Harness: Greatness is impossible to pinpoint across sex and age

According to the USTA's recent "greatest of all time" balloting, Moni Maker prevailed over Muscle Hill. Given her entire body of work, including a time trial under saddle, it is hard to dispute that.

However, in fairness to Muscle Hill, he may have been the greatest "colt" trotter of all time and would probably have bested Moni Maker had they met each other as 2- or 3-year-olds. After all, as a filly, 'Moni' was not quite Continental Victory and did not emerge as world-class until her later years. That said, Muscle Hill never got the opportunity to race as an aged horse, so it is purely conjecture as to what he may or may not have done.

In thoroughbred circles, Secretariat primarily off his Belmont Stakes epic, is generally considered the epitome of the breed. While he did excel over a distance of ground, he did not carry the weight, as did Kelso and Forego in their aged careers. Both Kelso and Forego were often high-weighted at long distances.

As to how Secretariat may or may not have done in his aged form is also conjecture. Those pointing to his Marlboro Cup conquest of older horses as a late 3-year-old should consider the number of other 3-year-olds that beat their elders in the Breeders Cup Classic over the years. That said, Secretariat was arguably the greatest "colt" of modern times, or any time for that matter, but what he would have done thereafter is open to speculation.

Nevele Pride was among the greatest colts of his or any era, but there is that vision of him parking Une De Mai the entire mile-and-one-quarter as she trotted past him in the stretch. Did he race one time too many? Possibly, but he was soundly beaten that day.

Speedy Scot suffered a similar fate, as he was undefeated when he stayed flat except for his final start at age 5 when he was parked the mile-and-one-quarter by Speedy Rodney at Yonkers. Since he never raced again, it was apparent that the great Speedy Scot did indeed make one start too many.

And the same can be said for some very notable boxing champions who got humiliated by younger opponents after "suddenly growing old in the ring," as the boxing purists say.

Somebeachsomewhere lost but one race in his life, but it took a herculean effort on the part of Art Official to make it happen. Previously, Art Official never got close to Somebeachsomewhere in several encounters as "Beach" won easily, like he did in every other start at 2 and 3.

SomeBeachsomewhere never raced past age 3, so like Niatross, Muscle Hill, Secretariat, etc., he can be considered among the all-time great "colts"!

Overcall was undefeated in well over 20 starts at age 6 and was probably among the better 6-year-old pacers that ever lived. Although, he was in the same colt crop as Romeo Hanover and True Duane and seldom if ever threatened them as a younger horse.

Pretty much the same holds true for Whata Baron and Four Starzzz Shark. Both escalated to championship caliber as 6-year-olds. Like Overcall, they were not considered great in younger years.

For one race, the Breeders Crown at Pompano, Artsplace may have been greatest 2-year-old pacer anyone has ever seen. What is overlooked, is that he, with John Campbell driving, went off at 3-1 from post three while Die Laughing with Richie Silverman was 3-5 from post six. This indicates that prior to that race Artsplace was a major contender but not necessarily the TOP contender for 2-year-old championship honors. Afterwards, NO CONTEST!

Thereafter, Artsplace was a top three 3-year-old, along with Precious Bunny and Die Laughing, and an undefeated 4-year-old, though both of those great rivals had since retired to stud.

Western Shooter, similar to Artsplace, set a world record in a powerhouse performance as a late 2-year-old, totally cementing his year-end championship claims while earning a ranking amongst the best 2-year-olds ever. In many ways, he contributed to the subsequent commercial demand for Western Hanover progeny. He was certainly the driving force in making his dam Cathedra perhaps the most commercial pacing mare ever in terms of gross yearling prices. Would that have happened, if like his sisters - Cabrini Hanover and Cathedra Dot Com - Western Shooter turned out to be among the better 3-year-olds, though not the superstar 3-year-old of his year? That becomes the $64,000 question. One certainty is that Western Shooter was a great 2-year-old; thereafter is conjecture.

Bret Hanover was undefeated in 24 starts at 2, one of them being a parked-the-mile effort at Yonkers where he still humiliated Rivaltime. Thereafter, he got beat a couple of times by Adios Vic at age 3 and as a 4-year-old succumbed to the late bid of 3-year-old True Duane in the Classic at Hollywood Park. The end result is that Bret Hanover is in the argument as the greatest 2-year-old pacer of any era and among the all-time greats thereafter.

Bret Hanover was one year older than Romeo Hanover, who was virtually undefeated from his second start at 3 until well into his 4-year-old year where he was brutalized in a mile-and-one-quarter epic at Yonkers and just got nailed by Orbiter N and Adios Vic in a close photo. There were those that thought Romeo Hanover might have beaten Bret Hanover, especially on a small track given his incredible gate speed. There was talk of a match race, but that never happened. As it was, True Duane, who never once beat Romeo Hanover at age 3, did defeat 'Bret' as mentioned above at Hollywood.

Niatross had that temporary lapse at Saratoga and the Meadowlands Pace elimination, but thereafter took on and soundly defeated all comers, including aged horses during that period when he barnstormed the Nation until the very end of his 3-year-old season. What would have happened after is again conjecture. That said, any mention of the all-time great super colts that doesn’t include Niatross is erroneous.

Steady Star time-trailed in a then unheard of 1:52 at age 4. Shortly after he was defeated by junior-free-for-aller, at best, Buckeye Bill.

Adios Butler, at age 5, was clocked the final eighth of a mile-and-one-eighth American Classic at Hollywood in 11 2/5. Stretched out, it measures a 22 4/5 quarter rate, the likes of which no harness horse has ever approached, even in today’s super-speed era. Was the clock wrong? Who knows? Though, I'd imagine someone might have put a watch to the replay if they had such things out there in 1961.

I did tell my great friend Lou Guida that "if Ourasi is anything like Roquepine or Une De Mai, Mr. Mack Lobell has his work cut out for him" in the March Of Dimes extravaganza at Garden State.

Then, of course, as Meadow Skipper dictated in his unofficial autobiography The Untold Story, "I would have won a lot more races on big tracks instead of those confining half-milers, where with my gate-leaving lethargy, I almost never saw the rail". And, he may well have, considering how he changed the pacing breed upon reaching the stud ranks!