1980 Meadowlands Pace - Niatross & Clint Galbraith

Niatross captures the Meadowlands Pace win driven by Clint Galbraith in 1:53.1.

[@warwickwas]

I'm from New Zealand and in 1980 they never would show anything like this live from overseas on TV. However for some reason they had this one live. Our family sat around the TV in amazement that this was actually being telecast live from the US. I recorded the commentary off the TV to a tape recorder and on our recording we can clearly hear my mother laughing at the commentator, as it was so different to our commentators in NZ. For some reason 1980 was the only time we ever got a race shown live until around the 2010's.

[@janelle7668]

The best 2 and 3 year old ever. Niatross. I saw Niatross once at Roosevelt on 11 October 1980. He won the triple crown on a rainy track with a crowd of well wishing cheering fans you do not see today. 🐴💜

[@jimrossi7708]

I agree and I use to be at the Big M every Friday and Saturday back then and am so glad to see this horse in person !

[@botsterfilion7718]

My best friends father drove in that race at Roosevelt. The Messenger stakes for 3 year olds where Niatross secured the Triple Crown. He scored in the post parade right prior to Niatross. That is crazy!

[@parkerbohnn]

I saw him at Greenwood Racetrack in Toronto, Canada.

[@teddysalad8437]

I have not been able to find it anywhere online, but I believe Niatross' best race ever was a week before in the Pace elimination. He broke stride on the backstretch and fell 15-20 lengths back, then rallied to finish fourth. He had the fastest fourth place finish in the elims, so he barely squeaked into the Pace.

[@williamfluck148]

I agree, I witnessed that race too.

[@KantiSomani]

Agreed! Heart of a true champion. I believe Herve was driving Safe Arrival on the front end and trying to keep him from choking down as the two battled for the front end. Niatross' restricted stride caused him to break. Galbraith let out hobbles the next week for the dominating win.

[@kimberlygalbraith8287]

Thank you for posting watching these races still gets blood pumping

[@rentslave]

At the rail that night,I made the Secretariat comparison to the people nearby.Then,I went back into the grandstand to get into the AC as that night was a real steamer.

[@dwill123]

With the GREAT Ed Gorman with the call. The best there ever was with harness race call.

[@Jean0987654321]

Track announcer: Ed Gorman

[@olivercrangle7160]

I was at the rail for this one.A few people had on "Who shot JR?" T-shirts on that really sticky night.

[@ramram349]

I wonder what kind of mile Niatross would run with today’s training???

[@brianjschumer]

Saw Niatross with his handler 1995 @Freehold doing a flashback promotion, i know that year as my daughter was one yr. Niatross still looked great, handler told me he still trained him as Niatross loved to train, he had a hard time holding him, if jogging and he would fight to turn to race horses that where going by the other way. He also said even at his age (I think 16), if trained down he was sure he could still go in 1:56-1:57 or so.

[@brenthachmann5655]

One of the best ever.maybe eclipsed only by his son , Nihilator

[@Firestone1]

+brent hachmann Nihilator was a monster, but Niatross was the Secretariat of harness racing. He only lost twice, one time he fell over the hub rail, and the other time was the elimination heat for this race, when he broke at the start.

[@brenthachmann5655]

+Mark H Debatable Mark. 1:50:3 for Nihilator was a absolute stunning mile for that era. There is 0 doubt they together were the best father/son duo EVER.

[@brianjschumer]

curragh 42 Niatross was drugged in his 2 losses, its known. Theres a big story about it,many rumors, once the Galbraith/ Guida,(mobbed up) team put full time guards on, he got back to form.

[@brenthachmann5655]

@curragh 42 it's really hard to compare but I mean Matt's Scooter won the pace in like 1:53 Nihilator 1.50:3 some 5 years earlier . On The Road Again another monster was 1:53 year after Nihilator.

[@toyota420xp]

Except today that time would have been 5.2 seconds off the winner so not best ever

[@roncaporiccio1731]

We.cheered.cam.FElla.more.than.niotross..but.tross.would.beat.cam..26.in.a.row.never.happen.again.

[@brianjschumer]

Niatross..best Harness horse ever.Stop with any comparison.. ( my opinion Brett Hanover 2nd Albatross 3rd) and all the rest behind that...old style bike, great trainer but an ego ridden crappy driver..&before expandable harness, Concrete racing, banked turns, passing lanes,etc

[@keywestsunset3897]

I had the pleasure to speak with Stan Bergstein years ago and asked him point blank who was the greatest. No hesitation he said Bret Hanover. I don't put much into times from horses today and then, but I wonder what Niatross would have done with a real driver on him.

[@markrocovich2234]

key West SUNSET The only problem with that is trainers still drove their horses..GALBRAITH, CROWE, DENNIS, DANCER, O BRIEN were exceptional drivers for those times.NIHILATOR was the FIRST high profile horse to get a full time catch driver, as Billy had enough of Guida's shenanigans...History will prove it was the right thing to do...

[@keywestsunset3897]

You're right, I didn't think of that. That would be 1984 when Nihilator was a two year that Billy O went on him old, and if I'm correct, On The Road Again had Buddy Gilmour on him, but I'm not sure if Buddy was more of a Catch driver or established veteran at the time. Two things stand out in that 1985 season for me. Travesty that OTRA and Harry Poulton avoided Nihilator (I get it with the breeding and all and most likely would have gotten his doors blown off), and the second thing is if there ever was one lock bet in the history of horseracing, it was the meadowlands pace 5 horse entry in 1985 with Nihilator.

[@Montel1002]

I concur.

[@brianjschumer]

@@keywestsunset3897 Golden era of Harness racing imagine, Cam Fella, Its Fritz, Nihilator, Ralph Hanover, OTRA, Etc..all fighting it out..In 1985 or so, retirements, bad blood, bad Rumors..(Guida so called Mafia connections)..Could have been record breaking attendance