Colonial Trot
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (inaugural) |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1968 |
| Race type | Harness race for standardbred trotters |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | Liberty Bell Park Racetrack (inaugural) |
| Qualification | 3-year-olds |
The Colonial Trot was a harness racing event for three-year-old standardbred trotters raced at a distance of one mile. The race was created in 1968, joining the Dexter Cup, the Yonkers Trot, the Hambletonian, and the Kentucky Futurity to form the "Big Five" races for three-year-old trotters.
History
Edward J. Dougherty, then president of Liberty Bell Park Racetrack, organized The Colonial, the track's first $100,000 race. The event was created after the track in Philadelphia failed to secure the Hambletonian Stakes in the mid-1960s.[1]
The Colonial Trot, a one-mile race for three-year-olds, was staged for the first time on September 14, 1968. The Colonials' debut marked a significant addition to Philadelphia's sports schedule.[2] Co-sponsored by the Liberty Bell and William Penn Associations,[3] it was the newest among the nine $100,000 harness races in the United States. The inaugural Colonial Trot featured Dart Hanover, Eric B., Nevele Pride, Master Yankee, Jostle, Keystone Spartan, and Snow Speed. The seven three-year-old trotters raced for a purse distribution of $50,000, $25,000, $12,000, $8,000, and $5,000 for the top five finishers.[2] Stanley Dancer piloted Nevele Pride to victory in the 1968 event. The Colonial's first record was set at 1:59 by Nevele Pride.[3]
When Philadelphia's Liberty Bell Park Racetrack went out of business in 1985, the 1986 Colonial Trot was carried over to Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland.[4] The Colonial became a stakes event under the Hambletonian Society and was considered the first step toward the Hambletonian Stakes.[5]
Following Rosecraft Raceway's withdrawal due to financial difficulties, Foxboro Park paid $50,000 to host the 28th running of the event. The five-eighths-of-a-mile oval was selected by the Hambletonian Society over Hoosier Park, The Meadows, Pocono, and Meadowlands.[6] Foxboro Park presented The Colonial on April 22, 1995.[7] From 1996 onward, it was relocated to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.
The Colonial was resumed in 2007 at Harrah's Philadelphia after a three-year hiatus.[8] Ahead of the 2013 season, the stakes event was moved from Harrah's Philadelphia to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, with the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association instituting a year-to-year alternation between the two tracks.[9]
Distances
At its inception in 1968, the Colonial Trot was raced over a distance of one mile.
Locations
- 1968–1985: Liberty Bell Park Racetrack, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- 1985–1994: Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, Maryland, U.S.
- 1995: Foxboro Park, Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.
- 1996–2004: Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- 2007-2012: Harrah's Philadelphia, Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- 2013-: Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Records
- Most wins by a driver
- 3 – Stanley Dancer (1968, 1972, 1985)[10]
Colonial Trot winners
| Year | Winner | Driver | Trainer | Owner | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Nevele Pride | Stanley Dancer | — | — | 1:59 | Stakes and world record; $50,803 |
| 1969 | Lindy's Pride | Howard Beissinger | Howard Beissinger | Frank and Tom Antonacci (Lindy Farms) | 2:00 2/5 | $50,835 |
| 1970 | Timothy T. Tops | John F. Simpson Jr. | — | John F. Simpson Sr. | 2:03 1/5 | — |
| 1971 | Speedy Crown | Howard Beissinger | Howard Beissinger | Frank and Tom Antonacci | — | — |
| 1972 | Super Bowl | Stanley Dancer | — | — | — | — |
| 1973 | Flirth | Ralph N. Baldwin | Ralph N. Baldwin | — | 2:01 2/5 | $51,747 |
| 1974 | Keystone Gabriel | Peter Haughton | — | — | 2:01.3 | — |
| 1975 | Meadow Bright | Del Miller | Del Miller | Del Miller (Hanover Shoe Farms) | 2:02 | First filly to win |
| 1976 | Armbro Regina | Joe O'Brien | — | Armstrong Brothers | 2:00.4 | $63,382 |
| 1977 | Green Speed | Billy Haughton | — | — | 1:58 4/5 | Stakes record |
| 1978 | Florida Pro | George Sholty | — | — | 1:58.2 | Stakes record; $56,675 |
| 1979 | Chiola Hanover | Jimmy Allen | — | — | 2:02 1/5 | — |
| 1980 | Noble Hustle | Doug Ackerman | — | — | 2:00.1 | $46,109 |
| 1981 | Keystone Triton | Eldon Harner | — | Max Buran & Abe Farber | 2:01 | $66,182 |
| 1982 | Jazz Cosmos | Mickey McNichol | — | — | 1:58.1 | $48,219 |
| 1983 | Power Seat | Bill O'Donnell | — | Angelo & Orante C. Roncone | 1:59.1 | $75,000 |
| 1984 | Why Not | Mickey McNichol | Joe Caraluzzi | — | 1:59 1/5 | — |
| 1985 | Piggvar | Stanley Dancer | — | — | 1:58.0 | Track record; $38,077 |
| 1986 | Everglade Hanover | Hakan Wallner | Hakan Wallner | — | — | — |
| 1987 | Mack Lobell | John Campbell | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | Jeanne's Somolli | Rod Allen | Carl Allen | L. Walter Houston | 1:56.4 | — |
| 1991 | Mr Chin | — | Oswaldo Formia | — | 1:54.4 | — |
| 1992 | Herschel Walker | — | Jan Johnson | Tomas Bertmark | 1:58.3 | — |
| 1993 | GEO Hanover | Per Henricksen | — | — | 1:58.2 | — |
| 1994 | Keystone Graham | Ron Pierce | — | — | 2:00.3 | — |
| 1995 | Keystone Galactic | Roger Hammer | Roger Hammer | Roger Hammer | 1:58.2 | — |
| 1996 | Tony Oaks | John Eades | John Eades | Antonio DeRossi | — | — |
| 1997 | Famously | Brian Allen | Jim Cruise Jr. | — | 1:56.4 | — |
| 1998 | Brylin Image | John Holmes | — | — | 1:57 1/5 | — |
| 1998 | Exactitude | Trevor Ritchie | — | — | 1:57 1/5 | — |
References
- ^ "Bell's Biggest Race Ever, The Colonial, On Sept. 14". The Times. September 6, 1968. p. 26. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ a b Chevalier, Jack (September 14, 1968). "Six Battle for 2d Place at Liberty Bell". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 23. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ a b Thomas, Russ (September 7, 1969). "Liberty Bell's 2d Colonial Could Be 'Battle Of Dancers'". The Times. p. 53. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ "Rosecroft holds Colonial Trot". The Baltimore Sun. October 18, 1986. p. 19. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ Indrisano, Ron (April 24, 1995). "Trotters not so hot at Foxboro". The Boston Globe. p. 50. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ Indrisano, Ron (April 20, 1995). "Foxboro about to trot out 18 of nation's best". The Boston Globe. p. 51. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ Kinsley, Bob (April 1, 1995). "Foxboro to host Colonial Trot". The Boston Globe. p. 78. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ "Can Broad Bahn Break Colonial Jinx?". standardbredcanada.ca. August 19, 2011. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ^ "Pocono Adds Three Stakes For 2013". standardbredcanada.ca. January 4, 2013. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ^ "Nevele Jason wins Ben White Stake". Lexington Herald-Leader. June 16, 1985. p. 132. Retrieved 2026-03-24.