Champions | 1970-1979

1970 - Timothy T

Father-Son Combo too Tough

  • September 2, 1970

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $143,630

The year could have been devoted to the two father-son teams which combined for a Hambletonian in world record time. First Ayres, winner of the 1964 Hambletonian was the sire of one of the favorites, a colt trained by John Simpson, Sr., named Timothy T. The colt was scheduled to be driven by Simpson’s son, John, Jr., and there was little doubt he would win this classic race after his first heat win in 2:001 over Flower Child and Victory Star. But, in the second heat, young Simpson moved too early with his charge and Formal Notice, trained and carefully driven by Jimmy Arthur, got home on top in 1:582 , fastest trotting mile of 1970. Both young Simpson and Timothy T. got their act together again in the final heat, drawing clear from Formal Notice in 2:003 to gain the Hambletonian silver. At 27, John Simpson, Jr. became the youngest driver at the time to win the Hambletonian. Flower Child, who wound up third over all in the summary, became a top notch free-for-all trotter as a four and five-year-old and trotted the fastest mile ever in Europe at 1:584 in Sweden as a five-year-old. The training of Timothy T. was a swan song for John Simpson, Sr., one of the finest and most accomplished colt trainers ever. Simpson hung up his training goggles shortly after that and assumed command of the vast Hanover Shoe Farms breeding operation, the largest stan-dardbred nursery in the world. Timothy T. went on to a successful career in Europe, being a champion on two continents.

The Simpsons wer the first father and son driver pair to win the classic. Despite the impediment of diminishing vision, which originated from a driving accident, Simpson Sr. brought the difficult colt to the peak of his ability perfectly. The youngest driver (27) to win the Hambletonian to that point, it was John Jr.'s first drive in the Hambletonian - a race his father won twice 91957 and 1964). Timothy T. was voted the 3-year-old Trotting Colt of the Year. Exported to Italy, by 1975 Timothy T. had won his second straight Elitlopp, making him arguably the best trotter in the world.

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Media

1970 media guide file

Champions | 1970-1979

1971 - Speedy Crown

Speedy Crowned The Champ

  • September 1, 1971

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $129,770

There are several accepted routes to Hambletonian fame. One is to make all the stops and meet all opposition and reach peak form at DuQuoin. Another is to pick your spots along the way, bring your colt to a peak of performance and hope everything happens the right way. It certainly did for Howard Beissinger and Speedy Crown in 1971. Speedy Crown was considered a rank outsider when the 1971 seaon began, but during the course of the season, Beissiner brought his charge along carefully, showing that he could trot with the best of them early and often. Not eligible to the Review Futurity at Springfield's Grand Circuit stop, he instead elected to go a time trial with Speedy Crown, and the colt responded wtih a 1:57.2 "workout" which was faster than the 1:58.2 mile recorded by Quick Pride and Hoot Speed in the Review. After that, with the rest of the field shipping to Indianapolis for the Horseman Stake, Beissinger elected to ship right to DuQuoin and work his charge out for two weeks over the Hambletonian track. He put several stiff works in him as he was razor sharp for the race, trotting two near perfect 1:57.2 and 1:58.1 miles, easily whipping Savoir and A.C.'s Orion. Speedy Crown went on to complete the 1971 Triple Crown.

As Beissinger pulled him off the rail up the backstretch in the second and final heat, Speedy Crown stepped on Hoot Speed's sulky wheel. According to Beissinger, "he never missed a beat!," exhibiting the trotting talent he would pass on to his sons and daughters in an extraordinary stallion career that ended in 1996 with his retirement at age 28. Trainer/driver Howard Beissinger's wife Ann was the breeder of Speedy Crown. Speedy Crown was voted Trotter of the Year. Top Hanover, by 1963 winner Ayres out of the exported free-for-aller Elaine Rodney, was the first "European horse" to start in the Hambletonian. Through sired at Hanover, Elaine Rodney was owned in Italy at the time. Top Hanover was trained in Europe and driven by leading German reinsman Gerhard Krueger. Elaine Rodney finished second to Blaze Hanover in the first heat of the 1960 Hambletonian. Gay Blossom won the first Hambletonian Filly Stake (renamed the Oaks in 1982). From 1926 to 1970, 141 fillies started in the Hambletonian; only seventeen have started in the Open since the inauguration of the Hambletonian Oaks in 1971.

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Media

1971 media guide file

Champions | 1970-1979

1972 - Super Bowl

A Super Fast Colt

  • august 31, 1962

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $119,090

Although it took Stanley Dancer quite a few tries to win his first Hambletonian, Dancer trained and drove Super Bowl to two perfect victories in 1:572 , and 1:562 , the latter a new world standard for three-year- old trotters in 1972. Super Bowl was the eighth winner for his sire, Star’s Pride, in 12 years, adding to the luster of his great sire’s accomplishments in this most famous trotting race. Super Bowl’s chief rival was the gifted Delmonica Hanover, a filly handled by the veteran Delvin Miller. Delmonica was second in both heats and trotted miles that would have been world filly marks in chasing Super Bowl. But she never really bothered the winner in each heat. Super Bowl and Dancer were simply the best. The Bill Haughton stable entry of Flush and Spartan Hanover traded a pair of thirds with The Black Streak fourth in each heat. It was a predictable end to this Hambletonian, and a "super" victory for Super Bowl, who won all three legs of the Triple Crown in 1972, the last trotter to do so.

Super Bowl was the sixth horse to win the Triple Crown of Trotting and the last to do it before Winsong's Legacy in 2004. His second and final heat was in a world record 1:56 4/5; the first 3-year-old mile under 1:57. Star's Pride sired his record eighth Hambletonian winner. His stallion record was something of a redemption. Star's Pride, the pre-race favorite in the 1952 Hambletonian, finished 2nd (2-2) to Lusty Song. One of the commentaries that year noted he was following in family tradition: his sire Worthy Boy was 2nd (2-2) in 1929 to Walter Dear; and Worthy Boy's dam Warwell Worthy was 2nd (7-2) in 1935 to Greyhound. Super Bowl is the Hambletonian winner that has subsequently sired the most winners (6). Super Bowl's caretaker, John Barker, ws married the night before the Hambletonian on the stage next to the race track in front of the grandstand. His bride Peggy was a caretaker for the Bill Haughton Stable. Stanley Dancer stood up for Barker, while Bill Haughton "gave away" the bride. Barker is now track superintendent for the Little Brown Jug. Super Bowl was voted Trotter of the Year. The filly Delmonica Hanover was second in both heats, timed in 1:57 flat in the second dash, three-fifths of a second faster than the existing world record race mile for a filly or mare (Fresh Yankee, 1:57 3/5). She is the dame of 1989 co-winner Park Avenue Joe. Probably the longest shot ever in the Hambletonian was Axystar, who "prepped" for his stakes debut in three overnight races at the Michigan fairs. He had a grand total of $77 to his credit when his owner Dr. Anderson Arbury, a retired orthodontist from the state, drove him. True to form, Axystar was well back at the start of the two heats, and maintained that posistion, finishing last in both heats (7-7). However, Dr. Arbury got to tell his grandchildren that he drove in the Hambletonian.

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Media

1972 media guide file

Champions | 1970-1979

1973 - Flirth

Almost Overlooked

  • august 29, 1973

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $144,710

Few geldings have ever won the Hambletonian, the first being the immortal "Grey Ghost" Greyhound, who accomplished that feat in 1935. Another came in 1973 in the form of the Florican gelding Flirth. Owned and bred by the Arden Homestead Stable and trained by Ralph Baldwin, Flirth was a rank outsider to most observers on this Hambletonian Day, with most of the interest centered on John Simpson, Jr.’s Knightly Way or Gene Riegle’s Arnie Almahurst. Then there were the talented Florican fillies, Florinda and Honeysuckle Rose. Nearly everybody overlooked Flirth. Baldwin had brought Flirth and stablemate Fetisil to DuQuoin nearly a week ahead of schedule and put some blistering workouts over the DuQuoin track, operating in near obscurity except for some local observers. Flirth was lying in ambush on Hambletonian Day. He took over the lead in the first heat shortly after the quarter and never looked back, trotting home in 1:582 over Florinda and South Bend. In the second, he lowered the all age world mark for geldings to 1:571 with the same don’t-look- back style. Noble Jade rallied for second in the final heat and South Bend was again third, but there was no menacing the winner.

Second of only three geldings to win the Hambletonian; the great Greyhound (1935) being the first. Flirth set four world records, including the fastest race mile (1:57 1/5) ever by a gelding. The previous mark (1:57 1/4) of almost forty years was held by Greyhound, which he set as a 4-year-old in 1936. Flirth was voted Trotter of the Year. Arden Homestead is the ownership credited with the most starters in the Hambletonian. Through 1998, they have raced 32 horses since their first entry of Cinema and First Choice in 1926. The 13th and last Axworthy line trotter to win; Axworthy was the dominant sire line in the first decade of the Hambletonian.

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Media

1973 - Media Guide File

Champions | 1970-1979

1974 - Christopher T

Now haughton Can Smile

  • August 30, 1974

  • DuQuoin, IL

  • DuQuoin State Fair

  • Purse $160,150

Bill Haughton had a lot of frustrating days at DuQuoin. Many times, he had come to this classic harness race with a horse he thought could win. It is an irony that the Hambletonian victory that finally came his way was one he didn’t think he had a shot to win. He was second with Galophone in 1955, third with Circo in 1959, third with Speedy Count in 1964, fourth with Carlisle in 1966, second with Keystone Pride in 1967, third with A. C.’s Orion in 1971, and fourth with Spartan Hanover in 1972. In 1974, a colt he did not want to start named Christopher T. surprised Haughton, his owner John Thro, and nearly everyone else with two relatively simple wins over a modest field of colt trotters in the rain delayed Hambletonian. The purse had grown to a record $160,510 and Christopher T. blew past the leaders in late stretch in the first heat to score 1:594 win over Golden Sovereign and Sing Away Herbert. Nevele Diamond captured the second elimination, trotting in 2:002 for Stanley Dancer. The final, though, belonged to Christopher T., the full brother to 1970 winner, Timothy T., in command in the 1:583 mile. The race was delayed for two days due to heavy storms in the area and was raced over a track less than fast.

For the first time, the elimination system was implemented in the Hambletonian; only the first five finishers came back from each elimination division of eleven starters for a second heat. Christopher T. and Timothy T. (1970) were the fourth pair of sibling to win the hambletonian. They were full brothers by 1964 Hambletonian winner Ayres and out of the Victory Song mare Flicka Frost. Their three-quarter sister Cora T. won the Hambletonian Oaks in 1978. She was by Ayres' sire Star's Pride. Flicka Frost was owned by the partnership of Don Millar (Bonnie Keek Farm) and John Thro, although Bonnie Keek was listed as the breeder of record on Christopher T. as well as Timothy T. Millar recalled that initially the partners would flip a coin and alternate each year on the ownership of each foal. Bill Haughton won his first Hambletonian 25 years after making his first start (with Crossbow who did not finish in 1949). He went on to win three of the next six (1976,1977 and 1980), and trained the winner of 1982. Christopher T., Haughton's 16th starter in the Hambletonian was entered at owner Thro's insistence despite Haughton's pessimism regarding his chances. The event was postponed two days by rain, and the highly regarded Golden Sovereign may have hurt himself in the stall during the delay, finishing second in his elim and fouth in the final. The other co-favorite, Nevele Diamond, won his elim but suffered from bad feet and could not overcome the rain-hardened racetrack.

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Media

1974 media guide file

Champions | 1970-1979