but all were in my eyes.

Yes, Nick and Edith Mouw, Bobby Knox, Leo Burns (who, by the way, won a race at age 97), Bill Roseboom, again, among countless others, were, to me, just as famous.

Luke introduced me to Curly Smart in the SPk paddock in the summer of 1961 after Smart won with the trotter Lloyd’s Demon and we became close friends over the years.

Smart gave me his phone number in Delaware, OH, and, on several occasions, we had lunch together with his wife, Mildred, at their cozy home at 219 Fountain Street.

Smart was so down-to-earth and never flaunted his fame in the sport.

How famous was Smart?

One day, as I was traveling from Columbus north to Cleveland, I stopped at a pay phone off the highway in Delaware, OH, to give Smart a call, but I kept misdialing the number.

Finally, I dialed 411 — in the days of a LIVE information operator — and said, “I’d like the number of T. Wayne Smart, 219 Fountain Street.”

Without hesitation, the operator said, “Curly’s number is 363-5524.”

I said, “Curly?”

She simply replied, “Everyone knows Curly.”

One doesn’t get much more famous than that!

Yes, from grand, memorable chats over the years with the aforementioned Edgar Leonard to frigid winter conversations with Dick Baker at the Freehold intersection of Main and South Streets to chats with Frank Ervin on the steps of the Horseman and Fair World in Lexington, KY.

That’s where I met, first, Stan Bergstein, then Elizabeth Rorty of that fabled Horseman and Fair World magazine and, also, through the years, Les Ford, Phil Pines, Walt Latzko, George Smallsreed, Bill Brown, Don Evans, Dave and Debbie Little, Dean Hoffman, Murray Janoff, Hollywood Heyden, Mark Hall — dozens of others — Murray Brown, Moira Fanning, Gordon Waterstone, Steve Wolf, Ken Warkentin and several Daves: Brower, Carr and, of course, Briggs.

It’s been a memorable time from start to where I am now — the 16th pole!

I am enthralled with the history of our grand sport; from the Narragansett Pacers in the 1700’s to Messenger’s arrival in 1788 to Yankee’s first recorded mile in 1806 to Conqueror’s world record performance for 100 miles — yes, 100 miles — in 1853.

The three-day, nine heat marathon comes to mind won by Alix in Chicago’s World’s Fair Columbian free-for-all in 1893. 

And one cannot forget the great Dan Patch, and the chewing tobacco, cigars, washing machines, toys and dance steps named after that legendary pacer more than a century ago.

Of course, during this lifetime (1943-?), Su Mac Lad was the first “future” star witnessed by these eyes taking place on the aforementioned Aug. 22, 1959 night, driven by John Peat.

Of the other 50,000 plus races or so witnessed, Bill Popfinger’s drive in the final heat of the ’78 Jug comes to mind, the Its Fritz-Cam Fella race, Bret Hanover-Adios Vic classics, the roar of the crowd during the final quarter of Niatross’ epic time-trial achievement, and so many others.

But, probably, the ONE single race that emerges as my favorite was performed by a nondescript 3-year-old pacer named Scotsdam, driven by Ken Lighthill.

March 17, 1962, Maywood Park, the track a literal quagmire as winter and spring were in a weather war, you know, snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain with temperatures 31-32-33 degrees.

Scotsman won his ONE MILE race is 3:38.3 — no misprint — 3:38.3, the slowest winning pari-mutuel mile in history!

The horrible weather continued as Bob Farrington’s Great Northern won the next racing night in 3:35.3 — last quarter 1:03.

Farrington said that the horse was so tired after the race that he laid down in his stall for three days and didn’t even get up to empty out.

This grand breed has the durability like no other; records on the books for the aforementioned 100 miles, as well as 50 miles, 30 miles, 20 miles and dozens more lengthy events defining durability and defying the impossible.

Of course, durability can be defined in many ways and yet another meaning came forth as, before age restrictions went into effect, we had horses racing well into their 20’s — Abax being 26, Baldwin 24 and Ada Symbol being 23, among the many others.

Lord Sherbrooke, age 21, raced against his 5-year-old son one year, and beat him!

One of my BDHC — Broken Down Horseplayers Club — members quipped, “I guess he wasn’t too much of a racehorse or a sire!”

That mattered nothing to me as it takes all participants to crown champions with all others helping crown them.

Our JB’s Mane Attraction columns will cover a wide variety of subject-matter with the hope that it will last from the 16th pole to the wire.

If that seems like a short distance, many horses and drivers think it, sometimes, seems like forever to get to the wire in that final 16^th.

May The Horse Be With You.