John Berry: Revisiting the inflation factor

Back 75 years ago (yes, I’m that old), my grandparents were visiting, and my “pop” heard the jingle bells of the “Good Humor Truck”, and we walked to the truck, and he bought us both a “popsicle.”

I was five years old at the time and it was one of those wonderful memories that one never forgets.

The cost was a quarter…and a quarter went a long, long way back then.

Fast forward 75 years and here I was buying my newest grandson, Max, two years old, that same kind of treat for both of us—the cost $2.50.

I just hope it’s something he will never forget when he gets to be 80…in the year 2100!

Inflation has hit harness racing big time, as well, as equipment from the sulky to the feed to bits and bridles, leg bandages and head poles and sawdust and everything else has gone up as fast as the times have come down.

Yes, inflation has meant that “quarters” don’t buy too much anymore…in more ways than one.

The $159,000 Dorothy Haughton Memorial—FanDuel Open at The Meadowlands last Saturday night was won by Mikala (Always B Miki) in 1:47.4, highlighted by a final quarter in :26.

I was noticing some of the great mares featured in that event and up popped the name of one of the greatest ladies of all time, Test Of Faith.

Test Of Faith had the un-advantageous 10 post but still was able to pace her mile in 1:49 with a last quarter in :26.1—a 1:44.4 mile rate. That effort only allowed her to pass two others and resulted in an eighth-place finish and an “appearance fee” check for $1,590 to cover, at least, a few expenses.

It marked only the second time in her racing career measuring 46 starts that she was off the 1-2-3 board.

The only other time was in an Open event for fillies and mares last season when she had the nine post and paced home in :26 coming from last turning for home to finish a very fast closing fourth.

In that Dorothy Haughton—FanDuel Open, the entire field was well under 1:50 with Treacherous Dragon pacing in 1:49.2 with a final panel in :26.4 and unable to pass one single foe while finishing last. It was the same story for Amazing Dream N and Incaseyoudidntknow.

They, too, got “appearance” checks.

In the $668,000 Meadowlands Pace, Confederate (Sweet Lou) destroyed them all with a relentless :25.4 finale to win in 1:47 in a startling first over effort.

But that wasn’t the fastest closer in the race as Save America, last and “still in Manhattan” at the opening marker, paced his last quarter in :25.3—a 1:41.2 mile rate—to get fifth money after starting from the 10 post.

He paced his last 3/4s in 1:18.2…maybe even a shade better than that!

Two other very noteworthy performances were accomplished by Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki) and the revengeful Charlie May (McArdle).

Sylvia Hanover paced her winning mile (and 30 yards) in 1:48.4 in the $169,000 Mistletoe Shalee after being looped at the half and “counted out of it” before a :26.2 kick home and tenacity late justified her 1 to 2 tote-board numbers.

Charlie May, starting from the nine post in the $444,000 William Haughton Memorial, was 19 wide leaving the gate (well, may not quite 19 wide) but, once settled in, got masterful and patient handling from David Miller to get some sort of revenge after his unlucky placing in the Meadowlands Pace just about two years ago to the day.

Charlie May has had four solid years on the track competing at 12 different tracks and rewarded his faithful with a 31 to 1 mutuel.

Even in the “overnight” events, there were horses pacing home in :25.3 and :25.4 and were unable to reach the winner’s circle when Taurasi defiantly swept to the lead once they straightened away to win in 1:47.2—:25.3…and that was, again, an “overnight” event!

Of course, the pacers are still a couple of seconds ahead of the trotters but there were trotters that blasted their final quarters in the :26.3 to 27 range and were lengths away at the line was Winner’s Bet (Walner) blasting home in :26.1—a 1:44.4 mile rate—in getting the job done in the Stanley Dancer Memorial for Dexter Dunn.

The quick final quarters were not just confined to The Meadowlands, either.

At Harrah’s Hoosier Park in the Fillies and Mares Open 3, Apple Valley paced a final quarter in :26.1 and never passed anyone…and, in that same event, Wild Rosa came home in :25.4 and just did get up to finish fourth!

In the four-year-old trot there, Dan’s Credit trotted a last panel in :27 and never passed a single foe. In fact, the entire field was in the :27 range coming home.

Getting back to my younger days for a few strides, we were all in awe when Cardigan Bay paced an opening quarter in :28.2 one night and had the “audacity” to come home in :28 at Sportsman’s Park in the mid-1960’s for Stanley Dancer.

We were all shaking heads when the two-year-old Albatross won in 2:04 back in 1970 for Harry Harvey.

Our summer Stakes season is just getting underway and, along with the heat wave these days, with the best days at The Meadowlands and The Red Mile and Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Scioto Downs and Delaware, Ohio and Woodbine and The Meadows and Grand River and Georgian Downs and Northfield Park and Yonkers Raceway ahead.

So, what’s the moral of this story?

Well, we mentioned “appearance checks” of 1% of the purse to those not in the top five and that does cover a bit of expense to keep our equine athletes healthy and in top shape for competition.

But, in most instances, horses that finish sixth through last earn z-e-r-o…even though they, too, may pace quarters in the :26-:27 range with a sighting of some as fast as :24 and change—thoroughbred time.

So, just as a “quarter” won’t buy you a popsicle or ice cream cone these days, a final “quarter” in :26 and change or :27 on today’s tracks might not buy you too much, either.

Yes, in today’s world, a quarter, no matter how fast, doesn’t buy much anymore for so many of us.

by John Berry, for Harnesslink