Yes, likely horse of the year Confederate sampled the older set in the FanDuel Open Pace in what was his final start of his career and didn’t fare all that well. Yes, he had a tough trip from post nine and wound up uncovered on the outside for much of the mile before eventually fading at head stretch. In addition, it was a formidable group featuring Allywag Hanover, Bythemissal and Tattoo Artist. Still, Confederate remains the leading Horse of the Year candidate. Conversely, Hambletonian Champion Tactical Approach and likely 3-year-old Trotter of the Year for 2023 fared much better in his attempt versus his elders in the FanDuel Open Trot finishing a respectable second to Southwind Tyrion and ahead of some hard-hitting older trotters. Both Confederate and Tactical Approach are headed for stud duties in 2024 and despite challenging their elders in the FanDuels, will still come under the “Gural” rule at The Meadowlands for not attempting to race at age 4, which means their first crops will not be eligible to certain stakes races at The Meadowlands, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs. The purpose here is not to justify or criticize the Gural rule, as there have been those like Captaintreacherous and Father Patrick who following unimpressive early 4-year-old racing activity to still became the outstanding stallions they were always destined to be. This purpose is to illustrate that over the decades many 3-year-olds did contest their elders primarily in what used to be called The American Pacing and/or Trotting Classics at the old Hollywood Park in California. Unfortunately results from those halcyon days at Hollywood Park are limited, but if you’ll trust the memory and research of a veteran observer, the following did occur: As recently as 1980, the great Niatross handily upended the best of the existing older pacing group in the Hollywood Park Pacing Classic. Not sure if that included the best of the Free For All aged pacers as Niatross was in the process of barnstorming from track to track until his contractually mandated retirement at the end of 3-year-old season. If memory serves, his final race was at Pompano, probably against whatever older pacers were still active at that point. In that he won it by 15 lengths, the competition was probably somewhat less than stellar. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Niatross set a 1:54 2/5 track record in his final start on December 27, 1980 in the $35,000 Elsie Berger Pace at Pompano Park. According to a story on StandardbredCanada.com, 18,415 people showed up for the race and thousands more were turned away.) Actually the “Classics” commenced in 1955 and that year 3-year-old trotting champion Scott Frost upended his elders prior to repeating in the next year in 1956 as a 4-year-old. The Classics were initially contested as a three-race series and although he didn’t win the final, there are YouTube videos indicating that 3-year-old Shadow Wave did beat the elders in one of the preliminary heats. As it was, Shadow Wave (Adios-Shadow Grattan) was retired following his 3-year-old season.  In 1960, 4-year-old Adios Butler won two of the three legs with then 5-year-old Bye Bye Byrd winning the other leg. Significantly, 3-year-old champion Bullet Hanover finished second in all three legs. Thus he was ahead of “The Butler” in the initial leg and ahead of Bye Bye Byrd in the other two legs. In 1965, 3-year-old filly Armbro Flight won the final leg of the Trotting Classic beating her predominantly male elders. One year later in 1966, many were clamoring for a meeting between 3-year-old superstar Romeo Hanover and 4-year-old mega-star Bret Hanover, which unfortunately never came off. However the unsung 3-year-old True Duane, unable to beat “Romeo” all season, somehow got his nose up in the Classic final upending not only Bret Hanover but Cardigan Bay and Adios Vic. In 1970, 3-year-old champion Most Happy Fella victimized somewhat by the snail’s pace set by stablemates then 4-year-old Laverne Hanover and 5-year-old Rum Customer, finished a respectable second after flying out from his Messenger victory at Roosevelt the week before. Not sure what the weather in California was that day but it was rather chilly at Roosevelt on Messenger Night as Most Happy Fella stormed home to take the final leg of the Triple Crown. A year later, Stanley Dancer-driven stablemate Albatross avenged “Happy” while easily disposing of the best of the 1971 crop of older pacers at age 3. For the record, Most Happy Fella and Albatross were never actual stablemates as Dancer did not commence training Albatross until his 3-year-old season, at which point Most Happy Fella was standing stud at Blue Chip Farms in New York. And in 1976, 3-year-old Oil Burner, one of but not necessarily the best sophomore then in training, voyaged to Hollywood Park where he defeated the “horse that God loved” Rambling Willie in that edition of the pacing Classic. Rambling Willie was pretty much in peak form having won the featured race at The Meadowlands on that fateful evening of September 1, 1976. Ironically, Oil Burner’s dam sire was none other than Shadow Wave, among the first of the sophomore set to challenge their elders back in 1956. Yes there’s ample precedence and we’ll look forward to the FanDuels in 2024 and the next group to take a shot versus their “superior” older rivals.