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Sunday, January 07, 2001

Dave Palone finished the 2000 racing year as a leading candidate to collect a second consecutive Driver of the Year Award from Harness Tracks of America.

The national award is based on performance in three categories: victories, purses and universal driver ratings (UDR), a kind of batting average for harness drivers. Palone, Ladbroke at The Meadows' all-time leading driver, led the nation in dash victories in 2000 with 739, also a personal record. He was 19th nationally in purses won at $3,867,089, and his UDRS of .421 is second among the nation's top drivers. HTA will announced Driver of the Year later this month.

Palone earned 728 of his wins at The Meadows, where he made 2,558 starts. He also had 456 seconds and 312 thirds. The 728 victories also is a track record, according to track announcer and TV host Roger Huston. Last year, Palone had 726 wins to lead the country. He was second in earnings at $4.05 million.

2-minute miles

There were 2,452 race miles won in 2 minutes or faster, beating the old record of 2,386 set in 1998 at The Meadows. The most active month was September with 270 2-mintue miles, another record. July also had a record total 263 and April tied the 1997 record of 217.

Despite its 5/8-mile circumference, which makes for slower races than a 1-mile track, The Meadows also recorded 282 race miles in a time of 1:55 or faster, ninth most in the country.

The fastest mile trotted at The Meadows was 1:56, raced by both Cologne Kosmos and He's Nifty. The fastest pace was 1:51 1/5, by Northwest. Foxy Jazz won a total of 13 trots in 2 minutes or faster; winningest pacer was AJ's Big Girl with 14.

Several track records were set or tied during the 2000 season. Cologne Kosmos established a local mark for 3-year-old filly trotters with her 1:56. TW Linda set a mark for 4-year-old trotting mares at 1:56 1/5. Pro Bono Best tied a mark set by Keystone Romeo in 1997 of 1:53; Commuter Lane tied Sierra Kosmos (1991) for 2-year-old colt trotters at 1:58 1/5.

Two horses also established national season records for a 5/8-mile track. Lady MacBeach led 2-year-old filly pacers with a mile in 1:54 3/5, and Cologne Kosmos' 1:56 was a season mark for 3-year-old filly trotters.

The claiming game

Tracks everywhere have been reporting a huge increase in claiming action -- apparently because of a severe shortage of quality horses. One harness racing publicist coined the phrase "Rent-A-Horse," and it certainly applies to the activity at The Meadows.

According to Huston, there were a record 628 claims totaling $5,189,500, or an average of $8,263.54 per claim. The biggest claim was $25,000 for Nuclear Key, and there were a total 24 claims at prices of $20,000 or more. The most-claimed horse was popular China Time -- taken seven different times for $20,000.

Personal milestones

Palone wasn't the only Meadows driver with national standing. Brian Sears finished sixth in wins nationally with 554, 550 at The Meadows.

Four drivers earned more than $1 million in purses. Besides Palone, they included Sears with $2,573,059 in purses; Doug Snyder at $1,209,168; and Bill Fahy at $1,059,528. This was Fahy's 14th consecutive year with seven-figure earnings and pushed his lifetime earnings to $43.6 million, moving him from 17th to 16th on the national all-time list.

Hot, hot, hot

No driver finished the year hotter than Tyler Stillings, who spent the last two weeks of 2000 winning races in bunches. He won 26 races over the last half of December, 14 during Christmas week and 12 New Year's week. He ended the year with 214 victories and $977,085, a personal best in each category.

Mountaineer break

Mountaineer Race Track will reopen for live racing four days a week on Jan. 13 after a customary break from Jan. 3-12. Daily simulcasting from other tracks continues during the break.

Meadows stakes dates

Mark your calendars with the big dates for 2001 at Ladbroke at The Meadows:

Aug. 11: The $450,000 Adios Pace

Oct. 27: The $400,000 Messenger Pace.

Pohla Smith can be reached by e-mail at psmith@post-gazette.com