Harness Racing Ads

After yesterday’s post highlighting thoroughbred racing in advertising, how about a little love for harness racing?

I haven’t found quite as many of them, but here’s one from 1968 featuring the DuQuoin (IL) State Fair Grounds, home of the Hambletonian from 1957 until 1980—a former coal strip mine site, presented here to promote “Coal for a Better America.”

With its red Pegasus corporate insignia, Mobil Gas is a natural to use horses in ads, such as this 1941 example where “That Red Horse Outpaces ‘em All!”

Here’s a two-page spread for the 1965 Rambler Classic (sorry it doesn’t enlarge much) set at a nighttime harness track.



Finally, this 1932 travel ad urges vacationers to head to Southern California for the Los Angeles County Fair and its harness racing. Cool.