Northfield: A Real Legend clocks world record mile

A Real Legend became harness racing's fastest-ever 2-year-old gelding trotter on a half-mile track after he won the second of two $55,000 Ohio Sires Stakes tests on Monday night at Northfield Park in 1:55 flat.

Driver Don Irvine Jr. put A Real Legend in motion two-wide in the early going, and he was able to wrestle the top spot away from John Dutton (Chris Page) after a 29 2/5 opening quarter. A Real Legend kept the tempo lively after that, hitting the half in 57 2/5 and the three-quarters in 1:26 before trotting a 29 second last quarter to defeat John Dutton by a length and a half in the world record clocking. Black Magic (Chris Lems) finished third.

The time knocked four-fifths of a second off The Mighty Hill's standard of 1:55 4/5 set on September 5 of last year at Northfield Park.

A gelded son of Uncle Peter-Pink Ribbons, A Real Legend is owned by trainer Rosy Weaver and Heartland Acres. A $32,000 Ohio Selected Jug Sale acquisition, A Real Legend was bred by R.K. Greenfield and scored his third win in his fifth chance. A Real Legend has now put away $75,300 and paid $5.00 to win after being dispatched as the 3-2 favorite.

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Jet Hill (Kurt Sugg) won the other division in 1:57 after he led through stations of 29 1/5, 59 1/5, and 1:27 4/5 before pulling away in a 29 1/5 final kicker. Burton's Hill (Brett Miller) was the runner-up, 4 3/4 lengths behind the winner, and Asian Zing (Page) collected third.

Ed Miller trains Jet Hill, a What The Hill-Schlim Schlamma gelding, for owner Serenity Racing Stables. Bred by Martz Creek Farm, Jet Hill was a $20,000 purchase at last year's Ohio Selected Jug Sale and has compiled a record of 2-2-0 from four attempts to go with a bankroll of $59,375. He returned $2.20 to win as the 1-9 choice.