The Phillips Mobile Starting Gate
Harness Racing received a Boost and Gift with the introduction of the Starting gate car, introduced by Steve Phillips at Roosevelt
One of the unsung hero's of modern day Harness Racing has to be Steve Phillips. In the early years at Roosevelt Raceway and all harness tracks across the country, races were held in heats and often caused delays and recalls. Around 1946, Steve Phillips was working on a idea of a Mobile gate that would allow trotters and pacers both a equal start and reduction of needless delays. Thanks to the invention, Roosevelt Raceway saw a Attendance Boom and Handle which would result in 5 Great Decades of Racing.
Its safe to say that without the Mobile starting gate, harness racing would be in a much worse state that in is today.
Thanks to Mike Imbruglia for this Photograph. Photograph has been edited by Christopher James