Opening Night Meadowlands 9/1/1976

[SeattleSlew]

Race 4: Pace $20,000 Claimer

1.) Thor Lobell              Abe Stoltzfus         C. Boyd/Stoltzfus Stable
2.) Most Happy Steve           Larry Rathbone      Larry Rathbone
3.) Ripping Charlie         John Dekovitch      John Dekovitch
4.) Fashion Trick         Walter Marks         Walter Marks
5.) Emerald            Norman Bradbury           Norman Bradbury
6.) Everglades Racer      Billy Haughton      Billy Haughton
7.) Count Thor         Edward Lohmeyer           Edward Lohmeyer
8.) Butler’s Waverly      Jim King Jr.         E. Looney
9.) Gladly Time         Anthony Mantegna          Anthony Mantegna
10.) Airluck            James Cruise Jr.           James Cruise Jr.

Notes:
1.) Thor Lobell was sired by Noble Victory!!!
2.) 9 of the 10 horses in this race were driven by their listed trainer
3.) The “better” races are yet to come

[SeattleSlew]

Race 5: Pace $25,000 Claimer

1.) Cedarwood Sam            Greg Wright             Greg Wright
2.) Clever Truax               Richard Rosenblatt                   Richard Rosenblatt
3.) W. P. Adios               Leroy Copeland         P. Seaman
4.) Sunrise Time               Ted Wing               T. Wing
5.) White Legs McKlyo                 Mike Gagliardi                 Mike Gagliardi
6.) Meema Doll               Buddy Gilmour         Dana Irving
7.) Poor Boy’s Hope            Edward Lohmeyer              Edward Lohmeyer
8.) Beau Bret                  Abe Stoltzfus            C. Boyd/Stoltzfus Stable
9.) Tavern’s Bruin               Ben Webster            A. Stephens
10.) Moondowner               Lew Williams            Lew Williams

Notes:
1.) Sunrise Time raced free-legged, making him the 7th horse so far in the
first 5 races to be free-legged!
2.) While this was a $25,000 claimer.. only ONE horse in this entire field had
earned more than half of that ($12,500) through this Sept. 1 race!!!

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

Guts (on the mile track) and Nickawampus Leroy (on the half-miler) were the "Silky Sullivans" of Harness Racing, able to close ferociously in the last 3/8 of a mile.  Nickawampus always looked like he was about to kick himself (very "racky" gaited).

I loved watching Nickawampus Leroy and George Phalen flying in the stretch at Yonkers and Roosevelt. I can't remember another horse that could close like he did.

[Jackie Mo]

3 Favorites
LeBaron Rouge (Robert Sampson)
Genius Kahn and Guts
The memories!!

Genghis Khan
Beatcha
Lustras Big Guy

[Gaagoots]

3 Favorites
LeBaron Rouge (Robert Sampson)
Genius Kahn and Guts
The memories!!

Guts! I think Barry Abrams has passed. He was out in Calif training T-breds.

[Gaagoots]

WTF is a Genius Kahn?  You are definitely not a genius to write that.  I assume you mean Genghis Khan

Eddie Cobb

[Gaagoots]

I loved watching Nickawampus Leroy and George Phalen flying in the stretch at Yonkers and Roosevelt. I can't remember another horse that could close like he did.

Sugar Dust.

[kantseeback]

I loved watching Nickawampus Leroy and George Phalen flying in the stretch at Yonkers and Roosevelt. I can't remember another horse that could close like he did.

I remember two other monster closers at YR and RR,
Sandman Hanover
Prince Ebony
Sometimes Sandman Hanover was dead last on the final backstretch and go 4 or 5 wide around the turn and pass the whole field, I saw him do this at least twice.

[SeattleSlew]

Race 6: Feature Race  Free For All by Invitation

1.) Mirror Image            Buddy Gilmour         Don Sider
2.) Shirley’s Beau                 Bill Popfinger            Bill Popfinger
3.) Young Quinn            Herve Filion            L. Bruce/C. Hunter Stable
4.) Nero                  Joe O’Brien            T. Caraway/J.O’Brien Stable
5.) Jilley                  Lew Williams            Lew Williams
6.) Keystone Accent              Frank O’Mara                 Frank O’Mara
7.) Bullet Bluecrest                 Alan Riegle            Gene Riegle
8.) Rambling Willie                 Robert Farrington              Robert Farrington
9.) Peter Lobell            Doug Ackerman         Doug Ackerman
10.) Momentum            Dale Ross            Dale Ross

Note: Young Quinn was NZ-bred and quite the sensation when he came over!

Race was won by Rambling Willie

Races 7-10 will be in the next post, so this topic does not keep bumping up to the top.

[SeattleSlew]

Race 7: Pace $35,000 Claimers

1.) Moneyrob               James Nash              James Nash
2.) Full Dress               Leroy Copeland         Leroy Copeland
3.) Irish Noel               Ray Remmen            Ray Remmen
4.) Rick’s Duke            Frank O’Mara                 Frank O’Mara
5.) Private Label                 Ken McNutt            Ken McNutt
6.) Leanides               Lew Williams            Lew Williams
7.) Shawn Hanover                      Bart Scarpa            Bart Scarpa
8.) Noble Wood            Don Pierce            Art Unger
9.) Ammo Hanover                 Walter Marks            Walter Marks
10.) Shad Hanover                 Mike Gagliardi         Mike Gagliardi

Note:    Only 2 horses in the field (each with about $22k in earnings ytd)
had earned more than 1/2 of the claiming price as of September 1!

Race 8: Pace  Open 3 Year Olds

1.) Tarport Crystal            Delvin Miller         S. Graham
2.) Dancing Davy            Joe Rizzo         Joe Rizzo
3.) Remus Dexter            Edward Lohmeyer           Edward Lohmeyer
4.) Hickory Express         Lew Williams         Lew Williams
5.) Bret John               Stanley Dancer           Stanley Dancer
6.) Flash Lobell            James Larente           James Larente
7.) Coaches Dream         Greg Wright         Greg Wright
8.)  Noble Hartack            Buddy Gilmour      Don Sider
9.) Tarport Carmel            Billy Haughton      Billy Haughton

Note: Tarport Crystal was the only filly, but had the most $$ and fastest time ytd.

Race 9: Pace  Open

1.) Double Allegaroo         Ben Webster         H. Schweitzer
2.) Andy Lobell                      Edward Lohmeyer           T. Lail
3.) Baron Gerard            Lew Williams         Lew Williams
4.) Big A.                  Larry Rathbone      G. Moore
5.) Adios Skipper            Greg Wright         Greg Wright
6.) Mr. Overnite            James Larente      James Larente
7.) Le Baron Rouge         Buddy Gilmour      A. Bertrand
8.) Pickwick Baron            Melvin Turcotte      P. Soehlen
9.) Fly Fly Solly            Joseph Nero         Joseph Nero
10.) High Frontier            Herve Filion         Herve Filion

Race 10: Pace  $50,000 Claimer

1.) Game Baron            Ray Remmen         Ray Remmen
2.) Duane’s Shadow         James Doherty      James Doherty
3.) Winthrop Lobell             Maurice Bergeron           Maurice Bergeron
4.) Paddy C. Grattan         Greg Wright         Greg Wright
5.) Flying Dream N.         Lew Williams         Lew Williams
6.) Spud Express            Edward Lohmeyer           Dana Irving
7.) Armbro Kodiak            William Bresnahan           William Breshnahan
8.) Bayi                  Herve Filion         Herve Filion
9.) Keystone Ponder         Buddy Gilmour      Don Sider
10.) Owl                  Eldon Harner         Eldon Harner

Note: Not one trotting race on the opening card!

“Official Attendance” 43,400  Actualy attendance was more!

If you have any information you may want that would be in the Opening Night Program, just ask.

[Calhoun]

Race 6: Feature Race  Free For All by Invitation

1.) Mirror Image            Buddy Gilmour         Don Sider
2.) Shirley’s Beau                 Bill Popfinger            Bill Popfinger
3.) Young Quinn            Herve Filion            L. Bruce/C. Hunter Stable
4.) Nero                  Joe O’Brien            T. Caraway/J.O’Brien Stable
5.) Jilley                  Lew Williams            Lew Williams
6.) Keystone Accent              Frank O’Mara                 Frank O’Mara
7.) Bullet Bluecrest                 Alan Riegle            Gene Riegle
8.) Rambling Willie                 Robert Farrington              Robert Farrington
9.) Peter Lobell            Doug Ackerman         Doug Ackerman
10.) Momentum            Dale Ross            Dale Ross

Note: Young Quinn was NZ-bred and quite the sensation when he came over!

Race was won by Rambling Willie

Races 7-10 will be in the next post, so this topic does not keep bumping up to the top.

Who won? thx

[SeattleSlew]

Rambling Willie won in 1:55.3 and 3 weeks later Young Quinn would break the 1:55 mark!

[Hush Limbaugh II]

Driver stats Meadowlands 1976 - 2010 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/5352346/top-drivers-by-year-meadowlands-racetrack

[BigBen7]

Thorn, talk to text but funny anyway 🤣

[Brown jug]

should have gone every night the first year or two
didnt know it was going to go downhill like it has ( and harness racing in general)
goes to show nothing stays great forever