• The Hamiltonian Horse Race
• When Is The Hamiltonian Horse Race
• Hambletonian Horse

The $1.2 million event will revert to elimination heats raced the week before on Saturday, August 1, along with the eliminations for the distaff companion event, the $600,000 Hambletonian Oaks. The race is simulcast internationally and attracts record wagering handle and attendance at the north Jersey track. Flat racing is the commonest form of horse racing around, in which horses gallop (that is, a horse's equivalent of sprinting) from point A to B on a track. Jump racing, also known as National Hunt racing, involves horses jumping over obstacles and can be subdivided into two other types: steeplechasing and hurdling. Alexander Hamilton Hamiltonian America. The great Kentucky horse race The election for Kentucky’s governor will be a referendum on Donald Trump. Racing Horse Hamiltonian was sired by and out of Baha Men, Hamiltonian is a 11 year old Bay Gelding horse owned by B A Hamilton & Mrs A G Williams and trained by K W Marshment. Find out more with our Thoroughbred Horse Profile Directory and Horse Racing Results. The 2017 Hambletonian made history, but not in the usual way. What The Hill crossed the finish line first, however, he was disqualified for interference in t.

Hambletonian, was one of the best Thoroughbred racehorses of the late 18th century, having won all of his race starts, except one, and was later a good sire. His victories included two Doncaster Cups in the late 1790s and the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster in 1795.

Background[edit]

Hambletonian was a bay colt that was bred by John Hutchinson and foaled in 1792. Hambletonian was by the useful sire, King Fergus and was a grandson of the two undefeated horses, Eclipse and Highflyer, who was the sire of his dam Grey Highflyer.

Racing record[edit]

Hambletonian was named after the historic racing area of Hambleton Hills, which is on the edge of the North York Moors, at the top of Sutton Bank. On 14 May 1794 Hambletonian won his first race there, 'A sweepstake of 15 guineas each for three-year-old colts, 8 stone (51 kg), fillies 7 st. 11 lb. (49.5 kg) run over two miles'^{[citation needed]}

In August 1795, Sir Charles Turner at the York races, purchased Hambletonian, Beninghbrough (also by King Fergus) and Oberon from Hutchinson for 3,000 guineas. At the same meeting Hambletonian won two sweepstakes and on 22 September at the Doncaster meeting he won the St. Leger Stakes. The next day Hambletonian won his first Doncaster Cup and Beningbrough was victorious in the Doncaster Stakes.^[1]

In 1796 at York Hambletonian lost his only race to The Derby winner, Spread Eagle, after running off the course. At the same meeting he won back £50 from Spread Eagle and two others. Later that year Hambletonian was sold to Sir Henry Vane-Tempest of nearby Wynyard Park, County Durham, for whom he raced until 1800.^[2] At the York August meeting he won both the five-year-old and the six-year-old and over Subscription Purses.^[3]

Hambletonian did not start during 1798. In a famous match with Mr. Cookson's Diamond over the four-mile Beacon Course at Newmarket on 25 March 1799, Hambletonian, ridden by Francis Buckle, won by a neck in a time of 7 minutes 15 seconds. He is said to have covered 21 feet in a single stride at the finish.^[4] Sir Henry had wagered 3,000 guineas on the outcome. The horse was afterwards the subject of the painting, Hambletonian Rubbing Down by the great equine artist, George Stubbs, who was then 75 years old. In 1800 Hambletonian won his only start in the Great Subscription Purse for six-year-olds and over at York.^[1]

Stud record[edit]

Hambletonian retired to stud in 1801 standing at Seacroft-Hall, near Leeds, then from 1802 to 1808 he stood at Hornsey's stables in Middlethorpe, York for a fee of 10 guineas per mare. In the 1809 season he was at Wynyard, near Stockton-on-Tees, in 1810 and 1811 he returned to Middlethorpe, with his fee rising to 20 and 25 guineas, 1812 and 1813 at Wynyard and finally at Catterick, near Richmond, in 1814, the last year he was advertised, his fee had declined to 15 guineas.^[2]

His most notable progeny included:

• Anticipation, won sixteen races, including the Ascot Gold Cup, twice; got excellent hunters
• Camerton, won Goodwood Cup, exported to France in 1818
• Camillus, won Doncaster Cup, successful sire^[5]
• Fair Helen (gr f 1808), second dam of the stallion and St Leger winner Margrave
• Goosander, dam of the Epsom Derby winner Sailor and the Oaks Stakes winner Shoveler and taproot mare of Family 6-c
• Lisette, dam of 2,000 Guineas winner Clearwell and a foundation mare of Family 19-b.
• Whitelock, continued the sire line through Blacklock and on to the undefeated St. Simon.^[6]

Hambletonian died 28 March 1818 and is buried in the grounds of Sir Henry's former home, Wynyard Park, County Durham.

See also[edit]

• Hambletonian 10, 1849–1876, a foundation sire of the harness racing breed known as the Standardbred.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abThoroughbred Heritage: Hambletonian Retrieved 2010-10-25
2. ^ ^abThoroughbred Bloodlines: Hambletonian Retrieved 2010-10-25
3. ^Weatherby, Edward; Weatherby, James (1797). Racing Calendar.
4. ^Whyte, James Christie (1840). History of the British turf, from the earliest period to the present day, Volume I. London: H. Colburn. OL6544990M.
5. ^Australian Stud Book: Hambletonian Retrieved 2010-10-25
6. ^Barrie, Douglas M., The Australian Bloodhorse, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1956

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

For many horse enthusiasts, springtime signals the start of horse racing season. Spectators and gamblers flock to the Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY to watch the first race of the exciting Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. This year, why not check out a smaller, equally passionate set of competitors... standardbred harness racers! Standardbred harness racing may not be as familiar to many, but the sport is packed with just as many thrills and triumphs. We had the chance to speak with breeder, trainer, and race driver, Donna Herriott to learn about her lifetime working with these horses. We’ll show you why harness racing can be just as exciting and even more accessible to the racing enthusiast. Plus, you’ll get to learn a bit about the quality traits of the standardbred breed.

Donna’s Introduction to Harness Racing

Donna Herriott hails from Delaware, Ohio, where she grew up showing horses in 4-H. This is the home of the Little Brown Jug, a famous pacing race for harness horses. She was introduced to the world of harness racing through her father-in-law, who owned a racing farm. Before long, a tough 2-year-old colt frustrated the regular trainer and Donna volunteered to take over his training. He thrived under Donna’s hand and ended up being a very nice racer. More importantly… Donna had taken her first step as a trainer.

Over time, Donna grew in her training skills and ended up working for several trainers before she started her own stable. She certainly didn’t coast through her work. She chuckled, “I always got people’s bad horses, the ones they didn’t’ want to mess with. I always got the ones where I was their last chance.” One of these “problem child” horses was a mare named Shady Daisy, who Donna started in a harness for the first time. This mare went on to become the first “millionaire” pacing mare and even had a race named after her. “She was a heck of a mare!” Donna exclaimed.

Watch a video of the great pacing mare Shady Daisy racing here.

Eventually, Donna was given the opportunity to breed her own harness racing horse named I Feel Lucky Today. “She was my first ever foal that I raised. I had yearlings given to me that I trained, but Lucky was my first foal that I raised.”As opposed to hand selecting a horse from an auction or sale, she emphasized the difference of breeding your own horse. “When you raise your baby, you’re stuck with what you get… And Lucky was crazy.” For instance, Donna explained that she would accept the bridle only if she had her nose on the ground. “If I didn’t own her, I would have told the owner that she had enough problems that she wasn’t meant for racing, but since she was mine, I just worked with her…She was just a horrible-horrible horse to jog on the track…just horrible!”

Fortunately, Lucky’s quirks didn’t cause an issue on race day. Donna shared that on race day, “ You couldn’t ask for a better horse. She knew what her job was. That was her calling. She loved it.”

Donna and her horse Lucky compete in a race.

Going Fast When A Gallop is Forbidden

As the name implies, harness racing horses are harnessed into a cart or ‘sulky’ where the driver sits behind the horses. These horses will either race in the trot or pace gait, with different races for each. For those who are unfamiliar, the pace is similar to a trot in that it’s a 2 beat gait but the right foreleg and hind leg strike the ground simultaneously, followed by the left foreleg and hind leg. Horses who compete in trotting races tend to present faster times and earn more money overall.

Harness horses are not allowed to ‘break’ or start galloping during a race. If they break into the canter, then need to be taken to the outside of the track until then resume the trot and pace where they can then rejoin the race. So how do you train a horse to never break into the forbidden gallop? She explained, “They are bred for either pacing or trotting, although pacers trot of course. Trotters, you can get them to pace, but trotters make more money, so that’s what you want them to do.” She would jog with her horses starting at half a mile and building them up until they are trotting 5 miles at a relaxed trot. She would increase the distance until they are going 5 miles at a relaxed trot and then start ‘brushing’ the horse, or asking for a quick burst of speed.

Watch this video to see what it’s like to be in the driver’s seat!

Donna continued, “Once the horse has about 500 miles in them, you start turning them so they are going the direction of the race.” Most of the training is done in the clockwise direction with actual races done in the counter clockwise direction. “They know that when they’re going the other way, it’s race time.” First Donna would try to go a mile in 3 minutes. Then, she might bring it down 5 seconds without her horses trying to break into the canter. She explained that you need to build up their speed and confidence while always working them with a training buddy. Another thing that helps them trot and not gallop is having them shod correctly and training them to hold their head correctly for balance. Ultimately, a good trotting horse can do a mile under 2:00 minutes or even at 1:55.

Once their training is complete, harness racing horses typically race once a week. Lucky’s race career as a trotter was mainly during the winter months. “Lucky had a problem called ‘tying up’, so she liked racing in the winter better.” Horses may race like this for 6-7 weeks and then need a break. “Mainly, Lucky raced in ‘over-nighters’. This is where you go to the track at night and race in a condition race.” This allowed Donna and Lucky to face specific groups of horses like non-winners from certain race types. Lucky competed at several raceways including the Lebanon Raceway, but also at smaller fair races. Donna said, “I liked to drive her so I raced her in fairs.” Of Lucky’s 40 starts, she won 18 races.

Donna emphasized that not just any horse can be a racing horse. “You can’t make them go fast. They have to want to do it.” For Donna and Lucky, their proudest moment in racing came in January of 1998 when they won the open trot race. “She won the Open Trot 72 days after she had colic surgery. So for her to survive the surgery and then come back and race 72 days later…I was ecstatic with that. That’s nothing to anyone else, but it meant the world to me because she was on her death bed.” Fortunately, Lucky rebounded quickly from her illness, won this race, and then continued on to live a happy life.

Life after Racing

After Lucky’s racing career was over, she was put out to pasture, yet Donna sensed that she wasn’t happy with her sedentary lifestyle. “I had no intentions of riding her but she would stood at the gate and watch the house. She wouldn’t go eat. She wouldn’t go out with the other horses…so we put a saddle on her!” Now, 17 years later. Lucky has turned into a fantastic under saddle horse for Donna and her granddaughter, Lilly. “She needed something to do. Being a pasture ornament wasn’t doing it for her.”

Donna’s granddaughter shows Lucky in several types of classes.

Today, Lucky is 23 years old, and like many standardbreds is extremely gentle with children and has great ground manners. “Most standardbreds are that way.” Lucky has been a great horse for Donna’s granddaughter. They recently won the Reserve High Point Youth Rider award in their local show circuit. It was clear that Donna truly loves the breed. “What I love about the standardbred horse is their willingness to work. They have a great work ethic. They want to please you.” She concluded, “Standardbreds are a jack of all trades and a master of one.”

Why Should You Check Out Harness Racing?

Donna absolutely loves harness racing as a sport and enjoys the accessibility of a sport. Not just anyone can take their thoroughbred to the races, but with harness racing, the average person can drive their horse in races. Imagine getting the chance to experience the thrill of racing with your horse! “You can’t ride your thoroughbred racehorse, but you can sit behind your standardbred and drive it!” explained Donna. You can apply for various types of driving licenses based on the level of race you’d like to enter. The Triple Crown of harness racing for trotters includes the famous Hamiltonian race at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, the Yonker’s Trot at the Yonker’s Raceway in New York, and the Kentucky Futurity in The Red Mile Raceway in Kentucky.

“Harness racing is exciting, the close contact of the horses when you’re in the race going up to the gate is a thrill,” Donna explained. “The horses try so hard. They know what they’re doing. They want to beat the other horses.” When asked what she loves, Donna replied, “The beauty of it… the bravery of the horses… the urge to run… how they keep their gait is admirable to me.” Another benefit of harness racing is the cost. It is much less expensive than thoroughbred racing. Best of all, YOU can drive in an amateur race. “I got my license went I was 38 years old!” Donna continued, “If you want to experience what it’s like to be in a race, you can do that with your standardbred!”

17 years after her racing career ended, Lucky has continued to be a faithful companion for Donna.

Horse Trailers for Sale That Can Fit Your Cart or Carriage

Donna used a 2H trailer to transport her horses and equipment. “It was pretty much a rust bucket,” she chuckled. For standardbreds, it is important that the trailer has enough height. “They need to be a little taller,” Donna explained. “They like them a little roomier than most trailers.”

The Hamiltonian Horse Race

If you have a horse with a cart, Double D Trailers can design unique options to meet your needs. Brad Heath explained that he has worked with several clients who needed to fit their cart or larger carriage directly in the trailer. This blue print shows just one example of the many horse trailers for sale from Double D Trailers.

When Is The Hamiltonian Horse Race

This is a trailer design from Double D Trailers that leaves space in the front for a cart.

The standardbred is a breed that shows true heart on the raceway and is a loving companion for their owners. Check out the US Trotting Association to learn more about he sport, regulations, and history. Next time you’re looking for a unique and exciting experience, check out your local harness racing track. You never know, maybe this will ignite your racing spirit and lead to YOU behind the reins of a standardbred harness racer!

Questions:

Hambletonian Horse

• Have you had the opportunity to be a spectator or driver at a harness race? What did you think of the experience?
• Can you share more stories about standardbreds as a breed?