(This is the second part of a two part story. Click here to read the first part.)

1879 proved to be Sleepy Tom's best year. Early in the season he lowered the world record for pacers to 2:14 in Columbus OH, not far from Phillips's Xenia, and followed that up with a brilliant victory on July 24-25 in Chicago, where, after losing the first two heats and having darkness force the postponement of the rest of racing the first day, Sleepy Tom came back to win the next three heats and the race. And in the last heat he was timed in 2:12 ¼ -- beating his own mark by 1 ¾ seconds! It had been 24 years since any horse had lowered the pacing record so much.

But the race that draws our interest today was a contest in Toledo, between the races in Columbus and Chicago. In those days a horse had to win three one-mile heats in order to be declared overall winner of the race. Sleepy Tom and Phillips won the first two heats, but in the third event a challenger got in a little too tight on Tom and Phillips and made contact, breaking the right wheel of the sulky and dumping Phillips to the ground. The rest of the field whizzed on by.

Sleepy Tom quickly pulled himself up and stood absolutely stock still. He didn't know what to do next. You see – Sleepy Tom was blind.

During the race Stephen Phillips gave him calm encouragement, and by voice told him when to make the winning move. He talked to blind Tom the whole race, and Tom usually responded and won.

But now, with Phillips dumped from the bike, injured, and unable to give him direction, blind Sleepy Tom just stood and waited, hoping for the calm voice of his friend. Remember the two cruel men who overtrained Sleepy Tom at the start of his career? The strain to his system brought on a cold or other disease that gradually robbed Tom of his eyesight, so by the end of his two years of abusive training, he was totally blind, which led to his career in newspaper transportation.

The horse always had the speed and the heart of a champion. But standing there by himself in the Toledo stretch, Sleepy Tom was lost without his companion Phillips. They called the races for the day, and somehow Sleepy Tom was led back to his barn.

Racing resumed the next day. Phillips was still too injured to drive, so he gave another driver the vocal key to unlocking Sleepy Tom's enormous ability. The substitute won the first heat of the second day, giving Sleepy Tom three heats and the race.

Phillips bounced back, as we know – he drove Sleepy Tom to the 2:12 ¼ world record. They were quite a pair – the calm, patient horseman Stephen Phillips and his pacing superstar Sleepy Tom, robbed by fate of his vision, but fortunately leaving his courage and desire absolutely intact.

(This is the first of a two-part story...)

In the late spring of 1868, a prominent Ohio stallion named Tom Rolfe sired a colt who, during the first few years of his life was unimaginatively called Tom. Tom was not put into training to be a racing harness horse until age five, rather late, and the two men who had control over his training fate in consecutive years pushed the relative youngster savagely. Tom was soon thought to be a washout as a racer, and came to the job of newspaper delivery.

The two big Sunday papers of the day in that area, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Gazette, shipped their papers to the northern town of Dayton, from which they were delivered by horse-drawn wagon to the smaller town of Xenia. The Enquirer, hearing he was a former racehorse prospect, hired Tom, now called Sleepy Tom, and soon it was a "sure thing" as could be that the Enquirers arrived in Xenia first, and thus had a big head start in selling over the Gazette.

One local amateur horseman who had heard about Sleepy Tom was Stephen Phillips – the
uncle of the Stephen Phillips whose invention of the mobile starting gate some 60 years after this story would revolutionize harness racing. The mid-1870's Phillips bought the horse for $150 and set about to train him.

Phillips knew he had a fast horse in front of him, but he wasn't sure he was getting the most out of his charge, wasn't helping him to reach his peak, so he asked his friend Fred Stark, a local railroadman and horse enthusiast, to watch a training mile. When Sleepy Tom shaded 2:30 in a training mile (the world record then was 2:16 ¼), Stark declared that Phillips had "the greatest pacer in the world," and should be taking him on the road, on the big stakes circuit, where he could make some "real money" with him.

And so Sleepy Tom and Phillips the elder went on the racing circuit and soon became the stars of the show, popular with fans and drawing the respect of all horsemen, whether
racing with (more likely behind) him, or just watching.

(Stay tuned tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of the story!)

It's a good question. Well, believe it or not, racing came before race tracks and before things got technical and organized, all you really needed were a few horses and a big, wide open space. Designate start and end points and, as they say, you're off.

Thoroughbred racing as we know it started off as a British sport, and over there there big, wide open spaces, perfect for racing horses, were called "downs". The most famous official downs is Epsom Downs, which is just outside London, and it's believed that this "downs" inspired the naming of Churchill Downs, in Kentucky. Ironically, people raced through "The Commons"- a park-like block near Lexington, arguably more "downsy" than the track that replaced it, but they never named it "downs" till they put down a track. Huh?Tradition being what it is, a "downs" is where you race horses and so it came to be.

Pennsylvania has some "downs". Presque Isle Downs and Pocono Downs, ready to meet all of your horse racing needs.

"Another day at the track, another derby hat."- Fictional people talking about derby hats

"Another day at the track, another derby hat, but not just any old derby hat, a Millinery derby hat by Christine A. Moore." Fictional people talking about high fashion derby hats.

                      Nanetter-F Teardrop Brim by Christine A Moore

Every hat should have its day at a race and today, it's Nanetter- F Teardrop Brim's day. It's a beautiful shade of purple. Maybe that's why our beautiful model chose this one today- She's feelin' royal. Or maybe it's the fact that she can set four Mint Juleps on the brim and still gracefully weave through a crowd of (less attractive) big brimmed hats. What more can a lady ask for?! The Nanetter has it all. A bow, some feather 'whips' garnishing her derby hat AND a place to set her Mint Juleps.  Well, maybe there's one more thing she can ask for- a nice piece of gentleman flair on her arm. Accenting the Nanetter with a dapper man only adds to its commandingly beautiful presence. 

What was happening in 1902? I'm not much of a history buff myself, so I couldn't tell you a whole lot. I'm pretty sure trains were around. There might have been football? Who knows?

But it was in the year 1902 when a Minneapolitan man named Marion W. Savage paid the unheard of sum of $60,000 for a horse. That horse's name? Dan Patch.

Wealthy from his stock food company, Mr. Savage had a keen eye for Dan Patch's inherent talents. A year after coming under new ownership, Dan Patch set the pacing mile record, but he wasn't close to being finished.

Dan Patch fever was reaching its height in 1905. He had never lost a race throughout his illustrious career. This horse was such a threat on the track, other owners often refused to race against him- leaving Patch alone, racing against the clock. Professional Baseball player Ty Cobb was making $12,00 a year. Dan Patch was pulling (no pun intended) in over a million bucks! Imagine A-Rod's salary being squashed by a horse! Although he was making a solid amount from race winnings, most of Dan Patch's money came from endorsements of a range of products. America loved Dan Patch.

On September 8th, 1906 Dan Patch set the fastest time by a trotter for a pacing mile, at an astounding 1.55. Despite being matched, Patch's record wasn't beat for over 54 years.

He retired in undefeated glory in 1909. People would flock across the country to visit the grand, yet humble horse. Dan Patch the "King of Pacers" passed away July 11, 1916. Owner Marion Savage passed away a mere 24 hours after his beloved horse.

Dan Patch was truly a remarkable horse. He was known to give a nod to the audience after completing each of his races, as if to say "Sup?" He was a gentle celebrity. Perhaps this is why there was such a fanfare around him. People could identify with him. There was Dan Patch tobacco, a washing machine, and even a dance called the "Dan Patch Two Step."

I don't see anyone doing the A-Rod shuffle.

Charles Leerhsen wrote an acclaimed novel titled: "Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan PAtch: The Most Famous Horse in America" You can purchase it here.

- Phil M

The mobile starting gate is pretty cool. We took a ride in the gate at Pocono Downs and this is what it looked like!

97.9X Rocks radio station will be broadcasting LIVE from Pocono Downs, Wednesday, August 11 from 6-8 pm.

Getting into the spirit of things is easy- they'll have .50 hotdogs and beer with some very special giveaways (dinner for 4 with Foreigner concert tickets) (spa packages) (more). The station will be doing their own giveaways, too.

Did I hear you say you always wanted to ride in the starting gate? Well, then. Done. You need only find the Track Pack PA table and ask.

What? You want insider tips on how to wager? How about if we get The Railbird John Zimich and Randy the Randicapper right on that. You'll be reading racing forms like a pro in no time. Starts at 5pm!

Dale Beckner's phone has been ringing a little more than usual lately. And for good reason. He recently won the 750,000 West Virginia Derby. And as Dale told us, "everyone loves a winner." After sitting down with him at Erie's Presque Isle Downs, we couldn't agree more.

TP: Dale, you know all about winning. But tell us, what does it feel like when you lose?

Dale: This sport has so many ups and downs, you just have to take it in stride. As long as
I helped the horse run to the best of his ability, I feel like I've done my best. If the owner
and trainer are happy, so am I.

TP: Give us your stats.

Dale: I'm 5'3", 106 lbs and I'm 37 years old.

TP: Tell us about your relationship with the horse.

Dale: To win you need a good horse under you. I've been on such great horses that they
want to win no matter what I do. But honestly, it's real teamwork out there.

TP: Can you remember your first horse you won on?

Dale: Juanita's Honor. I really knew her. Great horse.

TP: Do the horses know why they're here?

Dale: Absolutely! They're athletes just like us. They train for this and they want to win.
They know it's "Go time."

TP: What should a laymen look for in a horse (before putting down his bet?)

Dale: Go to the paddock and look for their athleticism. The way they move. The
confidence in their steps. You want to stay away from a horse showing too much energy
in the paddock. Because this takes away from the energy they'll need for the race.

TP: Were you always athletic as a kid?

Dale: Yes, I played all sports in school. I grew up on a cattle ranch but didn't really ride
that much growing up. I had a neighbor who was a trainer and I started riding for him,.
After that I was hooked.

TP: Hooked?

Dale: It's an adrenaline rush. You really have to have a passion for it. That gets you
through the tough time.

TP: Broken anything

Dale: Hmmm ... let me count. Ankle, knee, back, collar bone ...

TP: Yikes! And you get back up on the horse?

Dale: It's a tough sport. You're gonna take your lumps. But if you love it, you get back
up.

TP: Tell us about handicapping. Do they still weight down the horses?

Dale: We carry the weight with led packs. I have three different weight saddles -- 2 lbs,
4 lbs and 6 lbs.

TP: Is it because of the horse's weight?

Dale: No, not their weight, it's usually based on their age and condition.

TP: Do you have a racing strategy?

Dale: You have to be versatile with every horse. If he's a speed horse you can't hold
him back for the first part of the race – you have to let them run the way they want. You
listen to the trainer and adjust. But some trainers just let me feel it out and run the race
my way.

TP: Has racing taken you anywhere unusual?

Dale: A couple of years ago I rode the circuit in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Phenomenal
tracks over there. I wanted to experience it. But I came back.

TP: When you're not racing, where can we find you?

Dale: I've called Erie home for the last 3 years. I love this area. I love to hang on the
lake in my boat. The fishing and skiing here is great.

TP: And for kids coming up ... any advice?

Dale: Have a passion for the sport. Have the drive. Surround yourself with good,
experienced people. Listen for the advice from the more experience riders. We compete
with the younger riders ... but we want to take care of them, too.

I'm going to presume you maybe know the name Secretariat, that you maybe know he won the Triple Crown in 1973 and that if I go into a little bit of detail here it won't be entirely redundant.

Winning the Triple Crown is a huge deal. It's not just winning three big races- these races are of significantly different distance. Whereas a good sprinter will dominate the field at short length, a good sprinter will have nothing over a better distance runner at length. A horse winning all three races of the Triple Crown is a special horse, indeed.

Not only does Secretariat's Kentucky Derby record still stand, each quarter mile he ran was faster than the one before it. The story here is that the longer the horse had to run the faster he went. Normally it's the opposite. He won the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes by a full 2 1/2 lengths and the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, to smash not just the track record but THE record for fastest mile-and-a-half run by a horse. Ever. And still.

So the horse is fast and isn't that exciting? I guess so. But to watch the horse run is more than that. If you watch just one of these videos, watch the Belmont Stakes. That horse is beautiful. He loves his job. He wants to run and he wants to win. It feels good to watch a winner win because of his overwhelming spirit, speed and heart. (Literally, his heart... it was three times the size of an average thoroughbred's heart!).

While it's nice to see these greats on places like Youtube and read about them in books, it's also nice that we can visit the track and have a taste of the action ourselves. It's fun. And like I always say, you don't need to know what you're doing to have a good time at the races. The horses and jockeys and drivers, the grandstands and betting and bars. It's good times, people.

If you haven't seen the trailer for the movie Disney's making on the legendary Secretariat, I recommend it highly. I can't wait to see it. Here's hoping the Secretariat movie is worthy of its namesake. I also want to link to this story, from the Saturday Post blog, about Sham, Secretariat's biggest rival at the Triple Crown in '73. It'll help bring out the horse fan in ya!