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The Pace of the Century was a match race between two of the greatest ever standardbred harness horses: Bret Hanover and Cardigan Bay. It was set up by Yonkers Raceway to draw in the fans.
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Harness racing legend Stanley Dancer recalled for two appearances with Cardigan Bay, and his import from New Zealand later became the sport's first horse to top $1 million in career earnings.
On August 26, 1966, the largest crowd in the history of Batavia Downs — 15,118 — turned out for what was billed as The Pace of the Century. The race was won by Cardigan Bay.[1]
In the so-called "Revenge Pace" also set up by Yonkers, driver Frank Ervin's Bret Hanover beat Dancer and Cardigan Bay in a track record 1:58 3/5. Cardigan Bay was one of only two horses to have ever beaten Bret Hanover but it wasn't close that evening as Bret Hanover won the $25,000 race by three lengths en route to being named Horse of the Year for the third straight time.
Dancer and the then 12-year-old Cardigan Bay returned to Batavia Downs in the summer of 1968. The Downs put up a $25,000 purse, and fans were expecting to watch history made with a victory by Cardigan Bay to top the $1 million mark. But Hervé Filion drove Good Time Boy to an upset victory as Cardigan Bay faded to fourth. The pacer topped the $1 million barrier one month later at Freehold in New Jersey and was retired.
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