Chuck Martinez, age 13, of Portland, Ore., for his question:
IN HARNESS RACING, WHAT IS A TROTTER AND PACER?
Harness racing is a sport in which horses pull small two wheeled vehicles called sulkies. Harness horses race at either a trot or a pace. A trotter moves its left front leg and right hind leg forward at the same time. The pacer swings its right front leg and right hind leg forward at the same time.
During a race, the driver controls the speed of the horse so that the horse does not break his gait. A horse that breaks gait must pull to the outside of the track and regain his gait before continuing the race.
Pacers are generally faster than trotters. A pacer named Star Pointer became the first harness horse to go a mile in less than two minutes. In 1897, Star Pointer paced a mile in one minute, 59 and a quarter seconds.
In 1903, a horse named Lou Dillon became the first trotter to break the two minute mile.
One of the greatest pacers of all time was a horse called Dan Patch. In 1905, he covered a mile in just one minute and 55 and a quarter seconds. A trotter named Greyhound tied this mark in 1938. Greyhound is generally considered the fastest trotter of all time.
Direct Star, a pacer, set a record of one minute and 55 seconds fiat in 1938 and another pacer, this one named Steady Star, set a new record of one minute and 52 seconds flat in 1971.
Harness racing was the most popular form of horse racing in the United States in the 1800s. It again became popular after the 1940s when night harness racing was introduced.
Harness races are held on a flat, oval track. The track is usually one half mile around, but many tracks are one mile long. The standard distance of a race is one mile. The winner is often decided by the best two out of three heats, or parts of a race.
The United States Trotting Association governs harness racing in the United States and Canada.
In a harness race, the horses start from a running position. The drivers line up their horses behind a mobile starting gate that is really a specially designed automobile. Two collapsible arms form the starting gate and keep the horses in line.
The horses gradually gain speed. As the gate comes to the starting line, the two arms are drawn together away from the horses. The starting gate then speeds ahead of the horses and moves off the track.
Harness horses are Standardbred. They descended from the Thoroughbred or running horse, but are now a separate and distinct breed. The first Thoroughbred to produce great trotters was a horse named Messenger, which came to the United States from England in 1788.
Hambletonian is known as the great father of today's harness horses. This horse was foaled or born in 1849 and was a descendant of Messenger. Hambletonian never ran in a race, but he sired 1,335 horses. About 99 out of every 100 harness horses racing today can be traced back to Hambietonian.