World record mile for Test Of Faith

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Test Of Faith (Art Major), the 2021 Horse of the Year, trounced nine other distaff harness racing pacers to win the $175,000 Dorothy Haughton Memorial, for pacing mares, in 1:47 on Saturday (July 16) at the Meadowlands, breaking the world record for 4-year-old pacing mares.

With David Miller in the bike, Test Of Faith took a casual approach early as a few mares in the 10-horse field flew from the gate. Earning the top spot from the herd was 60-1 outsider Grace Hill, with Racine Bell settling in the second spot and Gias Surreal taking third through a :26 first quarter.

In no hurry, Test Of Faith was still relaxed on the inside fourth at the :53.2 half. That’s when Miller put Test Of Faith into attack mode, launching into the overland route with powerful strides and into the 1:20.3 three-quarters before drawing away through a :26.2 final quarter.

Following the mighty mare from the moment she took to the outside, long shot Amazing Dream N was full of pace and took second, 4-3/4 lengths in arrears. Racine Bell caught the third spot.

Test Of Faith’s 1:47 win knocked four-fifths of a second off the previous stakes record, as set last year by JK First Lady. The 27-time winner spiked her earnings to $1,915,326 for trainer Brett Pelling and owners Melvin P. Segal, Eddie Gran and Kentuckiana Racing Stable.

TEST OF FAITH REPLAY

Miller said he expected fast fractions:

“I just wanted to be close, try to have her in a good spot. When I moved her, I tried to hustle along in the last turn to keep Jason [Bartlett and Racine Bell] in, and that worked. Then I felt pretty good. Then I saw 1:20.3 and thought, ‘Eh… we’ll see.’ But I pulled her plugs, and she paced all the way to the wire.”

Test Of Faith paid $2.60 as the overwhelming favorite in the field.

To read all coverage of Meadowlands Pace night, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Frank Cotolo, for the Meadowlands