Nihilator (1982–1991) was an American champion

Standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace i ...

racehorse and was the

United States Harness Horse of the Year The Harness Horse of the Year is an honor recognizing the top harness racing horse in the United States. The award is selected by the United States Trotting Association and the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), which issues the a ...

in 1985. The first standardbred to win $3 million, at the time of his retirement he was the leading stakes earning pacer in harness racing history.

Racing career

As a two-year-old in 1984, Nihilator won his first twelve races before finishing second behind Dragon's Lair in the

Breeders Crown The Breeders Crown is an annual series of Harness races in the United States and Canada covering each of the sport's twelve traditional categories of age, gait and gender. The series was initiated by the Hambletonian Society, promoters of the Ham ...

. His winning streak included a win in the Woodrow Wilson Pace, a race that was the richest run for either the Thoroughbred or Standardbred breed at the time. His winning time of 1:52 4/5 was a world record for a two-year-old pacer. He was the 2-Year Old Colt Pacer of the Year for 1984. Early in 1985 a 30 percent interest in Nihilator was sold for $5.76m to Almahurst Farm. He won the 1985

Meadowlands Pace The Meadowlands Pace is a harness race for three-year-old pacers, held at the Meadowlands Racetrack, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is the richest pacing rac ...

by 7 1/4 lengths equalling the world record for a pacer of any age with a time of 1:50 3/5. The last half mile was covered in 54 seconds. It was Nihilator's 18th win from 19 races. In the

Adios Pace The Adios Pace is a horse race for three-year-old Standardbred colts and geldings run annually since 1967 at a distance of one mile at Meadows Racetrack in North Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Historical race events The 1972 ...

at The Meadows Nihilator was surprisingly beaten in the first heat by Marauder, won the second heat and was scratched from the race-off. Nihilator had bettered his Meadowlands Pace winning time when he won a race in 1:49 3/5 at The Meadowlands setting world record for the fastest race ever with quarter mile splits of 26 2/5, 53 4/5 and 1:21 2/5 before attempting to break the world record of 1:49 1/5 set by his sire

Niatross Niatross (1977–1999) was an American champion standardbred race horse that many believe was the greatest harness horse of all time. Background The son of Albatross out of the mare Niagara Dream, Niatross was foaled on March 30, 1977. He wa ...

in a time trial in 1980. In his time trial at

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he slowed running into a head wind in the last quarter mile running a time of 1:50 4/5. Nihilator started in the 1985 Little Brown Jug less than a week after winning the James Dancer Memorial at

Freehold Raceway Freehold Raceway is a half-mile racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States. Horseraces have been taking place at Freehold Raceway since the 1830s. The Monmouth County Agricultural Society was for ...

. It was his first start on a half mile track. Nihilator took the Jug with heat wins in 1:53 1/5 and 1:52 1/5. On the same day Falcon Seelster won a race recording a half mile track world record mile of 1:51. Nihilator scored an easy win in the Walt Whitman Pace before he ended his racing career with a win in the

at Garden State Park. For 1985 he won 23 of 25 starts and also won the Tattersalls Pace and Bluegrass Stake. In his career Nihilator won 35 of 38 races and $3,225,754.Nihilator triumphs in farewell race

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, 30 November 1985, Retrieved 21 February 2016 He was the first

to earn $3 million. In 1995, Nihilator United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame Nihilator was humanely destroyed in November 1991 after suffering from

Potomac horse fever Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) is a potentially-fatal febrile illness affecting horses caused by the intracellular bacterium '' Neorickettsia risticii''. PHF is also known as Shasta River Crud and Equine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis. It was first described i ...

and

laminitis Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Sever ...

.Pacing Legend Nihilator destroyed

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

, 7 November 1991, Retrieved 21 February 2016

References

{{Reflist, 2 1982 racehorse births 1991 racehorse deaths American Standardbred racehorses American Champion harness horses Harness Horse of the Year winners United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees Horse racing track record setters