BILLY DIRECT | Harness Museum (original) (raw)

Biography:

Billy Direct was by Napoleon Direct-Gay Forbes, foaled in 1934 in Tennessee. Owned by H. H. Ridge of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Billy Direct was sold as a two-year-old to Nathan Smith, Lowell, Massachusetts. He won in 2:17 1/2 at two over a Maine half-mile track and at the end of the season paced in 2:04 1/2 on the Grand Circuit at Old Orchard, Maine over a kite track; a record for that age. He was purchased by D. J. McConnville and P. J. Downey and at three was raced and trained free-legged by Vic Fleming, finishing the season with a 1:58 record mile. In 1938 Billy Direct beat Dan Patch's record by pacing the mile in 1:55 at Lexington. He held this record until 1961, but shared it for a time with Adios Harry, who paced in 1:55 at Vernon, New York in 1955. After Billy Direct's world record breaking performance he was exhibited until his retirement in 1939 to stud, at Peninsular Farms in Freemont, Ohio. From there he went to stud at Hanover Shoe Farms, where he died in 1947. Together with Adios Harry, Billy Direct was the world's fastest harness horse until Adios Butler lowered the record to 1:54.3 in 1960.

Hanover Shoe Farms, Hanover, PA

Published in the Harness Racing Museum's 1994 book, The Immortals