Trotter sets half-mile mark

Cash Hall trotted the fastest mile ever on a half-mile track when he time-trialed in a stunning 1:51.1 over the Delaware (Ohio) County Fairgrounds Thursday afternoon. With John Campbell driving, the 5-year-old Cash Hall easily bested the previous world mark of 1:54 set by Pine Chip in a race over the same racetrack in 1994.

Ironically, Campbell was also in the sulky behind Pine Chip. This time, with 5-year-old pacing mare Real Valentine (who has a mark of 1:54.3f) and driver Dave Palone prompting him from behind, Campbell and Cash Hall clicked off fractions of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:22.4 before trotting down the lane to thunderous applause from the crowd.

Cash Hall, an 11-time winner in 37 career starts, lowered his mark from 1:52.4 set while winning the Dickerson Cup at the Meadowlands in 2004. The third-place finisher in the 2004 Hambletonian, Cash Hall has career earnings of $554,298 for owners CSX Stable, Michael Kohler, Cash Hall Stable and trainer Bob McIntosh.

A son of Self Possessed, Cash Hall is a half brother to standout trotters Cartier Hall and Capetown Hall. He was bred by Walnut Hall Ltd. Keith Carpenter of the CSX Stable told harnessracing.com shortly before the time trial that Cash Hall's immediate future is still undecided, but that the trotter was eligible for the upcoming Allerage Farms Series at The Red Mile.
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This was the first time trial at Delaware since 1982, when Genghis Khan and Bill O'Donnell paced to a 1:56.1 clocking, besting his mark of 1:57.4. It was then back to 1965 to find the next most recent time trial, where Philip The Great and Wayne "Curly" Smart went in 2:01.3 in an attempt to beat 2:06.

Cash Hall's clocking was just four-fifths of a second off the overall world record for a trotter, held by Tom Ridge (1:50.2).

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