Golden West Trot
The Golden West Trot is a defunct three-race series in harness racing for Standardbred trotters aged three and older. It was first run in 1946 with a purse of $50,000 which at the time was the richest offered in the sport. The race final was hosted on an alternating basis, until the final running in 1954,[1] by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, and Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. During the same period, these tracks also offered the corresponding Golden West Pace.[2]
| Discontinued race | |
| Location | Arcadia & Inglewood, California |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1946 |
| Race type | Harness race for standardbred trotters |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 3/16 miles (1,911 metres or 9.5 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt, 1/2-mile oval (Santa Anita Park) & 1-mile oval (Hollywood Park) |
| Track | Santa Anita Park & Hollywood Park Racetrack |
| Qualification | 3 years & older |
| Purse | $50,000 (1954) |
Historical race events
The only multiple winner of the race was 1951 American Harness Horse of the Year and a future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Pronto Don who won three straight editions of the Golden West Trot between 1951 and 1953.[3]
Records
- Most wins by a driver
- 3 – Benny Schue (1951, 1952, 1953)
- Most wins by a trainer
- 2 – Benny Schue (1952, 1953)
- Stakes record
- 2:30 3/5 – Pronto Don (1951) at 1+1⁄4 miles
- 2:22 4/5 – Scotch Victor (1954) at 1 3/16 miles
Winners of the Golden West Trot
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Driver |
Trainer |
Owner |
Distance |
Time |
Purse |
Track |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Scotch Victor | 5 | Joe O'Brien | Joe O'Brien | S. A. Camp Farms | 1 3/16 m. | 2:22 4/5 | $32,500 | Hol |
| 1953 | Pronto Don | 8 | Benny Schue | Benny Schue | Hayes Fair Acres Stable (Eugene Hayes) | 1 3/16 m. | 2:25 3/5 | $30,550 | Hol |
| 1952 | Pronto Don | 7 | Benny Schue | Benny Schue | Hayes Fair Acres Stable (Eugene Hayes) | 1 1/4 m. | 2:34 4/5 | $30,650 | Sa |
| 1951 | Pronto Don | 6 | Benny Schue | Fay Fitzpatrick | Hayes Fair Acres Stable (Eugene Hayes) | 1 1/4 m. | 2:30 3/5 | $32,000 | Hol |
| 1950 | Proximity | 8 | Clint Hodgins | Clint Hodgins | Ralph & Gordon Verhurst | 1 1/4 m. | 2:31 2/5 | $50,000 | Sa |
| 1949 | Chris Spencer | 7 | Billy Haughton | Dunbar Bostwick | Dunbar Bostwick | 1 1/4 m. | 2:33 4/5 | $50,000 | Hol |
| 1948 | Rodney | 4 | Bion Shively | Bion Shively | R. Horace Johnston | 1 1/4 m. | 2:31 3/5 | $50,000 | Sa |
| 1947 | Algiers | 5 | Harry C. Fitzpatrick | Harry C. Fitzpatrick | Baker Acres Stable (E. J. Baker) | 1 1/4 m. | 2:32 3/5 | $50,000 | Hol |
| 1946 | Kaola | 6 | Carl Hatchell | Carl Hatchell | S. and W. Stable | 1 1/4 m. | 2:32 0/0 | $50,000 | Sa |
References
- Sports Illustrated November 15, 1954 article titled "A Roundup of the Weeks News" Retrieved September 3, 2016
- Standardbred Canada SC Rewind May 21, 2016 article titled "Meet of the Century" Retrieved August 28, 2016
- Long Beach, California Independent Press-Telegram - November 22, 1953 Retrieved September 3, 2016
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