by Bob Heyden

Terry Morgan passed away this week, three months shy of his 82nd birthday. The native from the hills of Tennessee had been a steady presence in harness racing for over six decades. In the late 1960s, he was stabled in between Stanley Dancer and Billy Haughton at Pompano Park.

“You could learn a lot from those two,” said Morgan, who had spent considerable time through the years in Ohio, Michigan occasionally, and, of course, The Meadowlands. “I’d get a horse from them they didn’t want or couldn’t get to go.”

As a matter of fact, the answer to this pair of Meadowlands trivia questions, is Morgan.

1. Who is the only driver/trainer to participate in East Rutherford in both 1976 and 2025?

2. The first Hambletonian in New Jersey was held in 1981, and on that day, who trained Searights, the horse that paid $60, the highest price to win?

Bill O’Donnell remembers that Morgan did his best work with horses who needed special attention.

“He could do it all,” O’Donnell said. “Especially with a horse who had missed time. You name it he did it. I remember going to see him one day and he was working on a horse’s teeth. Very good horseman.”

John Campbell remembers Terry from way back.

“I knew Terry before I got my license over 50 years ago, around Windsor,” Campbell said. “He never wanted a big stable. He owned all or part of every horse in his stable. Really a high percentage guy. A professional. He was universally respected anywhere he went to race, as much for his training as well as his driving. Paula and I were very good friends with Terry and Jeannie years ago.”

Mark Jordan, who trained Supergrit and Manfred Hanover during his career, is a decade younger than Morgan, but raced with him often on the Michigan circuit.

“Terry was a very good horseman, he liked training and driving his own and was a good blacksmith,” Jordan said. “But most of all he was a real man and never hesitated to help anyone he could.”

Note: Personally, I was friends with Morgan since the early 1980s. He was four parts horseman, three parts ‘character,’ and two parts old school gentleman. He loved the business and was, well, part horse in the estimation of some. His current reclamation project was indeed Lionhead.

“I got him off the back of the Amish truck for $7,000 four years ago,” Morgan said.

Right to the end a wheeler-dealer and a very, very good guy.

HAMBLETONIAN DAY SHORTS

As the first Saturday in August, and the 100^th Hambletonian, gets ever closer, it’s a good time to share more facts from past Hambletonian Days.

FATHERS AND SONS

It has never happened at The Meadowlands, but it did happen four times in the last six editions at DuQuoin, where the winning driver had a son in the very same race who also got money. In 1976, Billy Haughton won with Steve Lobell and his son Peter finished fifth with Quick Pay. In 1977, they did it again, with Billy taking it all with Green Speed and Peter again fifth, this time with Cold Comfort. Then in 1980, Billy and Burgomeister took down the first prize with his son Tommy and Final Score finishing second.

In 1975, Stanley and Ronnie Dancer started this streak with Bonefish (first) and Surefire Hanover (fifth), respectively.

IT’S GOOD TO BE YOUNG

Six times the youngest driver in a Meadowlands Hambletonian has won it:

• Tommy Haughton (25) in 1982 with Speed Bowl.

•Jack Moiseyev (31) with Giant Victory in 1991.

• Eric Ledford (31) in 2002 with Chip Chip Hooray.

• Tim Tetrick (30) in 2012 when he won by a neck with Market Share.

• Scott Zeron (twice, 27 and 29) in 2016 with Marion Marauder and in 2018 with Atlanta.

OLD CAN BE GOLD

Four times the oldest driver in the race has won The Meadowlands Hambletonian:

• Mike Lachance (52) in 2003 with Amigo Hall.

• Roger Hammer (59) debuting with Vivid Photo in 2005.

• Ake Svanstedt (twice, 58 and 62) in 2017 with Perfect Spirit and in 2021 with Captain Corey.

QUIZ TIME

Can you name the three drivers who made money in the Hambletonian in the 20th century, didn’t make any in the Hambletonian in the 21st century, and are still active? Hint: Mickey McNichol is not on this list as he got the last check in 2002.

• Mario Baillargeon, who still takes the occasional drive, was third in the 1987 final with Spotlite Lobell.

• Wally Hennessey was third and then second in 1996 and 1997, respectively with Running Sea and Take Chances.

• Dave Palone was fifth in 1999 with Joe Chnapko’s Cherry Hills.

MARKING TIME WITH MARCUS

Trainer Marcus Melander is looking for his first Hambletonian win in 2025, and remembers the first one he attended, also at The Meadowlands.

“It was 2003, Scarlet Knight,” Melander said. “I was 8 or 9, and don’t remember all that much about the grandstand and configuration, but there were a lot of us there. It really was exciting, my first time. I can’t really say if I knew then that this is what I wanted to do. Back then, I was with the ponies a lot.”

THE ONE AND ONLY

Once, and only once, in Hambletonian history, has the first heat and the deciding heat (in this case the second heat), had the identical finish and the exact same finish time of 1:55.3. In 1977, in both heats, the winner was Green Speed, followed by Texas and Native Starlight.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAY REMMEN

Ray Remmen turned 78 on May 28 and will be one of the highlights of the 100th Hambletonian week. More than half a lifetime ago he got the ball rolling in 1981 at The Meadowlands, taking the richest trotting race ever to that point with Shiaway St Pat.

BORN IN THE USA

The 10th anniversary of the last U.S. born driver to win the Hambletonian is upon us. Brian Sears got the winning call only because Canadian-born Yannick Gingras had the choice of the two favorites, Pinkman and Mission Brief. In 2015, driving Pinkman, Sears wound up with his third Hambletonian in seven editions following Muscle Hill in 2009 and Royalty For Life in 2013.

FOR THE RECORD

Only once in the 21st century has any horse taken their lifetime mark in a race featuring two Horses of the Year! Shamballa went 1:47.1 in the U.S. Pacing Championship over both reigning HOY Wiggle It Jiggleit (2015) who finished second, and 2016 HOY Always B Miki who was fourth.