I watched Harry Harvey take Albatross as wide as necessary to get the lead by the quarter pole at Yonkers, and then never look back. What a magnificent horse. I had the pleasure of watching Niatross years later in Buffalo in 1980. Quite a racing line.
@mattzct - Don't let it annoy you any longer ! Look at it this way - Herve let him take the lead,just so he could come from behind to kick their ass ! In a race as big as the "JUG", Ole' Herve showed everyone just how GREAT he was !
Equal to Filion's driving ability was Billy Haughton's ability as a trainer and overall horseman. Dancer had the best, bred the best and raced the best while Haughton went head to head against Dancer with cheaper horses. True, Dancer won many races by being aggressive but too he lost more than his fair share of big races because of all out tactics. I never believed Dancer was as good off the pace as he was on the lead while Herve is great at both.
If memory serves me correctly Dancer would train a horse hard mid week and on race day many felt some of his horses final kick was left on the training track. Albatross was the best horse by far but Herve had the best hands by far. Back then we had some of the best racing by far.
Saw them both in their primes at Y.R. Herve couldn't carry Case Jr's jock in a wheel barrel. Shame Case never got to race 30 races a day at slot tracks [AKA Tetrick] He would have been the 100,000,000. man.
Albatross was barred from the wagering on this race. I got to see all the legends, my dad was track electrician at Delaware then I joined him after high school and we were the electricians there from 1976 to 2007.
LOOK AT THAT MOVE at the 30 second mark by Herve and Nansemond, they moved up 3 lenghts in 10 seconds. AND then at 46 seconds there they go again. THEY got the job done RIGHT THERE ! =save ground AND WHAM !!!!!! IT'S ALL OVER - New Record ---2nd HEAT - NO CHANCE !!!!!!! HERVE THE "ALI" of Harness Racing !
You obviously didn't understand my comment. If Dancer hadn't pulled on the final turn (and had sat behind Nansemond until the stretch), he would have won the race. There was no reason to pull at the top of the last turn, which just made the race for Albatross longer than the margin he was beaten by as a result.
I understood your comment just perfectly. You are just wrong. Dancer knew if he did not take the race to Filion early he could not Nansemond was just better then Albatross that day.
I JUST LOVE WATCHING THESE RACES FROM THE 60S AND 70S WITH THESE FANTASTIC DRIVERS HERVE AND HENRI FILLION STAN DANCER KEITH WAPLES JOHN CHAPMAN BEN WEBSTER RON FEAGAN BOB ALTIZER AND SO MANY MORE
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH TAI HERVE FILLION CAN KEEP A HORSE A LIVE IN A RACE LIKE NOBODY ELSE THIS RACE HAD GREAT EXCITEMENT 2ND PLACE HORSE ALBATROSS WOULD GO ON TO BE ONE OF THE BEST HARNESS HORSE STUDS HERVE NOW AT 72 STILL CAN SHOW THE YOUNG FELLOWS HOW TO DRIVE IN MY OPINION
read my reply and on top,and you are not the only one to see them in there primes. You saw them at Y.R. - What about Roosevelt Raceway- THE GREATEST HALF MILE TRACK THAT EVER WAS !!! How many races have you actually seen ? Not to many I'll bet !
Dancer blew the heat and the Brown Jug by letting Nansemond get to the rail past the 1/4 pole. Albatross was off that day; he had struggled to win the first heat by a head over Nansemond. Since Filion had the only horse capable of beating him even on an off day, Dancer should have parked Herve the entire mile. Instead he let him take the lead in return for Herve agreeing to give the lead back coming to the half. (Watch them chatting just before it happens.) It still annoys me 37 years later.
I was at Roosevelt Raceway the night that Dancer promised to set a new world record with Albatross - HE DID"NT - NOT EVEN CLOSE. In a different race, KEYSTONE PAT,driven by Dr. John Hayes Jr. ran the mile in 1:55 - his quarter time was about 26:4,his half was about 55:3. I thought he was going to drop dead,literally, from a too fast pace. HE WAS UNBELIEVABLE !!! AS FOR HERVE FILION - HE IS,AND ALWAYS WILL BE, THE GREATEST DRIVER OF ALL TIME !!!
Dancer is not equal to Filion. NOBODY is equal to Filion. But Stanley was good too. For every race he lost by being to agressive he won three by being agressive.
I don't know although Albatross was the best sire of all times (hence a $40,ooo) stud fee circa late 70's) Nanesemond beat him many times?!?! Kraft Stable
Dancer was not equal the driver Filion is. I saw Dancer lose many races because he always thought he was the best and used his horses a bit too hard. I would have loved to see Billy Haughton train Albatross as he was a great horseman by anyones standards.
You obviously dont know this track..............Stanley did he just ran out of gas because he raced Albatross hard week after week. Thats why he lost the Jug.
Bill, good thing you didn't bet on your comment. I lived at Roosevelt when Yonkers closed. As you remember "as do I" one would close, the other open. And R.R. no doubt was the most beautiful Half on the planet. Can still see the tote board with the payoffs to the dime. And Bill, I did see them all in their primes. Was going there with dad driving out almost every night. So before you jump to conclusions, know who you're talking to on here. They're are some of us who still exist going way back...
Roosevelt was a hike from NYC, so OTB was better. Yonkers I could get the track bus at 7:15 pm and leave at 7 or even take the 4 train to the 20 bus (or back), which was $1.50 instead of $3.50 (an extra $2.00 bet!). Some guy with a limo used to be $8 back home. Fun times.
I watched Harry Harvey take Albatross as wide as necessary to get the lead by the quarter pole at Yonkers, and then never look back. What a magnificent horse. I had the pleasure of watching Niatross years later in Buffalo in 1980. Quite a racing line.
@mattzct - Don't let it annoy you any longer ! Look at it this way - Herve let him take the lead,just so he could come from behind to kick their ass ! In a race as big as the "JUG", Ole' Herve showed everyone just how GREAT he was !
Equal to Filion's driving ability was Billy Haughton's ability as a trainer and overall horseman. Dancer had the best, bred the best and raced the best while Haughton went head to head against Dancer with cheaper horses. True, Dancer won many races by being aggressive but too he lost more than his fair share of big races because of all out tactics. I never believed Dancer was as good off the pace as he was on the lead while Herve is great at both.
If memory serves me correctly Dancer would train a horse hard mid week and on race day many felt some of his horses final kick was left on the training track.
Albatross was the best horse by far but Herve had the best hands by far. Back then we had some of the best racing by far.
Definitely. I was at Yonkers Raceway a few weeks later and saw the great Albatross dust Nansemond. The glory days.
Albatross, Niatross and dont forget Nihilator.
Saw them both in their primes at Y.R.
Herve couldn't carry Case Jr's jock in a wheel barrel.
Shame Case never got to race 30 races a day at slot tracks [AKA Tetrick]
He would have been the 100,000,000. man.
Albatross was barred from the wagering on this race.
I got to see all the legends, my dad was track electrician at Delaware then I joined him after high school and we were the electricians there from 1976 to 2007.
If Dancer had waited until the stretch to make his move in the final heat, he would have blown by Nansemond.
My dad was Nansemond trainer...and of his brother Isle of Wright...and there my youngest brother was conceived...good day!
LOOK AT THAT MOVE at the 30 second mark by Herve and Nansemond, they moved up 3 lenghts in 10 seconds. AND then at 46 seconds there they go again. THEY got the job done RIGHT THERE ! =save ground AND WHAM !!!!!! IT'S ALL OVER - New Record ---2nd HEAT - NO CHANCE !!!!!!! HERVE THE "ALI" of Harness Racing !
You obviously didn't understand my comment. If Dancer hadn't pulled on the final turn (and had sat behind Nansemond until the stretch), he would have won the race. There was no reason to pull at the top of the last turn, which just made the race for Albatross longer than the margin he was beaten by as a result.
I understood your comment just perfectly. You are just wrong. Dancer knew if he did not take the race to Filion early he could not Nansemond was just better then Albatross that day.
I JUST LOVE WATCHING THESE RACES FROM THE 60S AND 70S WITH THESE FANTASTIC DRIVERS HERVE AND HENRI FILLION STAN DANCER KEITH WAPLES JOHN CHAPMAN BEN WEBSTER RON FEAGAN BOB ALTIZER AND SO MANY MORE
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH TAI HERVE FILLION CAN KEEP A HORSE A LIVE IN A RACE LIKE NOBODY ELSE THIS RACE HAD GREAT EXCITEMENT 2ND PLACE HORSE ALBATROSS WOULD GO ON TO BE ONE OF THE BEST HARNESS HORSE STUDS HERVE NOW AT 72 STILL CAN SHOW THE YOUNG FELLOWS HOW TO DRIVE IN MY OPINION
read my reply and on top,and you are not the only one to see them in there primes. You saw them at Y.R. - What about Roosevelt Raceway- THE GREATEST HALF MILE TRACK THAT EVER WAS !!! How many races have you actually seen ? Not to many I'll bet !
Dancer blew the heat and the Brown Jug by letting Nansemond get to the rail past the 1/4 pole. Albatross was off that day; he had struggled to win the first heat by a head over Nansemond. Since Filion had the only horse capable of beating him even on an off day, Dancer should have parked Herve the entire mile. Instead he let him take the lead in return for Herve agreeing to give the lead back coming to the half. (Watch them chatting just before it happens.) It still annoys me 37 years later.
Track announcer sounds like Stanley Bergstein; anybody know?
pull dont pull...pull dont pull .... love that 70's porn music
I was at Roosevelt Raceway the night that Dancer promised to set a new world record with Albatross - HE DID"NT - NOT EVEN CLOSE. In a different race,
KEYSTONE PAT,driven by Dr. John Hayes Jr. ran the mile in 1:55 - his quarter time was about 26:4,his half was about 55:3. I thought he was going to drop dead,literally, from a too fast pace. HE WAS UNBELIEVABLE !!! AS FOR HERVE FILION - HE IS,AND ALWAYS WILL BE, THE GREATEST DRIVER OF ALL TIME !!!
Dancer is not equal to Filion. NOBODY is equal to Filion. But Stanley was good too. For every race he lost by being to agressive he won three by being agressive.
I don't know although Albatross was the best sire of all times (hence a $40,ooo) stud fee circa late 70's) Nanesemond beat him many times?!?! Kraft Stable
Dancer was not equal the driver Filion is. I saw Dancer lose many races because he always thought he was the best and used his horses a bit too hard. I would have loved to see Billy Haughton train Albatross as he was a great horseman by anyones standards.
HERVE SHOULD WHY IS THE NUMBER ONE DRIVER BEATING THE GREAT ALBATROSS STAN DANCER HERVE THE MAN WITH VELVET HANDS
@mattzct - What about the 2nd heat ? Nansemond wire to wire !
You obviously dont know this track..............Stanley did he just ran out of gas because he raced Albatross hard week after week. Thats why he lost the Jug.
Bill, good thing you didn't bet on your comment. I lived at Roosevelt when Yonkers closed. As you remember "as do I" one would close, the other open. And R.R. no doubt was the most beautiful Half on the planet. Can still see the tote board with the payoffs to the dime. And Bill, I did see them all in their primes. Was going there with dad driving out almost every night. So before you jump to conclusions, know who you're talking to on here. They're are some of us who still exist going way back...
Roosevelt was a hike from NYC, so OTB was better. Yonkers I could get the track bus at 7:15 pm and leave at 7 or even take the 4 train to the 20 bus (or back), which was $1.50 instead of $3.50 (an extra $2.00 bet!). Some guy with a limo used to be $8 back home. Fun times.
USTA AMEN / AMEN FOREVERMORE RAWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
R.I.P. Herve. You beat the best because you were the best!
@MrItaliano1900 - IMAGINE HOW MUCH BETTER HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF HERVE DROVE HIM !!!