1985 Meadowlands NIHILATOR Open Pace World Record

[@rendragmedia]

Many people forget that Tom Durkin was an outstanding harness race announcer.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

I used to watch the cable show with the Meadowlands every racing night. Amazing times.

[@cryptolights6879]

My all-time favorite horse! I saw him win live Hambiltonian Day 1985! What a champion!

[@WaltGekko]

I was there. As I remember, The Meadowlands put together this Invitational because they didn't want Nihilator racing in the Oliver Wendell Holmes that then was contested the night before the Hambletonian as I believe they wanted a big crowd for Hambo Day. They really pushed to make this the first sub-1:50 mile ever by a pacer (it only took about 30 years for the trotters to break 1:50).

[@Flint92]

From what I remember, the Big M really wanted the race to be Nihilator vs On The Road Again, but Roads camp backed down. Would have been a barnburner. Both raced on Saturday, August 3rd 1985 (had to pull my program out to remember lol) The Nihilator race was race #9. Race was 1:49:3 OTRA was two races later vs GUTS and George S in Race # 11 Race went in 1:51:4 Most horsemen knew Road would have gotten smoked that day in the same race as there was over a 2 second difference. Road was great, Nihilator was on another level.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

Give it up for Falcon Seelster, the second fastest horse of that era.

[@kevinpantera4429]

Harmer crushed them at the Jug that year!!

[@brenthachmann5655]

Sensational fractions for that era What a sight if he could race his dad Niatross in his day

[@johnonda6057]

Thanks, Dom

[@williamfluck148]

I was there, fond memories

[@billviola7884]

Funny how Nihilator avoided On The Road Again like the plague.

[@WaltGekko]

I still believe if we had two separate races between Nihilator and On The Road Again AND between Lutin D'Isgny and Meadow Road (who I had as both co-trotters and co-Harness Horses of the Year for 1985 as they never met due to Meadow Road being injured after his Meadowlands wins), I think the trotting machup between Lutin and Meadow Road would have upstaged the pacing match between Nihilator and OTRA. OTRA was racing in the US Pacing Championship (now the Sam McKee Memorial), which then was a three-race series at Roosevelt Raceway, The Meadowlands and Sportsman's Park (then a five-eighths track) in Chicago. OTRA had already won the first leg at Roosevelt.

[@andrewdekovitch7144]

Stonebridge Skipper Jack freidhoff

[@billviola7884]

Funny how Nihilator avoided On The Road Again.

[@Flint92]

The same OTRA who was swept by GUTS in the 1984 OWH at the Meadowlands in 2 heats. I spoke to Bob Hayden about this as I was also there for the race. Find one horseman who thinks OTRA would have won.....good luck. OTRAs win time was also several seconds slower, same day within a couple of hours. Guida wasn't going to waste his time.

[@brenthachmann5655]

They weren't the same age

[@addy_cali]

Nihilator is my horses grandad

[@cryptolights6879]

I bet your horse can run!

[@addy_cali]

Crypto Lights yeah she can