Harness racing legends rest in Beebe cemetery

Note: The subjects of this story are not related to the writer.

Two Hall of Famers are buried in the cemetery on Main Street in Beebe, next to the former Beebe Town Hall. Israel O. Blake and his son, Octave Blake, are immortal members of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame. I.O. Blake’s wife, Mary is also buried on the lot.

Israel Blake was born in Beebe in 1854. He and Mary Blake both died in 1942. Thanks to his achievements as a businessman, Israel was able to found the Newport Stock Farm in Newport, Vermont in 1899, where he bred and trained several successful standardbred race horses. He died at his home in North Hatley at age 88, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, according to the Hall of Fame website.

He passed his love for the sport to his son. Octave Blake was born in New York City in 1895, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968. He died in January 1969.

Octave graduated from Princeton University, where he was the quarterback on the varsity football team, in 1918. Octave served in World War I as a pilot and an instructor. He became the president of the Pine Hill Crystal Spring Water Company, founded by his father. He eventually retired as president of the Cornell-dubilier Electronic Corporation, a multi-million dollar electronics firm, according to a May 1966 Sports Illustrated article written by Gerald Holland.

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Meanwhile, Octave, or Ock, as he was known in horse circles, became involved with the Newport Stock Farm, breeding and racing top standardbreds. One of his most notable successes was winning the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio, one of the biggest races for 3-year-old pacers with his horse, Forbes Chief in 1947. That horse broke the record for money earned for 3-year-old pacers with $41,852, more than $7,000 over the previous record.

His trotter Newport Dream won the Hambletonian, harness racing’s most prestigious trotting race, in 1954 for trainer-driver Del Cameron.

Newport Dream was a champion 2year-old the previous year and was named the 2-year-old Trotter of the Year. But he was lame earlier in his 3-year-old season. Still, he managed to come from behind to win both heats of the Hambletonian. He was the first 2-year-old Trotter of the Year to win the Hambletonian as a 3-year-old.

It is noted in the book, American Harness Racing by John Hervey, that Ock Blake lost the Hambletonian trophy in a hurricane at his home in Cape Cod the following year. It was recovered a few days later washed up on the beach.

Blake was elected president of the Grand Circuit in 1947, during which time harness racing was becoming a major sport. He held that post until he died in 1969. He also introduced an early version of a starting gate, called the “Phantom Barrier,” in 1947. It was replaced after a short time by a folding gate installed on an automobile similar to what is still used today.

Blake was instrumental in convincing drivers to wear helmets while racing. The drivers didn’t want to wear them, so he went to their wives and explained the possibilities of accidents during races.

“I got the wives to have a talk with their husbands – and it worked,” Blake was quoted as saying in the Sports Illustrated article.