by Dean A. Hoffman

The Art Rooney Pace was started in 1989 to honor the memory of the beloved sportsman who owned the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was known to Steelers’ fans as “the Chief,” and he was regarded by many as the first citizen of Pittsburgh. His remarkable life spanned most of the century, as he was born in 1901 and died at age 87.

Art Rooney had five sons, and son Tim Rooney presided over Yonkers Raceway, so it was a natural that this historic half-mile track would be the home of the Art Rooney Pace. This year the event will be contested at Monticello Raceway as Yonkers has not yet reopened its facility for racing. In fact, the Rooney Pace was not contested in 2004 and 2005, so today’s race will mark the return of the big-money event for sophomore pacers.

The first edition of the Art Rooney Pace carried a whooping $300,000 purse, and went to Kick Up A Storm and driver Ron Waples, in 1:56.1, and the following year Jake And Elwood lowered the Rooney stakes record to 1:55.

The third Art Rooney Pace in 1991 was the richest ever, with a purse of $383,555, and it went to Precious Bunny and driver Jack Moiseyev, in 1:53.4. Precious Bunny later went on to win the Little Brown Jug and honors as the top sophomore pacing colt of the season.

Moiseyev repeated in the Rooney the following year with Survivor Gold, dropping the stakes mark a tick, to 1:53.3.

Life Sign won the ’93 Rooney, in a remarkable 1:52.1 for John Campbell, setting a stakes record that would last until 2001. He also went on to win the Little Brown Jug later in the season. Campbell was back in the winner’s circle after the Rooney in 1994 with Cam’s Card Shark, a race which helped vault that pacer to Horse of the Year honors.

From the beginning, the Art Rooney Pace was one of the major targets for every owner and trainer with a top 3-year-old pacer. It offered a tempting purse of $300,000 or more most years, and its location at Yonkers made it accessible for many of the best pacers.

Later years saw winners such as Village Connection, Firm Belief, Western Dreamer, Shady Character, Bolero Master, Gallo Blue Chip, Fully Loaded, Ashlee’s Big Guy, and No Pan Intended.

Success in the Art Rooney was a harbinger of success on the half-mile track in the Little Brown Jug, as three of those winners, Western Dreamer, Shady Character, and No Pan Intended, went on to win the Little Brown Jug.

The last Rooney contested was an exciting one, as No Pan Intended finished second but was placed first. David Miller steered the colt from the difficult post position eight, and had to come first-over against the favored entry of The Globe and Brooklyn Hanover. No Pan Intended came up short at the wire, but The Globe was placed second for interference.

This afternoon’s Art Rooney Pace at Monticello will be the richest ever, as it carries a purse of $490,904. Its filly companion event, the Rose of Tralee, named after an Irish festival, will be raced for a purse of $209,210.