Inflation has hit hard – some more than others

Inflation has hit many of us very hard, especially all of us in harness racing.

From food prices…gas prices…home prices….all prices…

Why, I remember when we could all have a White Castle hamburger for eight cents—with the pickles. A quarter’s worth of candy could give one a belly ache.

When I got my driver’s license in 1959, a gallon of gasoline was a just bit over two bits—a quarter.

I got about 25 miles on that quarter’s worth.

But times have changed…in more ways than one!

Back when I first started going to the races—that was 63 years ago—a quarter under :30 was rare and a :29 quarter was almost historic.

I remember seeing the grand Cardigan Bay at Sportsman’s Park back in 1964 coming home in :28 at the end of his winning mile and Don Stevens, one of Sportsman’s Park’s great ambassadors said, “You aren’t going to see many final quarters that fast…that’s for sure.”

Of course, as time has traveled on, prices have gone way up and the worth of a quarter doesn’t buy that much anymore.

In fact, a quarter’s worth of gas will only get you a mile and a half down road.

That phenomenon is known as inflation, and it has also hit the harness racing industry with a “ruthless” vengeance…on the racetrack!

Take Ruthless Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere), for example.

Stuck with the outside post in the Roll With Joe Open Pace on Saturday night at The Meadowlands, Ruthless Hanover had no choice but to take back at the start, reaching the opening quarter in a now pedestrian :28.1.

On the backside, Ruthless Hanover was starting to dent the leader’s margin with a :27.1 second quarter.

During the third stanza, Ruthless was rolling, pacing that third quarter in an accelerated :26.2, reaching the quarter pole in 1:22.

But the best was yet to come as he roared home fastest of all in his race to the wire—:25.2—to hit the wire in 1:47.1.

Summing it all up, Ruthless Hanover paced his last half in :51.4 and final three-quarters in 1:19.

Impressive, right? Not so fast.

Ruthless Hangover didn’t pass a single opponent in that event and his :25.2 final quarter didn’t mean a thing when it comes to doling out the purse money.

This Is The Plan (Somebeachsomewhere) had a similar fate, finishing a length ahead of Ruthless Hanover with a :25.3 final quarter and a 1:47 mile.

Whichwaytothebeach (Somebeachsomewhere) and Dragon Said (Well Said) also put in excellent performances—both timed in 1:46.4 with final panels in :25 and change and couldn’t dent the board…but at least they got a smidgen of the $99,500 purse.

Similar fate beheaded Nandolo N (Betterthancheddar) in another event, unable to pass a single horse in the stretch with his :25.4 romp home in his 1:47.3 performance.

All in all, there were 18 horses with last quarters timed in :26—a 1:44 mile rate—or under on last Saturday night’s Big M card.

The great mare Test Of Faith (Art Major) paced her last three-quarters in 1:19.3 and that wasn’t good enough to win as she was second to the brilliant effort of Racine Bell (So Surreal), who hit the line in 1:47.2.

In that one, Amazing Dream N (Bettor’s Delight) sprinted home in :25.3 and was only able to pass one single mare in the lane and didn’t earn one single dime.

The week prior, Test Of Faith’s 24.3 final panel—a 1:38.2 mile rate—couldn’t get by Mikala, who had a :25 final quarter in under her girth to win in 1:48.3.

Years and years ago, I wrote a column on why our breed would NEVER accomplish a 1:50 mile, the evidence being that, somewhere along the distance, a “breather” was needed.

Boy, was I ever wrong!

Today, the grand breed known as the Standardbred has improved to the point where no “breather” is needed and we are witnessing a breed that can go the standard distance with the “breather”— if you can call it that—in the :27-:27 1/2 range, or even faster.

Today a “4” claimer commonly goes faster than the great Bret Hanover did.

Yes, Bret was worth millions and many a $4,000 claimer goes unclaimed going faster than Bret ever travelled.

Yes, a QUARTER doesn’t buy too much at the gas pump or the grocery anymore and, similarly, in our grand sport, for some, a QUARTER, no matter how fast, doesn’t buy too much anymore, either.

by John Berry, for Harnesslink

(Got a story idea? Email johnberry@harnesslink.com)