mystEr001 loc?
Aurora Downs 1959
mystEr002 loc?
Belle Amoue(Malcom Gass) at Canfield, Ohio.
mystEr003 2nd trainer on right?
Ben White Madison Hanover and Guy Heasley
Mr. Heasley 1907:
Guy Heasley left his position with the Schmulbach Stable to assist Charles Lyons, trainer for the Russian Sportsman, Mr. Ouchkoff.
mystEr004 horse?
Nero 1975
from 1975 USTA Hanbook:
NERO, b c (1972) p, 2, 1:56.2 Meadow Skipper - La Byrd Abbe
BREEDER: Mrs. W. H. Wyatt, Franklin, Tenn.
SALES RECORD: $20,000 at 1973 Tattersalls Yearling Sale
OWNERS: Stoner Creek Stud, Paris, Ky., A. Rene Dervaes, Jr.,
Cheyney, Pa., Jack Massau, Mendenhall, Pa. & Jim Crane, Inglewood, Calif.
TRAINER: Jim Crane
1974 14 13 1 $73,815
Nero's story began when A. Rene Dervaes, Jr. and Jack Massau decided to team up to buy their first harness horse. As do many people with that desire, they found a trainer, Jim Crane, and authorized him to spend $50,000 towards the task of purchasing a yearling. At Tattersalls in 1973 Jim Crane found the colt whose conformation and breeding made him the horse to buy. The bidding only reached $20,000, and the horse belonged to Dervaes and Massau. Crane put up 10% of the price and he was the third owner in a colt with the name of Nero.
On Jan. 22, 1974 a full five months before his first lifetime start Crane made the statement, "I have the best colt that I ever even dreamed about having." By the end of the year many people, including the Harness Track of America racing secretaries went Crane one better by naming Nero the top ''Two-year-old Pacer in 1974".
Nero has fine breeding, but he had to earn the notice of the harness world. He began that task with his first win, which was also hi his first start, a 16 length victory in 2:03.1f at Brandywine in a baby race. Nero made his next two starts winning ones, this time by 8 and 14 lengths in conditioned events at Rosecroft. Nero's fourth lifetime start was his first stake outing in which he bettered a field of nine other two-year-olds to capture a division of the $41,226 Sheppard Pace at Yonkers in the time of 2:02.1h. Nero remained undefeated through October 1 winning on all size tracks to capture such other stakes as (in chronological order): a division of the $35,002 Andy Kerr Memorial (his first meeting and defeat of USTA-USHWA "Two-Year-Old of 1974" Alert Bret), a division of the $67,312 Arden Downs Stake, $27,472 Ohio Standardbred Stake in his fastest time on a HMT of 2:00.2h, $34,845 Meadowland Pace which he won in straight heats of 1:56.2 and 1:57.1 for a 2-heat world record time of 3:53.3, a heat of the $54,790 International Stallion Stake followed by his second place finish to Alert Bret (by a short neck) who won that event in the world record time of 1:55.4, and finally the $25,315 Hanover Colt Stake in season's record time of 1:58.4f. Nero also won an open event at Scioto Downs on August 17 for the first of five 2:00 trips scored during his juvenile year.
Nero finished the 1974 campaign with 13 wins and a second in 14 starts for earnings of $73,815 (eighth richest two-year-old pacer in 1974). He bested all of the top two-year-olds of the year including Alert Bret, Broadcaster B., John V., Farthbest Hanover, Jilley, Trooper Chip, Armbro Petch, Albert's Star, H.A.'s Pet, Keystone Newkirk, and the 3-yearold Miracle Baron.
The Nero story would not be complete without mention of one unpleasant episode. It happened at the Indianapolis Grand Circuit meeting as Nero readied for the richest 2 yo event ever, the $100,000 Fox Stake. Nero had received a near toxic dose of tranquilizer at some time the morning of the Fox Stake and had to be scratched.
Trainer Crane ascribes Nero's ability to "his way of going, his gait, he has the easiness of big, long easy strides that makes the horse completely. He wear wears no boots and just skips over the ground so easy that it is sort of a very relaxed, effortless way of going."
Nero was given the fastest rating ever in the history of the U.S.T.A. Experimental Championship Ratings when he was ranked #1 in 1975 (1:54).
(Editor's Note: At the end of the 1975 season, Nero is scheduled to join his sire, Meadow Skipper,i n stud at Stoner Creek Stud, Paris, Ky.)
courtesy of Dennis Crane & Dom Rebelo
http://www.harnessracing.ws/videos/1975%20SCD%20NERO%20Jug%20Preview.wmvhttp://www.harnessracing.ws/videos/1975%20YR%20Cane%20Pace%20NERO.wmvmystEr005 location
Wheeling Downs, W. Va.
Been told that the propery sits vacant up the road for Mountaineer, which hs had slots for some years.
from 1962 USTA Trotting and Pacing Guide
Track opened 1961.
Located on Wheeling Island, Wheeling, W. Va
Meetings (April 6-May 5 and Sept. 4-Oct. 26)
sponsored by Wheeling Downs Harness Raceway, Inc.,
Box 567, Wheeling.
Phone Cedar 2--5050.
Post time 8.15 p. m. Daily double closes 8. 10 p.m. General admission $. 50; club house $1.
Grandstand capacity 5,000; club house 600; parking for 3,000 cars.
Record handle $105,957, Nov. 4,1961; attendance 4,101, Sept. 23 , 1961.
1961 averages for 44 days: handle $59, 534; attendance 2,264.
OFFICIALS: Donald D. MacFarlane, president;
James P.Clowes, secretary-treasurer;
Ted Leonard, general manager;
George Diab, publicity director.
