Cane Pace

Horse race

The Cane Pace is a harness horse race for standardbred pacers contested annually since 1955. The race was first run as the William H. Cane Futurity in 1955 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.^[1] In 1956 the race joined with the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes to become the first leg in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.

The Cane Pace of 2004 resulted in the only dead heat in the race's history and one where the two horses had the same trainer and owner.^[2]

As of 2023, the Cane Pace is held at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey as part of the undercard for the Hambletonian Stakes, the first leg of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters.^[3]

Distances

• 2016–present: 1 1/8 miles (1810.5 metres, 9.5 furlongs) (If 12 horses start)
• 1963–present : 1 mile (1609.3 metres, 8 furlongs) (If no more than 11 horses start)
• 1955–1962 : 1 1/16 miles (1709.9 metres, 8.5 furlongs)

Locations

• 1955–1997 - Yonkers Raceway
• 1998–2010 - Freehold Raceway
• 2011 - Pocono Downs (Originally scheduled for Tioga Downs but had to be moved due to flooding)^[4]
• 2012–2014 - Tioga Downs
• 2015–present - Meadowlands Racetrack

Records

Most wins by a driver

• 5 – John Campbell (1985, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2004)

Most wins by a trainer

• 4 – Stanley Dancer (1970, 1971, 1973, 1976)

Stakes record

• 1:46 2/5. Legendary Hanover (2024)

Cane Pace winners

References

1. [1] Harness Racing in New York State: A History of Trotters, Tracks and Horsemen by Dean Hoffman published 2012 by The History Press (August 14, 2012) ISBN 978-1609496043
2. "Hambitonion.org Race History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
3. Daily Racing Form - October 31, 2014 Retrieved October 12, 2016
4. "Pocono Downs News". Archived from the original on 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2016-10-12.