Niatross

▪ American racehorse

      (foaled 1977), American harness racehorse (Standardbred), one of the greatest pacers in history, who in his two-year racing career set records for American career winnings ($2,019,212) and, in the second year, a record for one-year winnings for a horse of any breed ($1,414,313). Both records later were surpassed.

      Sired by Albatross and foaled by Niagara Dream, Niatross was owned by Elsie Berger, Clint Galbraith, and Lou Guida and trained and driven by Galbraith.

      As a two-year-old Niatross won all 13 starts, set a two-year-old winnings record of $604,900, and was named Horse of the Year, as he was again in 1980. As a three-year-old, Niatross won 24 of 26 races and captured the Pacing Triple Crown by winning the William H. Cane Futurity, the Messenger Stake, and the Little Brown Jug. In his career of 39 races, Niatross won 37. He set world marks for pacers in the mile (1:52.1), for harness racers in the mile (1:49.1), and for a three-year-old in the mile (1:49.1). He was syndicated for a record $8,000,000 in 1980 and put to stud in 1981. Niatross died in 1999.

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