Happy The Great

Happy the Great 2:041/4, also recruited to the stable, made a highly creditable showing, even though he was meeting the sensational Hollyrood Dick 2:001/4 almost every week. Happy raced all through the Bay State and Orange County meetings, also made a side journey to Trenton, N. J., winning four races, six second places, and in excess of $6,385. One of the highlights in his campaign was the winning of the third heat in the $10,000 trot at Avon, Conn., in 2:06, a new track record for trotters. In three starts in the Orange County he was twice second and once first. He also won a handicap race at Goshen's mile track Grand Circuit meeting, trotting in 2:101/2, 2:09, with a 120-foot handicap. He took another handicap at Reading, Pa., in 2:113/4, 2:113/4, 2:12, and at Trenton, over the very sandy track at the InterState Fair grounds, won a sparkling race in 2:083/4, 2:08, 2:09.

Very shortly afterwards he (Happy the Great) was returned to the Weequahic Park, Newark, track to begin a series of remarkable races and exhibitions in the matinees. He won the free-for-all trots on both Oct. 4 and 11, and must be credited with a great performance when he first won the same class on Newark's Gala Day, Oct. 18, and an hour later was driven by Mr. Smith in the double team exhibition with the three-year-old filly Laurel Leaf (mat. 2:101/2), the pair lowering the halfmile track double-team record from 2:121/4 to 2:101/4 in one of the finest exhibitions seen in many years.. They were carefully rated to the quarter in :34, trotted the next quarter in :311/4, to the half in 1:051/4, stepping the last half in 1:05, for a magnificent mile in 2:101/4. The owner, a 220-pound amateur, received hearty congratulations from many friends fortunate in seeing his splendid work in driving and rating the mile. This exhibition mile made Happy the Great's twentieth appearance of the year, a tribute to good handling, with a full measure of credit to the game gelding.

Image from the Dec 10, 1930 Horse Review
Courtesy of Don Daniels