Nothing compares to the Meadowlands Pace
by Bob Heyden
Saturday (July 11) is the 50th edition of the Meadowlands Pace and absolutely nothing can hold a candle to the last 49 years of this classic. History was made everywhere. Let’s take a look at some of the great moments.
1. It started out a very big deal in 1977 as the richest race ever at $425,000 and was won by a New Jersey local Carl LeCause and Escort who then stood stud in the Garden State.
2. John Campbell has a record seven Pace trophies and Tim Tetrick has six. Tetrick has a chance to tie with longshot Toby Or Not Toby tomorrow night.
3. Twelve times the Meadowlands Pace has gone faster than 1.48 flat.
4. The sports very first $1 million race was indeed a Meadowlands Pace (1980) won by Niatross. It was the fourth edition and each time it was the sports all time highest-ever pot.
5. Beach Towel won the 1990 Pace from post 10 and surged past $2 million for that season. The first to do so in one year.
6. Harry Poulton had a pair of 1980s Pace winners named On The Road Again (1984) and Matt’s Scooter (1988). Neither was favored.
7. The Pace had no disqualifications in the first 44 years and now two in the past five years.
8. Seven times the track record has been set in the Meadowlands Pace.
9. Three times the Pace winning driver has been 25 or under: Braxten Boyd (25) last year with Madden Oaks, Tim Tetrick (25) in 2007 with Southwind Lynx, and the youngest Montrell Teague (24) in 2015 with Wiggle It Jiggleit.
10. The first five Meadowlands Pace winners had the driver also training, but only Ray Remmen has done it since 1990 with Beach Towel.
11. Niatross is the only reigning HOY (1979) to compete in the Meadowlands Pace (1980). Beau Jangles will not join him this year.
12. The Pace has gone for as much as $1,293,000 in 1984 (On The Road Again).
13. No driver has won this back-to-back since 2013-14 when Tim Tetrick did so with Captaintreacherous and He’s Watching.
14. Twenty-five straight Meadowlands Pace finals have gone sub 1:50. The last that didn’t was HOY Gallo Blue Chip in 2000 with a decisive 1:50.4 victory.
15. Bill Robinson is the last trainer to win it consecutively doing so with Presidential Ball and Cams Card Shark in 1993 and 1994, respectively.
16. Over 50? Brian Sears did it last at 51 in 2019 with Best In Show. David Miller the year prior at 53 with Courtly Choice. Ron Pierce had his last two Pace victories after turning 50: Well Said (2009) and Roll With Joe (2011) at 53 and 55, respectively.
17. John Campbell’s first ever million-dollar win came in the Meadowlands Pace with Hilarion.
18. Jason Bartlett will look to get on the Meadowlands Pace board this year with Bookie J.
19. Ralph Hanover and Niatross are the only two Triple Crown winners to also take down the Meadowlands Pace, in 1983 and 1980, respectively, both setting single season earnings records those same years.
20. The two ladies who have captured Pace glory did so back-to-back: Linda Toscano in 2019 with Best In Show and Nancy Takter followed with HOY Tall Dark Stranger.
CAN HHYF GRADS GO BACK-TO-BACK IN THE MEADOWLANDS PACE?
Cameron Capone is a Harness Horse Youth Foundation grad and captured the Pace last year with Madden Oaks and this year Besim Odza will try to make it back-to-back for HHYF.
