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An Opening Day crowd of 42,133 streamed in as harness racing on a mile track made its debut in the metropolitan area. Nighttime harness racing was an immediate hit in New Jersey and racing was about to change for the better - and for the bettor. Rambling Willie took the opening night feature in 1:553, and would be the first of many great racehorses who would leave their "hoofprints" on the East Rutherford oval.
Ray Remmen won the very first race with Quick Baron and would later establish himself as the top trainer through the first two decades at the Meadowlands.
Young Quinn posted the first-ever 1:55 mile at the Big M. Other notables which raced here in the inaugural Meadowlands season included Silk Stockings, Tarport Hap, Keystone Pioneer, Savoir and Oil Burner. 1977 The Meadowlands Pace and the Woodrow Wilson were born in 1977. Escort took the inaugural Meadowlands Pace, worth $425,000, for Carl LeCause. BG's Bunny had set a world record of 1:54 in his elimination but was scratched from the final.
The first Woodrow Wilson went to No No Yankee for a $280,000 purse. Just three years later, the event for two-year-olds would boast a $2 million purse. On a sad note, 1977 marked the end of the career of Tarport Hap, perhaps the greatest mare to ever race at the Meadowlands. She died at the quarter pole after suffering an apparent heart attack on March 12 while once again favored to beat the boys, which she had done eight times in the first ten weeks of the year. She was buried in what is now Paddock Park and a race was named in her honor later that year.
1978 In 1978, the speed explosion at the Meadowlands was officially underway. The meticulously-kept racing surface, combined with aggressive driving styles, made the 1:55 mile commonplace.
Whata Baron established himself as the best older pacer in the land and was trained and driven by the sport's top black horseman, Lew Williams. Of the first 15 1:55 miles in Meadowlands history, Whata Baron owned five of them.
Scarlet Skipper took the Woodrow Wilson for veteran Bill Herman; Senor Skipper lowered the track record to 1:533 for Ben Webster; and a young Canadian driver named John Campbell won his first Meadowlands race.
The meet's highlight may have been Falcon Almahurst, who ignored torrential rains and ankle-deep mud to win the second Meadowlands Pace in two straight heats. That was the last year that the Pace eliminations and the final were on the same night.
1979 Niatross surfaced at the Meadowlands as a two-year-old and took the Wilson on his way to a perfect 13-for-13 season. He was named Horse of the Year for 1979, an honor that hasn't been bestowed on a freshman standardbred since.
Abercrombie set a track record of 1:53 that lasted for three seasons when he stormed from last to first on August 4 for driver-trainer Glen Garnsey.
Sonsam posted one of the most memorable Meadowlands Pace victories when he overcame post ten and a tough trip to win going away in 1:532. That Pace was the richest harness race ever up to that point, with a purse of $750,000.
On February 1, one $2 ticket holder nailed the combination of Bradleigh N, Flame of Freedom and Edgewood Ken for an all-time Meadowlands harness record trifecta of $88,761.
William O'Donnell started driving regularly at the Meadowlands in 1979 and Early Bird Betting began on October 15th.
1980 The great Niatross, atoning for the only two defeats in his career, romped to a Meadowlands Pace record of 1:531 and never again lost a race. The 1980 Pace was the first million dollar race in the history of horse racing, both Thoroughbred and Standardbred. Through the 1997 season, harness racing would have 59races worth at least $1 million in all, with 46 of those races having taken place at the Meadowlands. Less than a month later, the Meadowlands presented horse racing with its first $2 million race, the Woodrow Wilson. In that landmark race, Land Grant, at odds of 69-1 with driver Del Insko, upset a strong group of freshmen including the undefeated Slapstick.
The first New Jersey Classic was also held in 1980. Designed to showcase the top sophomores in a state-bred event, the New Jersey Classic has taken on added significance as the New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS) program has gone on to become the standard in the United States.
On a tragic note, Peter Haughton died in an auto accident on January 25th.
1981 The most hallowed trotting event in the world - the Hambletonian - moved to the Meadowlands in 1981. While a national television audience watched, Ray Remmen guided an obscurely-bred gelding named Shiaway St. Pat to victory on a rain-soaked August 8th.
The fourth-richest race ever contested, the 1981 Woodrow Wilson, went to Bill Haughton and McKinzie Almahurst. This was the only million dollar win in the driving career of the celebrated Hall of Famer. All eyes focused on the pre-race favorite, No Nukes, who had fallen in the post parade, scraping his eye and knees. He was eventually barred from the wagering after causing two recalls and a refund of $251,734. Allowed to race for purse money only, he got away well behind the field before making a strong move to get into contention but was unable to sustain his drive and finished well back. He was, however, syndicated for $5 million later in the year.
1982 John Campbell captured his first million dollar race when he piloted Hilarion to victory over No Nukes in the Meadowlands Pace. Through 1999, he's had 18 victories in $1 million races, an all-time driver record.
The largest exacta in harness racing history at the Meadowlands came on February 15, 1982 when Saunders Bret and Night Mood combined for a payoff of $5,399.40.
The all-time Meadowlands record crowd of 52,974 watched both racing and the Gerry Cooney-Larry Holmes prize fight on June 11.
Other 1982 notes: Cam Fella made his Meadowlands debut on the way to Horse of the Year honors, while Meadow Skipper passed away. His sons or grandsons won the first seven editions of the Meadowlands Pace, including Hilarion and Ralph Hanover. Racing From the Meadowlands debuted on the Madison Square Garden Network on May24th. 1983It was the year of one of the most anticipated match-ups in the history of harness racing - Cam Fella vs. It's Fritz. Cam Fella was headed for his second straight Horse of the Year title, while It's Fritz was busy setting records for speed nearly everywhere he ventured. It was Monday night, July 25, 1983, when the two staged the first of their three meetings, all of which would be taken by Cam Fella and trainer-driver Pat Crowe. Track management distributed red and blue buttons for fans to wear which read either "I Like Cam" or "I Like Fritz."
John Campbell won seven races on one card for the first time in his Big M career, the first of five occasions on which he would accomplish the feat.
Ralph Hanover romped in the Meadowlands Pace, with future Hall of Famer Ron Waples at the helm. Ralph Hanover was the last Triple Crown winner in harness racing until Western Dreamer won it in 1997. Rambling Willie, the great iron "Horse That God Loved" who had won the very first feature race at the Meadowlands in 1976, made his final Meadowlands appearance as a 13-year-old. 1984On The Road Again turned the tables on the aptly named and favored Guts to win the richest Meadowlands Pace ($1,293,000) to date. Buddy Gilmour drove the determined chestnut and overcame a difficult trip on his way to earning nearly $3 million in his career.
Historic Freight won the Hambletonian raceoff from Gentle Stroke and Delvin G Hanover for Ben Webster.
The incomparable Nihilator lived up to all the hype, setting a Meadowlands and world record of 1:524 while obliterating his two-year-old rivals in the $2,161,000 Woodrow Wilson, the richest race ever contested to that point. It was the first time that William O'Donnell had ever driven the son of Niatross.
Showplace Trixie captured the first Miss New Jersey. Bill O'Donnell won the driving title, his third in four years. 1985On March 28, 1985, the future of racing took a detour when simulcasting was declared unconstitutional. It was discontinued on November 5th. But the voters, on a referendum, passed simulcasting and it was reinstated on December 3rd.
Tuff Choice set a Meadowlands record of 13 consecutive wins from January to April. Meadow Road won both Statue of Liberty Trot legs, each in world-record time.
Nihilator, again a superstar as a sophomore, set a Meadowlands Pace record of 1:503 and, as part of a five-horse entry, created a minus pool of $171,011.15. Hambletonian Day featured one of the greatest cards ever assembled as Prakas, Nihilator and On The Road Again won consecutive races. Nihilator set a world race record of 1:493
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