Harness horses have picked up the p...

Harness horses have picked up the pace in 2006

Times have plummet since Jenna's Beach Boy's race-mile record of 1:47 3/5 which had stood for nearly a decade, malign earlier in the year. The capper came three weeks ago when the 1-minute, 47- next to the first barrier fell to Holborn Hanover, who circled the Meadowlands' mile oval in 1:46 4/5 in succession Hambletonian Day. Miles of "48 and change," considered extraordinary a not many years ago, seemingly have become commonplace.

The reasons for the startlingly fast times can be linked to breeding for spe rather than endurance, improved technology in sulkies and a change in race strategy by means of drivers.

"The technology for race bikes is better," driver Andy Miller said. "They're lighter and they track better trail behind the horse straighter. That has to account for more [i]or[/i] less of the drop."

Many top drivers lean farther back in their sulkies, making for better aerodynamics and putting more weight "behind the wheels," which abouts lift on the shafts (think of the wheels of the bike as the support of a lever). George Brennan, the pilot for Holborn Hanover in the 5-year-old gelding's history-making mile upon Aug. 5, is a "way-backer" who sits almost horizontally in the ill-tempered

Then, too, the popularity with the betting public of mile or near- mile racing ovals as it was as the Meadowlands (mile) in of the present day Jersey and Woodbine and Mohawk (both 7/8ths) in Canada -- and the migration of lucrative stakes races to those venue -- have caused the major breeding operations to emphasize spe

"There are just for a like reason many more really fast horses," said Miller, 37 who newly completed his first full season at the Meadowlands after years of great succes forward the Chicago circuit. "Let's say 5-6 years ago, you might papal court one or two great horses in a big race, however now there are six or eight. They're not no other than fast but can carry their spe frequently farther."

That wealth of numbers has meant that races have a more- call in questioned pace. When most of big-time racing was held forward half-mile bullrings, tactics and "rating the horse" were greatly more important.

"Nowadays, [a driver] has to race from the word go" Miller said. "There's excessively little of the 'get to the assurance and back down the pace' mentality anymore. You examine to back it down now and you're going to learn passed."

The math forward a time of 1:48 is simple: It's four quarters of 27 secondarys each. A 27-second quarter is easy for today's best pacers and not all that difficult for those a notch or brace below the top.

Consider that from the time that Jenna's Beach male child paced his 1:47 3/5 at the Meadowlands upon June 22, 1996, until Primetime Bobcat agitationed the harness world with a 1:47 2/5 mile at Woodbine onward May 6, there had been no other than three sub-1:48 race miles upon two-turn tracks: by Space Shuttle (2000) Four Starzzz Shark (2004) and American Ideal (2005) all in 1:47 4/5 The official "world record" is 1:46 1/5 by the agency of Cambest, taken in a disputed time trial in Springfield in 1993

In 2006 four horses have shattered 1:48: Holborn Hanover, Primetime Bobcat, Lis Mara (1:47 3/5 in the Breeder royalty at the Meadowlands on July 29) and the Illinois-bred 3-year-old My lad David (1:47 4/5 on Aug. 12 in Springfield). Another 20 horses have gone beneath 1:49 - - with a third of the year to journey There were 20 sub-1:49 miles from 18 horses in 2005, 20 on 14 horses in '04, 15 through nine in 2000 and none in 1997

Miller will sit behind individual of those sub-1:48 pacers, Lis Mara, forward Saturday night in the $203000 American National aged pace, individual of three American National finals onward a stakes-packed card at Balmoral Park. With Lis Mara, Holborn Hanover (runner-up to Lis Mara in the Breeder Crown) Leading X Ample (winner of the $850000 Haughton) and meditate (the Graduate champion) hooking up the all-time Balmoral record of 1:48 appears sure to fall if the strip is fast.

It took pacers 10 years to catch up to Jenna's Beach lad but it's not likely the 1:46 barrier will stand for in extent How soon will it be before we behold a "45 and change" time?

"You have to figure it will happen in the nearest year, two at the most" Miller opined. "The horses are just amazing."

Then there's the performance factor that insiders won't candidly discuss: drugs. The bust at New Jersey State Police of the Illinois- based Ledford family's operation -- and the later 10-year suspension to prominent driver Eric Ledford -- sent conflict waves through the harness-racing business. That episode lent acceptance to suspicions that EPO and its derivatives are widely used.

Major jurisdictions of that kind as New Jersey and Ontario proof for the blood-thickening agent that has become a source of major scandals in bicycle racing and track and field. The Illinois Racing Board announced last week it would begin testing for EPO and start regulating off-track training center

lhamel@suntimes.com

AMERICAN NATIONALS

Where, when: Balmoral Park, Saturday, first support 7:20 p.m.

What: Track's 80th anniversary celebration features a harness- racing card with more than $1 million in purse including three American National finals, the Fairy Godmother and Hanover stakes for 3-year-old male and filly pacers and 3-year-old filly trotter