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67-459: In 1943, Helen Dillman and Pete Spears purchased 40 acres for $ 80,000 with plans to construct a harness racing track, but a wartime construction moratorium temporarily put the project on hold. Weekly Sunday afternoon harness races, called matinees, began in 1946. The State of California bought the property for $ 140,000 in 1948, at which time it also became the home of the 51st District Agricultural Association's annual San Fernando Valley Fair. During

134-462: A computer system, which takes control of the vehicle and provides a printout at the end of the score up. Some harness racing clubs have been granted additional funds for the installation of the AVA computerised mobile barriers. In Australia and New Zealand, harness racing is conducted both on smaller rural tracks and at major city venues, creating the opportunity for even the hobby-trainer to make it into

201-402: A decided Roman shape, the nostrils large and flexible. He had a large windpipe and short neck, but not coarse or thick, low withers and around the shoulders, heavy and upright. Messenger had superior hips and quarters. The bones of the limbs were strong and large. He always stood prompt and upright on all four legs. He was 15.3  hands (63 inches, 160 cm) high. One article described

268-406: A difficult position); or to race with "cover" on the outside. On the rail behind the leader is a choice spot, known as the "pocket", and a horse in that position is said to have a "garden trip". Third on the rail is an undesirable spot, known on small tracks as the "death hole". As the race nears the three-quarter mile mark, the drivers implement their tactics for advancing their positions – going to

335-524: A point of argument between many industry participants. Modern Starting gates used in Australia now include Auto start. This innovation allows the starter to concentrate on the actual horse's positioning during the "score up". The modern Starting gates use only a driver for steering the vehicle and a starter in the rear to observe the race and call a false start if required. The start speed, acceleration, score up distance, and gate closing are controlled via

402-685: A race could be Silver division against Class II. In such a case the Silver Division horses must run 60 m behind the less experienced Class II horses. Some races use the mobile starting gate as seen in the United States. Other races (for up to 16 horses) use a circular starting system. Horses with post positions 1 to 5 are in the first wave, 6-12 or 15 are in the second wave. In volt start good starting numbers (which automatically turn in to certain positions) are 1, 3 and 5 (slightly better than 2 and 4). But numbers 6 and 7 (who start in

469-432: A specific pattern to hit the starting line as a group. This enables handicaps to be placed on horses (according to class) with several tapes, usually with 10 or 20 meters between tapes. Many European – and some Australian and New Zealand – races use a standing start, although this increases the chance of a 'false start' where one or a number of horses commence 'off-stride' and gallop. The race must then be brought back to

536-511: Is 1000 meters (inner track) with two long sides and two curves. Horses run counterclockwise. The horses are classified by how much prize money they have gained through the entire career of the horse. The classifications are from the lowest and upwards: Stallions (and castrated geldings) are considered a little better in general. In pure mare horse races, horses from higher classification get 20, 40 or up to 60 meter extra to run. Distance addition occurs also in races between classes. An example of such

603-567: Is a combined thoroughbred and standardbred track, while another is only used once every year. So the only "pure" thoroughbred track in Sweden is Bro Park . At Solvalla in the suburbs of Stockholm the premier Standardbred mile race is held in late May every year, Elitloppet ( the Elite race ). Other important annual races are Svenskt travkriterium , a race restricted to three-year-olds, also hosted at Solvalla and Swedish Trotting Derby (open for

670-553: Is an Australasian champion Standardbred notable for being a three-time Australian Harness Horse of the Year and three-time winner of the Inter Dominion (2011 - 2013). I'm Themightyquinn won over AUD 4.5 million in its career. Races can be conducted in two differing gaits: trotting and pacing. The difference is that a trotter moves its legs forward in diagonal pairs (right front and left hind, then left front and right hind striking

737-421: Is important, while the longer stretch run of a mile track favors horses with late speed for come-from-behind wins. Usually, several drivers will contend for the lead away from the gate. They then try to avoid getting "boxed in" as the horses form into two lines – one on the rail and the other outside – in the second quarter-mile. They may decide to go to the front; to race on the front on the outside ("first over",

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804-432: Is not universal.). An additional lane is available to the inside of where the rail would have been. If the race leader is positioned on the rail at the top of the homestretch, that leader is required by rule to maintain that line (or move further out), while horses behind the leader can move into the open lane with room to pass the leader if possible. This solves a common problem, in which trailing horses are "boxed in" (behind

871-795: Is part of the Pacing Triple Crown . Important Canadian races include the North America Cup , the Canadian Pacing Derby , the Maple Leaf Trot , the Gold Cup and Saucer, and the Mohawk Million. The harness racing industry conducts an annual Grand Circuit , which includes many of the most prestigious races for both pacers and trotters. Founded in 1871 and first conducted in 1873 at four tracks,

938-414: Is that they often wear hobbles (straps connecting the legs on each of the horse's sides). The pace is an unnatural gait for horses, and hobbles are used to maintain the gait at top speed; trotting hobbles (which employ a different design, due to the difference in the gait) are becoming increasingly popular for the same reason. Most harness races start from behind a motorized starting gate , also known as

1005-476: Is the number one game to bet on. The winner of seven (pre-decided) races (with 12 or 15 horses) is to be picked. One single "row" is very cheap to play, but people usually play large systems, picking the winner in one or two of the races and several horses in the other races. The price for a system grows rapidly if many horses are picked in a race. Price for one "row" is 1/2 SEK (approximately 0,05 euro) but if, for instance, betting on 2, 5, 1, 7, 7, 1 and 4 horses in

1072-423: Is the richest Standardbred horse in the world. Foiled Again retired on January 1, 2019, but the then 15-year-old gelding left an indelible mark in harness racing annals. He compiled a 331/109–70–46 record and earned an all-time record US$ 7,635,588 in purse money. In one of his last races at Rosecroft Raceway, he beat the then 10 year old career winner of over $ 600,000, Real Flight. I'm Themightyquinn (foaled 2004)

1139-425: Is their fastest winning time at that distance. Harness races involve a good deal of strategy. Though the vast majority of races are one mile, races are contested on several different size tracks. The most common are 1/2 mile, 5/8 mile, and 1-mile tracks. Certain horses are better on the smaller tracks and others are better on the 1-mile tracks because there are fewer turns. Also, on the shorter tracks, early speed

1206-510: The American Saddlebred , and Tennessee Walking Horse breeds. Other notable descendants of Messenger include Whirlaway , Equipoise , Man O War , and Gallant Fox . He also provided genetics for the high cost " Joe Young " brand of horses that were sought after in the greater Kansas area at the turn of the 20th century. Messenger died on January 8, 1808, at the age of 28 at Townsend Cock's farm near Oyster Bay, New York . He

1273-837: The Australian Pacing Championship . The most prestigious events for three-year-olds including the Victoria Derby , the New South Wales Derby and the Australian Derby . For the younger horses there are series that stem from yearling sales including the Australian Pacing Gold and an Australasian Breeders Crown . In New Zealand the major races include the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup as well as

1340-480: The Netherlands , Malta , Russia , United Kingdom and Estonia . In Italy "trotto" is as popular as "galoppo". Almost all North American races are at a distance of one mile (1,609 m). Most races are run on tracks constructed solely for harness racing (some with banked turns), but a few tracks conduct both harness and Thoroughbred flat racing. North American harness horses earn a "mark" (a record), which

1407-1006: The New Zealand Free For All , Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile and the New Zealand Messenger Championship . There are also the New Zealand Derby and the Great Northern Derby for three-year-olds, and the Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup for trotters. The Harness Jewels raceday (the end-of-year championships for two-, three- and four-year-olds) takes place in late May/early June The major open races in Australia and New Zealand are brought together in an Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit . The leading harness racing nations in Europe are France, Italy and Sweden, and

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1474-885: The " Harness Horse of the Year ." The marquee event of Australasian racing is the Inter Dominion Series, which includes a pacing series and a trotting series. The series is held yearly and rotated around the Australian State Controlling Bodies and once every four years the Inter Dominion Championships are held in New Zealand. The major events for open age pacers in Australia are the Miracle Mile Pace , A.G. Hunter Cup , Victoria Cup and

1541-420: The "running tracks" the horse must be "a fast starter". The start of the races and the starting position (which equals a certain number as explained previously) are indeed important, independent of the start method. A very good horse in a race with weak opponents but with a bad start number (like 12 or higher) may not become the prime favorite due to the bad starting position, especially at short distance. After

1608-563: The 1950s, as the San Fernando Valley 's population boomed and tract housing rapidly replaced Northridge's citrus groves and small ranches, the venue increasingly served to host a wide variety of mostly non-equestrian expositions, festivals, carnivals, concerts, swap meets, rallies and other events. These alternative uses eventually predominated. A new California State College campus was built on adjacent land and opened in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College , which soon became

1675-468: The 1960's. Along with three other stallions, (Medley, Sharp, and Diomed ), Messenger provided the type of foal that was needed for the era of long-distance (stamina and speed) racing popular in the early days of the American sport. He was sired by Mambrino , who was sired by Engineer, who was sired by Sampton, who was the sire of Bay Molton, a racing horse. His dam was Turf; grand-dam was Regulus, who

1742-541: The American Turf", gave birth to the horse his breeder named American Eclipse in the belief the foal would be as great as the famous English Eclipse . By Duroc, a fine son of Diomed , American Eclipse did indeed turn out to be a champion. He was not only a great sire of Thoroughbreds, he was also the founding father of the harness breed, or modern-day American Standardbred through his great grandson, Rysdyk's ( Hambletonian 10 ). His genes have also contributed to

1809-834: The Grand Circuit now visits 20 tracks as of the most recent 2021 season. The most notable harness tracks in North America are the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey , Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York , The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky , and Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario . Since 1947, the "United States Harness Writers" Association annually votes for

1876-498: The United States up to that time. News reports at the time indicated that hundreds were injured in a melee during the festival, and 200 police officers were deployed to restore order. While the San Fernando Valley Fair utilized Devonshire Downs as its venue as early as the 1950s, the fair hit its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, finally moving away from Northridge in the late 1980s. Political pressures pushed to sell

1943-1053: The University. Harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace ). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky , spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia and New Zealand, races with jockeys riding directly on saddled trotters ( trot monté in French) are also conducted. In North America, harness races are restricted to Standardbred horses, although European racehorses may also be French Trotters or Russian Trotters , or have mixed ancestry with lineages from multiple breeds. Orlov Trotters race separately in Russia . The light cold-blooded Coldblood trotters and Finnhorses race separately in Finland , Norway and Sweden . Standardbreds are so named because in

2010-702: The best four-year-old horses) hosted in September at Jägersro in Malmö . The latter race track also hosts the Hugo Åbergs Memorial , which is an international race open for all horses. Other important harness racing arenas in Scandinavia are Åby outside Gothenburg , Mantorp , Axevalla , Bergsåker , Boden (almost at the polar circle ) and Charlottenlund in Danish capital Copenhagen . A betting game called V75

2077-404: The big-time if they have an exceptional horse. The major tracks include Gloucester Park (Perth), Globe Derby Park (Adelaide) Albion Park (Brisbane), Menangle Park Paceway (Sydney), Melton Entertainment Park (Melbourne), Alexandra Park (Auckland) and Addington Raceway (Christchurch). The breeding and racing of standardbred horses is both a dedicated pastime and profession for participants in

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2144-658: The biggest races. Trot racing as a sport is often considered dull, but when combined with betting it can rapidly get interesting. The huge popularity of trot betting in Sweden "spills over" to the neighboring Norway (11 racing tracks), Finland (43) and Denmark (9). In Ireland, sulky racing is today associated with the Traveller community , and some with criminal associations, whereby illegal racing takes place on public roads. Trotting sport and betting also exist in Austria , Belgium , Germany , Hungary , Serbia , Italy ,

2211-590: The breed. The founding sire of today's Standardbred horse was Messenger , a gray Thoroughbred brought to America in 1788 and purchased by Henry Astor, brother of John Jacob Astor . Astor had the horse for two years on Long Island and then sold him to C.W. Van Rantz. From Messenger came a great-grandson, Hambletonian 10 (1849–1876), a horse who gained a wide following for his racing prowess and successful offspring. The lineage of virtually all North American Standardbred race horses can be traced from four of Hambletonian 10's sons. As of January 1, 2019, Foiled Again

2278-418: The clear majority of harness racing in Australia and New Zealand are also now for pacers, even though the sport is colloquially still known as 'the trots.' Pacing horses are faster and (most important to the bettor) less likely to break stride (a horse that starts to gallop must be slowed down and taken to the outside until it resumes trotting or pacing). One of the reasons pacers are less likely to break stride

2345-462: The early years of the Standardbred stud book , only horses who could trot or pace a mile in a standard time (or whose progeny could do so) of no more than 2 minutes, 30 seconds were admitted to the book. The horses have proportionally shorter legs than Thoroughbreds , and longer bodies. Standardbreds generally have a more placid disposition, due to the admixture of non-Thoroughbred blood in

2412-523: The field gets the bell at signal their final lap. New Zealand racing is quite similar to that of Australia. Many horses are able to easily "cross the Tasman " and compete as well on either side of the sea that separates Australia and New Zealand. In both New Zealand and Australia the same system of an 'open lane' operates, although in Australia it is called a 'sprint lane' and in New Zealand a 'passing lane'. These lanes do not operate on all tracks and have been

2479-475: The first half of the 1980s, Devonshire Downs was the venue for numerous hardcore punk rock shows. Devonshire Downs is most widely known for hosting the three-day Newport Pop Festival in June 1969, also known as Newport '69, featuring Jethro Tull , Jimi Hendrix , Joe Cocker and nearly thirty other top acts. With over 200,000 people attending the festival over three days, it was, by far, the largest music event in

2546-423: The first turn. After the initial fight for a good running position, the horses usually form two rows or tracks. Good running positions are the leading position of the inner track or the second (or third) place in the outer track. This is explained by the fact that the outer track is close to 15 meters longer per lap, front running is always heavier compared with just follow behind (just like in cycling). Positions in

2613-484: The ground simultaneously), whereas a pacer moves its legs laterally (right front and right hind together, then left front and left hind). In continental Europe, races are conducted exclusively among trotters, whereas in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States races are also held for pacers. Pacing races constitute 80% to 90% of the harness races conducted in North America - while

2680-416: The industry. The premier events can now have prizemoney exceeding AUD 1 million and recent upgrades to some venues has created world-class facilities for harness racing. Betting revenues have come under pressure from both thoroughbred racing and from expanding opportunities in greyhound racing - however 'the trots' still has a dedicated following and a rich history to enjoy. Friday night is generally regarded as

2747-429: The inner track behind the leader may appear the best. But as described before, overtaking is not an easy manoeuver. And horses in the inner track may very well be trapped all the way to the finish, due to the horses and sulkies in the outer track. On the other hand, if an opening in the outer track appears close to the finish line, such a horse has had "an easy ride" with much strength left to give. The leading position of

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2814-414: The lead early; circling the field; moving up an open rail; advancing behind a horse expected to tire and so on. Harness horses accelerate during the final quarter-mile of a race. The finish of a harness race is exciting, and often extremely close. The judges have a photo-finish camera to help them determine the order of finish if needed. Until the 1990s harness tracks featured a rail on the inside, much like

2881-463: The lead to any horse that challenges, often leaving a horse parked outside the leader in the " death seat " or simply "the death" (known as "facing the breeze" in New Zealand), as this horse covers more ground than the leader. Australian racing generally has more horses in each race; a field of 12 or 13 is not uncommon. This generally means that with the smaller tracks a "three-wide train" starts as

2948-477: The leader, with another horse outside). It makes races more wide-open, with potentially higher payoffs — and more attractive to bettors. Australian racing differs from North American racing in that metric distances are used, generally above the equivalent of one mile and horses are classed by how many wins they have. Another large difference is that in Australian racing the leader does not have to hand up

3015-460: The long voyage. In 1793, Messenger was sold to Henry Astor , the brother of John Jacob Astor , and maintained at the farm of Philip Pratt located in Corona, Queens at what is now occupied by Our Lady of Sorrows Church. He was later sold to C.W. Van Ranst. Messenger's appearance gave an impression of solidity and power. He had large and always active ears, a large and bony head; his nose had

3082-451: The mobile barrier. The horses commence pacing or trotting and line up behind a hinged gate mounted on a moving motor vehicle, which then leads them to the starting line. At the line, the wings of the gate are folded up and the vehicle accelerates away from the horses. Another kind of start is a standing start, where there are tapes or imaginary lines across the track behind which the horses either stand stationary or trot in circles in pairs in

3149-542: The one at Thoroughbred tracks. This "hub rail" was replaced with a row of short pylons (usually of a flexible material), which mark the inside boundary of the course. This change was mainly for safety reasons; it allows a driver to pull off to the inside of the course if necessary, such as when their horse breaks stride but they cannot move to the outside due to being boxed in, thus avoiding injury to himself, his horse, and other competitors. This change allowed another innovation, "open-stretch racing". (As of 2011 open-lane racing

3216-448: The outer track, also known as the position of "death", is a very hard position to run and only very strong horses can win from this position. If a horse completes the race from the "death" position, commentators often point that out when announcing the KM pace of the horse. On short distances (1640 meters), the horse that gets the leading position of the inner track has a very good chance to be

3283-421: The owner of Devonshire Downs. During the 1960s, poor track maintenance and declining interest in the sport led to the end of horse racing at the facility. The last race horse was removed in 1971. In the same year, the college, which became California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1972, built a football stadium on some of the acreage. Other parts of the property continued to be put to diverse uses. During

3350-664: The premier trotting night although key events will enjoy broader weekend billing. Important annual races include the Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters, the Little Brown Jug for 3-year-old pacers, and the Breeders Crown series of twelve races covering each of the traditional categories of age, gait and sex. The Hambletonian is part of the Trotting Triple Crown and the Little Brown Jug

3417-429: The property, starting in the early 1960s and continuing into the mid-1970s, but CSUN maintained ownership throughout this time period and beyond. In 2001, the football stadium and practically everything else was razed and most of the land was leased out for development as a private industrial park, with part of the area taken over by Medtronic MiniMed. CSUN also developed part of the property for housing needs related to

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3484-540: The race in 2016 was 1 million euros, with approximately half of that to the winner. The horses are entered in the race based on lifetime earnings, unless they have qualified by performing well in the preceding six qualifying races. Sweden is "the locomotive" of harness racing in Scandinavia. It is a professional all-year event, even at very high latitudes during the winter. In Sweden there are 33 racing tracks, and in Finland 43. For comparison, there are only three thoroughbred racetracks in Sweden. One of them ( Jägersro )

3551-542: The second volt together with number 8 and higher) may get up a better speed after the turn-around but before the starting whistle sounds. Horses may have different initial speed, but must not exceed the starting line before the start signal sounds. Horses number 6 and 7 can both get a better speed at the starting line, and there are no horses in front of them. Due to this number 6 and number 7 are known as "running tracks" at volt starting. Horses 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 14, 15 have all horses in front of them. But to get advantage of

3618-466: The seven races the price multiplies as 0.5 × 2 × 5 × 1 × 7 × 7 × 1 × 4 = 980 SEK (approximately 92 euro). The bettors win money if they get all seven, six or five horses right within the system. But the difference between picking all 7 winners and just five is huge, in terms of money to win. V75 races are of distances 1640 m ("short"), 2140 m ("normal"), 2640 m ("long") and rarely 3140 m ("extra long"). The race track's length most usually

3685-451: The side bets far exceeded the purse. His major career win at five years old, when he won the King's Plate race. He was "a crack at the sprint distances of a mile and a mile and a quarter." Although his sire was a trotter, Messenger never ran a trot race. Messenger was a highly virile stud, once serving 126 mares by natural cover in one season. Like the other three English stallions, and as

3752-672: The sport is fairly popular in most northern European countries. Practically all races in Europe are trotting races. The Prix d'Amérique at Vincennes hippodrome near Paris is widely considered to be the most prestigious event of the European racing year. Other notable races include the Elitloppet one-mile race in Solvalla track near Stockholm, Sweden and Gran Premio Lotteria di Agnano in Naples , Italy. A yearly Grand Circuit tour for

3819-402: The start the drivers fight to get a good running position . How well this succeeds depends on the horse, the starting position and how the opponents drive their horses. Due to the sulky width and the oval race track overtaking is a far more difficult manoeuver to achieve, in comparison with gallop racing. The "running position fight" during the start and the beginning of the race usually ends in

3886-436: The starting line for a restart which can cause delays in programming and disrupts betting. The sulky (informally known as a "bike", and also known as a spider) is a light, two-wheeled cart equipped with bicycle wheels. The driver (not a "jockey", as in thoroughbred racing) carries a light whip chiefly used to signal the horse by tapping and to make noise by striking the sulky shaft. There are strict rules as to how and how much

3953-626: The top trotters includes a number of prestigious European races. All notable racing nations also host their own highly regarded premier events for young horses. Monté (races to saddle) have recently been introduced in larger scale in Sweden and Norway , to increase interest and recruitment to the sport. Saddled events are also commonplace in France and though less frequent, they are not considered exceptional in other European trotting nations. Messenger (horse) Messenger (1780 – January 28, 1808)

4020-526: The very low price of Three Guineas each Mare, one Dollar to the Groom..." which appears along a sketch of the grey horse. Due to the rarity of Thoroughbred horses in the area at the time and the success of the horse's offspring, Messenger's stud fee spiked at around $ 40 (about $ 2,900 in 2022). Though the mares he bred with were not of the highest quality, he sired a great many successful racehorses . Messenger's daughter, Miller's Damsel, also known as "Queen of

4087-460: The way he carried himself as "perfect and striking." Messenger was more brutish than he was beautiful. Handlers would have to take care not to get injured when working with the horse. Messenger won 10 of 16 races run in England early in his career, with his best racing years being 1783, 1784, and 1785. Messenger's races, usually less than two and half miles, were mainly "match" races in which

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4154-470: The whip may be used; in some jurisdictions (like Norway), whips are forbidden. For exercising or training, the drivers use what is known as a "jog cart", which is a sulky that is heavier and bulkier than a racing unit. The Prix d'Amérique is considered to be the number-one trotting race in the world. It is held annually at the gigantic Vincennes hippodrome in eastern Paris late in January. The purse for

4221-527: The winner. At longer races (with rather even competitors) running positions like second or third in the outer track have good chances, especially if the inner track horses get trapped behind a weakening front horse. Though all kind of trot betting in terms of money, is the most popular type of betting in Sweden, attendances at the races do not correspond to this. Even when "the V75 circuit comes to town" attendance rarely exceeds 5000 people. Larger crowds only gather at

4288-479: Was a grey Thoroughbred bred by John Pratt, Esq. of Newmarket, England He was most likely foaled at Oxford Stud in Balsham, Cambridgeshire in 1780. In May 1788, Sir Thomas Benger imported Messenger to Pennsylvania by ship. Legend goes that the eight year old horse ran down the gangplank "so rambunctiously that it took two men to keep him under control," when the rest of the horses were too weary to move after

4355-473: Was an English Thoroughbred stallion imported into the newly formed United States of America just after the American Revolution . He is most famous for being the great-grandsire of Hambletonian 10 , the father of all American Standardbred horses. Though he did not have a long racing career himself, he was a common ancestor in many successful racing horses into the 20th century. Messenger

4422-551: Was buried with military honors under a boulder memorialized with an inscribed plaque at Piping Rock Club on Duck Pond Road in Matinecock , New York. He was inducted into the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1964. This horse was not particularly talented at racing, but "deserves recognition as an outstanding producer of thoroughbreds," according to John Hervey, a horse historian in

4489-475: Was the custom of the day, Messenger was bred throughout Pennsylvania , New York and New Jersey . The custom at the time was to allow any person that could afford it to breed their mare with the horse as he toured around the new country. An ad from 1788 in a Philadelphia paper announces Messenger's arrival and availability in the area to the local mares as, "JUST IMPORTED, The Capital, Strong, Full Blooded English Stallion MESSENGER, To cover Mares this season...at

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