CONFEDERATE!! The saga continues...

[SeattleSlew]

Which Niatross race are you referring to?

Niatross won the American Pacing Classic (California) at 1 1/8 miles as a 3 year old vs. older horses.  Other 3 year olds who won the Pacing Classic were Oil Burner, Albatross and True Duange.  He set the record for the distance and the race no longer existed 2 years later.  Many top pacing names won the Classic over the years such as: Rambling Willie, Adios Butler, Meadow Skipper, Overcall and Cardigan Bay to name a few. 

[Parked]

Niatross won the American Pacing Classic (California) at 1 1/8 miles as a 3 year old vs. older horses.  Other 3 year olds who won the Pacing Classic were Oil Burner, Albatross and True Duange.  He set the record for the distance and the race no longer existed 2 years later.  Many top pacing names won the Classic over the years such as: Rambling Willie, Adios Butler, Meadow Skipper, Overcall and Cardigan Bay to name a few.

Now you are talking real race horses.   

[White Rabbit]

I believe it was Niatross last career start as well.

[Fuguzzi]

Niatross won the American Pacing Classic (California) at 1 1/8 miles as a 3 year old vs. older horses.  Other 3 year olds who won the Pacing Classic were Oil Burner, Albatross and True Duange.  He set the record for the distance and the race no longer existed 2 years later.  Many top pacing names won the Classic over the years such as: Rambling Willie, Adios Butler, Meadow Skipper, Overcall and Cardigan Bay to name a few.

Always felt Oil Burner was a fantastic race horse. Under rated and under appreciated. Great info guys, tyvm

[SeattleSlew]

I believe it was Niatross last career start as well.

Actually, his last career start was on December 27, 1980 at Pompano.  Galbraith wanted him to get the record for fastest time on a 5/8 mile track.  We was in with a decent field of older pacers (Wizard Almahurst etc.) but it was a nasty, cool, rainy night.  While he DID break the track record by 2 seconds he did not get the World record.  Pompano turned away over 5,000 people, and it was a lousy night weatherwise, but they had a crowd of about 20,000 to see the great horse finish his career.

Niatross was a "generational" horse as he broke the prior World Record, in his time trial, by THREE seconds (not 3/5 of a second, but THREE WHOLE seconds.  Amazing.

[Fuguzzi]

Actually, his last career start was on December 27, 1980 at Pompano.  Galbraith wanted him to get the record for fastest time on a 5/8 mile track.  We was in with a decent field of older pacers (Wizard Almahurst etc.) but it was a nasty, cool, rainy night.  While he DID break the track record by 2 seconds he did not get the World record.  Pompano turned away over 5,000 people, and it was a lousy night weatherwise, but they had a crowd of about 20,000 to see the great horse finish his career.

Niatross was a "generational" horse as he broke the prior World Record, in his time trial, by THREE seconds (not 3/5 of a second, but THREE WHOLE seconds.  Amazing.

Steady Star's 1.52.2?

[jupiter]

1971, Steady Star 1:52 flat, free legged. 28.2/54.3/1:26.1 1:52  Remember it's 1971!

[Fuguzzi]

Confederate is a very good horse and a top three year old pacer this year. His track record does not put him with the great horses. Its My Show has now won two million dollar races, has raced and won on a half and has raced and won heats. Meanwhile Confederate was racing against nobody and has a mark because he had a stablemate set it up for him.

Only part I dont get is saying he race against nobody. Since his forgivable defeat in the NA Cup, he hasn't lost as we all know and has faced every other top 3 year old other than IMS. As for his "avoiding" the half mile that's on Bowden and it doesn't sit well with me. I am old school when the top 3 year old arced 20 plus times, everywhere, against everybody.

[Fuguzzi]

Is he the only 3 year old pacer or any age horse to see the bottom of 1:46 neighborhood with the earplugs still in? Be interesting to find out.

[Fuguzzi]

You are talking last race for each horse. Confederate had defeated Cannibal, Christchurch, Ken Hanover, Seven Colors, Redwood Hanove, Voukefelais, El Rey, Hungry Angel Boy, Fulton, Ammo, Save America, etc...who else did he miss that matters or mattered?

[Fuguzzi]

We all know how Confederate had help achieving his mark. Let's move past that. In a few years bidders will be stepping over each other to gobble up his babies at the sales not giving a whit about how he achieved his mark and they will be lining mares to get in foal by him.

I know instinctively, that Confederate for at least the last half mile would pace with anything that has ever lived. His last halves, quarters and 1/8ths and electric gear shift are a testament to that. He is a special racehorse and I will miss not seeing him race anymore. But the whole business has changed, in many ways for the worse and I have to accept that, LOL

[Brown jug]

Great topic
exactly why it is critical to have 3 heats and not 2
while  everyone hates 1/2 mile racing , one thing for sure, you dont get that kind of race on a bigger track

[Fuguzzi]

All you are talking about is times. The object is to win races and to say you are the best requires beating the best repeatedly. Right now, Its My Show has much more of a claim to being the top three year old pacer. Diamond Creek is managing Confederate not to lose. His mark is tarnished because it was set up in a race with a weak field.

This is not about what Confederate might do or about back half times, it is about doing it in races against the best possible competition. He has not done that. Prove it!

They have to manage Confederate to a point, in so far as his potential sire value - tens of millions of dollars. The IMS connections don't have that secondary concern because Linda cut him when "he disappointed her at 2" Her words, not mine.

[Fuguzzi]

Yeah, the 53.3 half and Dexter jumping the gun with Seven Colors didn't set up and help IMS just get up in the Jug final. OK, Got it   Linda and IMS are great and Brett and Confederate suck. I wanna see IMS , the gelding hold off, Confederate the stallion, when he kicks it into overdrive, if they ever look each other square in the eye last 1/8th. Not gonna happen. The NA Cup was NOT an example of that. These two have never truly duked it out. Hope we get to see that.

[Fuguzzi]

And i still believe purely from watching him race that there is something up front on IMS which causes him to wince from occasional pain. I have seen it twice, Jug Elim and the race in Pa. where he drifted and din't fire. probably minor and he "guts it over", but it is there. May rear its head again, may not. Confederate has been 100% sound all year and has never taken a bad step on the track even once.