Albatross (horse)

Albatross (1968 - 1998) was a bay Standardbred horse by Meadow Skipper. He was voted Harness Horse of the Year in 1971 and 1972. Albatross won 59 of 71 starts, including the Cane Pace and Messenger Stakes in 1971, earned $1,201,477.^[1] It was, however, as a sire that he really made his mark. Albatross's 2,546 sons and daughters won $130,700,280.^[2]

Racing career

Trained and driven by Harry Harvey from the time he was a yearling until a week before his three-year-old season and later Stanley Dancer, he won 25 of his 28 races as a three-year-old, including the Adios Stakes, the Cane Pace, and the Messenger Stakes. As a three-year-old he also set a record for fastest race mile with two races in 1:54.4 at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky. He broke this record as a four-year-old with a race in 1:54.3 at Sportsman's Park in Chicago.^[3][4]

Albatross set the single-season harness horse earnings record of $558,009 in 1971.^[5]

Stud record

After his four-year-old racing season he retired to stud at Hanover Shoe Farms in Hanover, Pennsylvania. One of his sons Niatross was the winner of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers in 1980 and in that year was also a world champion with a mark of 1:49.1). Others were Fan Hanover, Merger, Colt Fortysix, and Jaguar Spur, all, like Niatross, winners of the Little Brown Jug. He was also an outstanding broodmare sire.

In 1998, Albatross died at the age of 30 at Hanover Shoe Farm in Pennsylvania of complications from heart failure and colic. He was buried at the Hanover Shoe Farms horse cemetery.

See also

• Harness racing

References