The one, the only, Carmine Abbatiello

by Bob Heyden

Harness racing lost Carmine Abbatiello this week at the age of 89 after a long illness.

Before remembering “Cah-mine” — a true legendary figure — let’s give many who didn’t know him the basics, the facts, the numbers.

• Born on May 23,1936 in Staten Island. He became the first native New Yorker to lead the drivers’ standings at Roosevelt and Yonkers.

• Graduated from Port Richmond High School and went right into racing.

• Eight years younger than his brother Anthony Abbatiello who he spent eight years working for him. They are the first brothers to both enter the Hall of Fame.

• First driving win was with Hensleys Mac at Freehold in 1953.

• First $100G season was 1963 ($146,391).

• First million $ season was 1969 ($1,243,917).

• First $2 million season was 1975 ($2,375,093). This was the first of two times he led the entire sport.

• First $3 million season was 1978 ($3,344,457), which also led all in North America.

• No. 5 in the Driver Standings in Year One (1976) at The Meadowlands with 55 wins despite 182, more less drives, than any of the top four: Buddy Gilmour, Mike Gagliardi, Greg Wright, and Benny Webster.

• 15 straight $1 million seasons and 27 straight 100-win years.

• $50,326,268 career earnings which was fifth all-time when he retired.

• Known, even outside the industry, as “The Red Man” because of his instantly recognizable driving colors.

•Was a star in Schaefer Beer commercials four/five decades back.

• Some of the standouts he drove included Big Towner, Seatrain, Ombre Rose, Manfred Hanover, Newt Lobell, and Haunted House.

• On Hambletonian Day 1996, he made his final appearance on a major stakes card in East Rutherford with Bob Siegelman’s and Cheyenne Gang’s Haunted House.

• Four times he was second nationally in victories: 1970 with 285, 1977 with 417, 1978 with 389, and 1979 with 393.

• In 1973 he finished with 175 points to capture the first Driving Championships vs. the best Chicago drivers.

• He’s been referred to as, “The King of New York,” which was very true for a couple of decades into the 1980s.

Carmine was the ultimate catch driver, and one of the very first, with the emphasis being on “driver.” He often said, “Training? I don’t train horses. I have good assistants for that.”

Carmine was best known for his front-end style of racing.

“I don’t take much hold of a horse,” he said. “I would rather get beat in a horse’s best time than racing from behind and slowing them up during the mile.”

He was also known not to warm up or even score down his horses.

“I try never to get behind my horse or even a catch drive until we are called for the race,” he said. “I don’t even take the last warmup. I study the program before the races according to the past performance charts and find the horse I feel I have to beat. I try and stay with that one.”

Carmine was one who friended me right away 42 years ago when I started at The Meadowlands. A huge thrill for a 26-, 27-year-old guy with no family representation in the industry.

I remember watching a Meadowlands Pace with him, and he commented about a young fella named John Campbell. “He’ll win nine or 10 of these before he’s done,” Carmine said. Campbell’s actual number ended up being seven.

I remember in the late 1990s talking to Carmine about still driving or not. He was 62 at the time.

“I can still drive every bit as good as ever,” he said. “But I can’t take the chance at my age of hitting the deck.”

Carmine was a showMAN, not a showOFF. He never had to call the photographer or cameraman over, they seemed to be heading towards him anyway.

He loved his Roosevelt reunions with his son Eric, a multiple leading driver at Freehold, and his beloved wife Marie, right there by his side.

Another huge chunk of a bygone era is now missing.

Billy Haughton, Stanley Dancer, Benny Webster, Loosh Fontaine, Chappie Chapman, and now Carmine, are all gone.

Until right now we’ve never lived in a world without Carmine. It always just felt right.

Will there ever be another Carmine? Not a chance. His place is secure in harness racing lore – right in front of the pack.