Odds and ends: How some great horsemen oddly ended up in harness racing
by John Berry
Fellow harness racing journalist Pete Lawrence has kept us informed about a wide variety of events over the last 45 years, or so, especially lately with his informative jaunts in the New Jersey-New York arena.
I caught up with Lawrence through his always insightful reporting on our grand sport and we spoke of the great horsemen and women that weren’t “foaled” into the business through their lineage, i.e., fathers and grandfathers, as an example.
Many of the greats got their start living on standardbred farms or training facilities while exposed to our grand breed at pari-mutuel tracks or the fair circuit.
Of course, the Dancer name cropped up in the conversation with the general concession being that, of the four original Dancer brothers, the one that became really famous in harness racing was Stanley, but Harold, Sr., and Vernon made their mark, as well.
They were the sons of James and Helen Dancer, the proprietors of a potato and dairy farming operation.
So, as my inquiring mind wanted to delve further into this subject, a search of some 60 years of notes collected over time — my first writing appeared on Feb. 4, 1964 — proved to be very fruitful and interesting as to the history of the Dancers and several other prominent men and women in the sport.
Harold, Sr., a foal of 1912 himself, traded two cows that he had raised for a couple of standardbreds, one of which was a granddaughter of the immortal Dan Patch.
Of course, through the years, Stanley became an icon in harness racing with his success blooming in the early to mid-1960s with horses like Cardigan Bay and Su Mac Lad, to name a couple. But it was Harold, Sr. that gave Su Mac Lad the Yonkers track record in 1961, an auspicious 2:00 flat mile.
He got his first win in 1934 at a matinee in Plainfield, NJ, and here it was 27 years later when he got his first 2:00 mile and, yes, it was that aforementioned Su Mac Lad mile at Yonkers.
Vernon was 11 years younger than Harold, Sr. and a successful dairy farmer before acquiring his first horse, Miss Norah, with whom he won his first race at Freehold in 2:12.
He also held the lines for brother Stanley on several occasions, including the grand Super Bowl and several others.
By the way, the fourth son, Charles, was also a driver, a bus driver.
Lawrence had mentioned Eddie Wheeler regarding his entree into harness racing, as he was born in Dodger town, Brooklyn, NY, a considerable distance from Yonkers and Roosevelt Raceways.
He captained his high school basketball team but, for some reason, loved horses and spent a few years learning the ropes as a caretaker.
He made his first drive at age 16 or 17, and won his first race at Freehold in 1949.
After serving in the Air Force for a couple of years, he came back and quickly rose to prominence, especially with the grand trotter Big John.
One of the more interesting stories about drivers actually goes back to a gentleman named Sacher Werner, born in Vienna, Austria on Dec. 29, 1898, yes, 1898.
“Satch” was the proprietor of perfume shops in his native land.
He owned horses and, later, took the lines in his own hands, becoming a leading driver in Europe before Nazi Germany took over Austria.
He fled his homeland as a religious refugee, immigrated to France, and found fame driving Kairos, sire of the European trotting champion, Hairos II.
In 1942, he came to the United States and became one of the leading drivers on the New York circuit in the 1960s with his best-known horses being Victory Dynamic, Tru Single G, O’Brien Hanover and Lord Victory.
The Yonkers/Roosevelt Raceway fans became enamored with Norman Dauplaise when he came to the United States in 1963 at the age of 23.
The Drummondville, QC native began in the business at age 8, grooming for $13 a week and dropped out of school in the seventh grade to stay with the horses.
He drove his first race at age 17 in Sherbrooke, QC where he won with Ramuntcho in 2:17.2.
Dauplaise quickly became a driving force on the New York Circuit after coming to the U.S. in 1963, unable to speak English.
He made the U.S. his home, becoming a citizen, learned the language and quickly became known as the “master of the measured win,” with his come-from-behind driving strategy.
Some of the notable horses with whom he has been associated were Mickey Rodney, Sirota Anderson and Delmonico.
One of the more interesting stories found was about Dr. John Hayes, Jr.
Having witnessed harness racing at Dufferin Park at the age of 6 or 7 with his father, the great John Hayes, Sr., who was still a farmer.
When he graduated high school, he was already a licensed driver, this while dad was winning major stakes events.
But “Jr.” did not follow in his father’s hoof prints.
He spent seven years obtaining a degree in veterinarian medicine from Ontario Veterinary College, achieved in 1973.
Along the way, dad gave his son a truck, trailer and horse, Penn Hanover, which he campaigned to the tune of $40,000.
While John Hayes, Jr. never considered himself a “Herve Filion,” he most certainly has made a mark in the sport, especially in 1981 with Conquered in the Meadowlands Pace.
Other top horses handled by the good doctor were Luxury, Tyrant, Cavalcade and Striking Force, to name a few.
Finally, for this Mane Attraction, there are so many great ladies that have made their mark in our sport — and we’ll get to many of them — but Lady J deserves the mention here.
Born Jan. 14, 1947, Jacqueline Coard Ingrassia came over to the States from Ipswich Suffolk, Great Britain, which makes her a spry 78 (25 Celsius).
Yes, she drove horses in her native land but the opportunities were rather slender.
Upon arrival, she went to work for Anthony Abbatiello and the rest is history.
She’s just a nose away from 1,200 lifetime wins and over $7 million in purse earnings, Lady J and husband Frank, now an equally spry 90, are just two of the many reasons that our sport is, in these eyes, unequaled in every way.
We’ll tackle a lot more interesting tidbits in future Mane Attractions.
MAY THE HORSE BE WITH YOU
