#1) Nihilator tasted defeat for the very first time in the 1984 Breeders Crown, at the Meadows, the home track of the winner, Dragons Lair. The established powerhouse barn-the Haughton stable-against a relative unknown-Jeff Mallet. Dragons Lair would hold off Nihilator, with Broadway Express rallying for the place spot, in a world record 1:54.1.
As a matter of fact, in the only three races that Nihilator ever lost, it took a world record EACH time to beat him-Marauder in 1985 at the Adios and in the 1985 Pilgrim at Garden State Park by Ron Waples' Armbro Dallas.
The loss in the first ever Breeders Crown undoubtedly cost Nihilator the Horse Of The Year, an award that went the way of Fancy Crown. The final irony to this is that a couple of years ago-Jeff Mallet went to work as a trainer for-you guessed it-the Haughton stable!
#2) Land Grants 1980 Wilson win. Slapstick came into history's first $2 million test undefeated and was sent off at 4/5 despite post 10. Land Grant was sent off at 69.90 to the dollar, the fourth longest shot in the field (Mannart Full Speed 99.20-1, Surmo Hanover 86.40-1 and Joe G Hanover 75.60-1).
Del Insko passed them all in the 30.4 final quarter (1:56.4 mile) while Slapstick, enduring a tough journey, could manage just 5th. Finishing in between them were Armbro Wolf-2nd, Neros BB third and Areba Areba 4th. She was the only filly in this event, and remains to this day the only female to ever get $ in a $2 million race.
There would be just one more $2 million test in the sport, the 1984 Wilson which went for a record $2,161,000. Abe Stoltzfus, Ben Webster and Bill Popfinger have the distinction of being the only three drivers to have appeared in BOTH.
#3) Niatross breaking stride briefly, then recovering in the 1980 Meadowlands Pace elims to finish 4th and make the final. This came just one week after he had fallen over the rail at Saratoga suffering his very first defeat. Now, Niatross had lost two in a row!!. But, as the great ones often do, they rise up and come back.
Clint Galbraith to this day calls the 4th place finish by Niatross to make the final the greatest of all his races. The son of Albatross was never to lose again, and he dominated the following week in the Pace in track record time. 1:53.1.
