Doreen Dailey started her career with Clint Galbraith and Niatross
by Victoria Howard
Doreen Dailey began her career in harness racing working for Hall of Famer Clint Galbraith who trained the great Niatross. For those who may have forgotten about Galbraith and his champion Niatross, Galbraith was the first harness driver to win two sub-1:50 miles: The initial Time Trial in 1:49.1 with Niatross and the 1:49.3 race mile behind Call For Rain (the Older Pacing Horse of the Year in 1988).
Galbraith expertise training and conditioning made Niatross into one of harness racing’s greatest legends.
At that time Niatross was owned by Elsie Berger who gave Galbraith 50 per cent in return for no training bills. Wow!
What a generous woman and a stroke of luck for the Galbraiths, for the horse went on to a virtually unbeaten racing career at ages 2 and 3 and became the first standardbred ever to break 1:50.
Niatross set 15 world records as a 2- and 3-year-old and shattered the previous mile record of 1:51 set by Steady Star by going 1:49.1.
The champion horse finished his two-year career with 37 victories in 39 races and earned $2,019,213.
Today, many horses who have earned $2 million during their racing career, but remember this was over 45 years ago.
After Niatross’ racing career ended, Galbraith, a lover of the sport of racing and standardbreds, continued training horses well into his 70s.
Niatross would also be remembered as a successful sire, He produced offspring that earned over $62 million.
His most notable progeny was the great Nihilator, and like his father, he would also become a world champion and one of the highest-earning pacers ever.
But this story is not about Galbraith. It is about a woman who worked for him, other trainers, and then developed a stable of her own.
“I was born in Vernon, NY, and grew up around standardbreds for both of my parents drove horses on the Buffalo/Batavia circuit,” Dailey said. “I got my education and experience working with horses from my mother Michele and my father John Dailey.
“After graduating from high school in 1982, I got a job working for Clint Galbraith. At that time Clint was training Niatross who was in his 3-year-old racing year.”
Tell me about Galbraith and what your experience was like working for him?
“Clint ran a Grand Circuit barn, and everything was top notch. While I was a rookie working there, I tried to show my boss I was doing a great job and one day I even waxed the jog cart seat. Well, guess that was a no-no for Clint fell off the bike.
“My next job was working for Lloyd Gilmour at Vernon Downs. That is when I purchased my first horse: an old grey mare for $1,200. The mare also gave me my first qualifying drive and one night proceeded to run off with me coming out of the chute.
“After that I didn’t drive another horse for several years until we moved to Freehold. In New Jersey, I worked for Elmer Looney and then Ron Knigge. Although I worked for other trainers, I always had a horse or two of my own.”
Who have you worked for more recently and what horses have you been around?
“I decided to apply for my driving license and got my ‘A’ driving license when I shuffled between Freehold and Ocean Downs.
“At that time, I drove a few winners in the Mildred Williams Ladies Series, at various tracks, including Tioga, Monticello, and Yonkers.
“The fastest horses I ever owned and drove were Tropic Thunder (1:51), and Smile is Near (1:53).
“During the years 2010-12, I was an assistant trainer for Celebrity Farms. In 2012 I worked for Jonas Czernyson (Maven), Jim Campbell in 2020 (Cool Papa Bell), and for the past couple years I’ve worked for Bruce Saunders (Manolete), who I personally broke as a yearling. The horse is now a nice 4-year-old. We mainly race at The Meadowlands, Chester, and the Grand Circuit.
“When Freehold Raceway closed its doors [in December 2024], I sold both of my racehorses, but I still own my broodmare and two retirees.
“After being in the business for decades, I’ve seen so many things change, and sadly, not for the better. The main thing is the illegal performance enhancing drugs. It’s heartbreaking and has hurt our sport immensely. I think there should be more random barn searches and to reinstate the black box at The Meadowlands.”
What do you think about people in the business today and what else keeps you busy?
“Today there are many talented drivers and trainers. I am a big fan of the McCarthy brothers for they both make speed and also take good care of the horses.
“As far as a female in the sport that I admire, it would have to be my daughter, Danielle DaCruz. Not only is she a great mother of two young children but she has a small stable of her own and also works for Noel Daley.
“Besides my love for horses and harness racing, I am a proud mother of two children. My daughter Danielle is keeping the family legacy going by training horses, and my son Joe Dailey was a successful high school and college quarterback. Today Joe is a football coach at Boston College. He is married to Carrie and they have four kids. At one time Joe coached in the NFL one year for the Panthers.
“Presently I rent a small turnout farm in Chesterfield, NJ, where my retired broodmare, who helped me get my ‘A’ license, is enjoying life.
“I’ve lived and raced horses my entire life. I was lucky to have been there when it was at its best. I feel blessed to have been in the sport when it was at its highest point and hope someday, somehow, we can get back to those days when harness racing was so much fun and packed the grandstands every night. It wasn’t a ‘job,’ it was the best life.”
