John Berry: A comparison of generations

When one looks up the meaning of “generation,” one would find several definitions.

It can encompass those born and living at about the same time or the average span between the birth of parents and their children or, even, in population studies, classifications of a particular groups, such as, for example, Generation X, Y and Z.

This subject came about in talking with a self-described “old-timer” harness racing horseman, Luke S. born about 90 years ago when he said, “back in my generation, we didn’t have anywhere the speed we have today—maybe a 20 second difference!”

So, since we are at the end of the year 2023 with a new year beginning in about a “half bushel” of hours, I decided to compare generations from 1948—75 years-ago—and stack them up alongside this year’s stats.

The leading driver in 2023 by earnings will be Yannick Gingras with around $15.2 million in purses, followed by Timmy T. at $14.1 million with David Miller, Dexter, Jason Bartlett and Scotty Z. all over $10 million.

A total of 17 others won over $5,000,000 in purse money with total purse distribution eclipsing $500,000,000, better than a three percent increase over last year.

Aaron Merriman led the win parade with over 850 wins while five others—Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., Bartlett, Matt Kakaley and the Tetrick brothers eclipsing 500 wins.

In 2023, six horses won over $1,000,000 with Confederate the leader at $1,633,854 leading all pacers and Tactical Approach, chiming in at $1,507,989, tops on the trotting list.

The top five included a trio of three-year-olds and a pair of two-year-olds with the only other millionaire on the list—number six—being Jiggy Jog S, the four-year-old trotting mare.

The number of horses winning $500,000 totaled another 29 with the last one on that list being the Italian bred trotter Vivid Wise As IT, who did it in his one lone start at Yonkers in the International and, at age nine was, by far, the oldest on the select list.

T C I and Karl both won over $1,000,000 with the former at $1,238,870, tops on that list.

The year was jam-packed with action from first day of the year to the last race held at Hawthorne Racecourse, which should be about an hour before the ball drops in Times Square.

“Back then” the “old-timer Luke” related, “about 1948 or so when I was 15, our season at Roosevelt (Raceway) started in May and ended in, I think, the end of October.”

That, it did!

The harness racing season was, for the most part, six months long with the only exceptions being a January-March meeting in Phoenix, Arizona and a one month meet at Hollywood Park from October 24 to November 26.

So, outside of Arizona and California, Harrington, Delaware—the Kent and Sussex Harness Racing Association—kicked off the season 75 years ago on April 27 for a brief, three week meet.

Roosevelt Raceway was next for their “Goshen” meeting, followed by Aurora Downs for a 10-week session, then Fairmount Park, beginning in mid-May for a two-month meeting.

The year 1949 even saw a short pari-mutuel track at Steubenville, Ohio…then, on to Buffalo, New York, Oxon Hill, Md. for their Rosecroft session followed by yet another trip out west to Oakland, California for the Pacific Coast Trotting meeting for about a month just before summer.

Jackson, Michigan…Toledo, Ohio…then Charlottetown, P.E.I. kicking off the Canadian season, followed by Saratoga and Laurel in Maryland,

Other pari-mutuel meetings held that year—a generation 75 years ago—were in Northville, Michigan, Batavia, Freehold and Maywood Park with a Chicago Downs meeting at Sportsman’s Park opening that facility in Cicero, Illinois just outside Chicago.

There was also a healthy Grand Circuit 75 years ago, which began at Fairmount Park in Southern Illinois with stops at Roosevelt Raceway, Goshen, N.Y., Saratoga, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Springfield, Ill., Sedalia, Missouri, Du Quoin, Indianapolis, Reading, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Lexington and, finally, Hollywood Park.

Grand Circuit purses were estimated at $2,000,000 on 1949 with the crowning touch being at Hollywood Park with an estimated $500,000 in Grand Circuit purse money.

Major stakes for the year were the (two-mile) Nassau Pace at Roosevelt Raceway worth $50,000, the $65,000 Hambletonian at Goshen, N.Y., the $50,000 Roosevelt “Two-Mile” Trot, the $50,000 Little Brown Jug, the $60,000 Kentucky Futurity in Lexington, and a pair of $50,000 FFA events at Hollywood, Park—one, of course, for each gait.

Purses in 1948—yes, 75 years ago—were $9,805,079…and a nickel.

The Hambletonian that year was worth $59,091.18 and Demon Hanover was a straight heat winner—easily—wire-to-wire in both heats, the fastest in 2:02 with the amateur driver, Harrison Hoyt handling the lines. (Demon was also the fastest three-year-old trotter that year with a mile in 2:00 1/5.

Egan Hanover won the $50,071 Kentucky Futurity and, in doing so, became the leading money winning sophomore trotter of the year with $67,567.11.

The $47,528.58 Little Brown Jug, still in its infancy, was won by Knight Dream, driven by Frank Safford, with his fastest heat in 2:07 1/5. Knight Dream also had a winning mile in 1:59, becoming the fastest pacer in 1948 as well as the biggest money winning sophomore with $48,820.80.

Miss Tilly became the most successful money winning juvenile trotter of all time with bounty of $49,876.21 while the two-year-old Good Time earned more than any other two-year-old pacer in history by banking $46,433.13.

The vaunted trotter (and sire) Rodney set four world records in 1948 and trotted in 1:58 on three different occasions—his crowning moment being a win in the $50,000 Golden West Trot…against 16 other starters.

Goose Bay set a new record in the two-mile $40,000 Nassau Pace, covering the distance in 4:17 3/5.

Proximity won the two-mile $40,000 Roosevelt Trot and established a new ward record for the distance at 4:17. She also, that year, pushed her lifetime earnings over $100,000, a rarity in harness racing—her total after the 1948 season being $100,629.67—the highest total of any LIVING trotter to that time.

(Goldsmith Maid won $206,462.50 racing from 1865-1877 with American Girl, checking in at $115,510 while racing from 1868-1875).

Dr. Stanton was said to have “come out of oblivion” to become the highest money winning gelding in history with lifetime earnings of $70,800—$50,350 earned in 1948. He also set record in winning at 1 1/4 miles (2:30 2/5) and 1 1/2 miles (3:11 3/5).

Some “random” track records around the globe included established in 1948 included Guest Star at Aurora Downs (p,2:04 4/5), Proximity at Batavia Downs (t,2:06), Jimmy Creed at Maywood Park (p,2:03 4/5), Proximity and Jimmy Creed at Northville, the former trotting in 2:02 4/5 and the latter pacing in 2:03 3/5, the aforementioned Rodney (t,1:58) at Santa Anita and Dr. Stanton pacing in 2:00 1/5 at that same oval, and Proximity trotting in 2:02 1/5 at Roosevelt Raceway.

Of course, world records were fairly rare back then with both the world record for trotters and pacers set 10 years prior with Greyhound trotting in 1:55 1/4 in Lexington with Billy Direct pacing in 1:55, finally upending the Dan Patch mile of 1:55 1/4 set in 1903. (Greyhound DID pace a mile in 1:55, but that time was disallowed as “windshields” were barred from use shortly before.)

As far as drivers are/were concerned, the leading drivers of 2:00 horses up through 1948 were Sep Palin and Hugh Parshall, each with 13. Palin had 10 pacers on his list and Parshall had 11 side-wheelers. Only two other drivers had more than 10—Vic Fleming and Tom Berry.As mentioned prior, the leading driver in 2023 will be Yannick Gingras with about $15.2 million.

In 1948, the leader was Ralph Baldwin with…$153,222.52. He was one of five that earned over $100,000 in purse money—the others being, Frank Safford, Clint Hodgins, Jimmy Cruise and Del Cameron.

Aaron Merriman led all drivers in 2023 with well over 850 wins.

The leader in 1948 was Harry Burright with 129 with only three other drivers able to win over 100 races, Levi Harner, C. I. Shilling, and Tommy Winn.

Harry Burright was a member of one of the most heralded families in our sport stretching back many generations and included his aunt “Grandma” Burright, as well as Uncle Forrest, father Ernest, brother Gene and Joyce Burright, who eventually became a “Hankins” by marriage to Jack Hankins. And let’s not forget Harry’s wife, Margie. The Burright-Hankins connections to the sport continues to this very day with the Kim Hankins “superior influence” on harness racing.

Burright completely dominated the scene at Aurora Downs, winning that driving title with 80 wins with Dee Stover 2nd with 26 wins and Edgar Leonard next with 20.

Other leaders throughout our land were Foy Funderburk at Fairmount Park, Tom Lewis at Freehold, Eddie Cobb at Maywood, Tom. Winn at Northville, Jimmy Cruise at Santa Anita, Aubrey Rodney and Harry Craig at Saratoga, Bob Plaxico at Toledo and Henry Thomas in a tie at Roosevelt Raceway with Richard Thomas.

So, there you have it…from one long generation to another…75 years!

I was five at the time.

Let’s start a search for the five-year-old that is going to write the next one in 2099.

I doubt it will be me!

Until then. “May the Horse Be With You in 2024…and forever.”

by John Berry, for Harnesslink