by Jack Chevalier, for Harrah’s Chester

Chester, PA — In the autumn of 1968, with Philadelphia’s four major sports franchises struggling for success, Liberty Bell Park created a new event — the $100,000 Colonial Trot — to brighten the scene and bring a smile to the faces of harness racing fans.

“We hope this becomes a Philadelphia tradition, like the Penn Relays and the Dad Vail Regatta,” said the late Ed Dougherty, Liberty Bell Park president, at an introductory news conference. “We’re proud to say that the Colonial Trot will be Pennsylvania’s first $100,000 horse race.”

Liberty Bell Park is long-gone now, and Franklin Mills Mall stands in its place at Knights and Woodhaven roads in Northeast Philadelphia. But the Colonial Trot, after many years at out-of-town venues, is returning to the Delaware Valley this Sunday (August 12) at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack. A field of 21 sophomore trotters have entered the historic event. It will be split into three divisions, worth $75,000 apiece, as part of a 13-race card starting at 3:30 p.m.

“The Colonial is coming home, where it belongs,” said Rick Kane, racing secretary at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack. Sunday’s field includes five trotters who entered the recent Hambletonian at the Meadowlands.

In 1968, world champion Nevele Pride, coming off a Hambo victory, was such an overwhelming favorite in the first Colonial Trot that he was barred from the betting. Stanley Dancer drove Nevele Pride to a 7-1/2 length victory in 1:59 before a crowd of 16,883 on September 14. Eric B. finished second in the race for driver Del Cameron and paid a $10 “win” mutuel.

The Colonial was accepted quickly by Philadelphia sports fans because their favorite teams were fighting through an all-familiar down period. The 1968 Phillies finished fifth with a 76-86 record and replaced manager Gene Mauch with Bob Skinner in midseason. The Eagles, then owned by Jerry Wolman, were coming off a 6-7-1 campaign and lost their first 11 games. The Flyers were entering their second season and hadn’t yet discovered their muscles, or Bobby Clarke. The Sixers, after blowing a 3-1 playoff lead against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern finals, had just traded the great Wilt Chamberlain to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Liberty Bell Park was then in its fifth season, and harness racing was growing fast in area popularity. The Colonial fit nicely into the national trotting schedule between two Triple Crown races: the Hambo (August) and the Kentucky Futurity (October).

“The best trotters in the world are looking for a big stakes event in September,” Dougherty said.

Lindy’s Pride won the second Colonial as a 2-5 favorite in 1969 before a record crowd of 17,030. Triple Crown champion Super Bowl romped in the fifth year, with Dancer driving, and Hall of Famer Del Miller scored in 1975 with the filly Meadow Bright. Billy Haughton had his turn in 1977, with Green Speed. At that point, five of 10 Hambletonian winners had gone on to capture the Colonial.

By the time John Campbell won his first Colonial, with the great Mack Lobell in 1987, Liberty Bell Park had closed its doors and its signature event had hit the road. It was held at Rosecroft in Maryland, Woodbine in Canada, Freehold in New Jersey and Colonial Downs in Virginia before coming home this week to Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack.

The competition figures to be as hot as this week’s weather. The powerful trotting stable of Trond Smedshammer has entered Primary AS, already a winner of $129,625 this year, who drew the four post in Sunday’s first division. The colt owns a mile mark of 1:54 and will face six challengers. George Brennan will drive Manfinity from the one post, and the amazing Tim Tetrick will pilot Photo Maxx from the six. Tetrick’s colt finished first and second in his only two sophomore starts.

Quite Easy, with $171,362 in the bank in 2007, heads the second division of the Colonial Trot against Daniel Dube’s impressive Hitchiker and five trotters with lesser experience.

The third group features Bayside Volo (Ron Pierce driving), Don’t Blink Twice (Tetrick) and Monkey Bones (Steve Smith) from the Hambletonian field.

Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack will continue to bring history to life next Sunday, August 19, with the $200,000 Battle of the Brandywine for 3-year-old pacers.