by Bob Heyden

On April 30, 2003, Brian Sears — a winner of $19.5 million with 4,180 wins — entered The Meadowlands paddock in New Jersey for the first time. He was certainly known, but not necessarily by that betting public. That was soon to change. The sport was, too. Think of the following half dozen comments, toss them into a blender and you will get very close to what was about to happen.

1 — “A new sheriff in town.”

2 — “Shifting winds.”

3 — “A seismic change.”

4 — “Babe Ruth was just sold by the Red Sox to the Yankees.”

5 — “A great driver colony just got that much better.”

6 — “Finding a Mickey Mantle baseball card in your attic.”

This was his very first night at The Meadowlands. In 27 prior Meadowlands racing seasons, he had never ventured to East Rutherford, NJ. You know, the place that has tasted and spit out drivers all over the lot through the years. Even Dexter Dunn and Dave Miller had to try it a second time before hitting paydirt.

Now, the big question. At 35 years and 3 months old, why then? Before we get to Sears and his response, consider the following numbers:

• Wayne Gretzky was already the greatest NHL goal scorer of all time by 35.

• Michael Jordan won his sixth NBA title the year he turned 35.

• Bill Russell won his 11th NBA title the year he turned 35.

• Michael Phelps was the most decorated Olympian ever at 31.

• John Campbell entered the Hall of Fame at 35.

“A lot of guys had told me that I should come over to The Meadowlands,” Sears said. “But remember, the lifestyle I had driving at The Meadows was good. In those days nobody was flying in to drive in the sire stakes. Dave [Palone] and I had pretty much the best choices.

“Jim Campbell was instrumental in my coming. I was driving for Jim and Jules [Siegel] and I would get their horses, as a matter of fact some good ones like Whatanartist and Gordons Jin Ms [Sears’ first world record setter]. But I remember thinking about all the talent at The Meadowlands. Everyone had 5,000 or 10,000 wins. You get up on the gate and no matter where you looked you saw a top driver. George [Brennan], Howard Parker, [Daniel] Dube, [John] Campbell, [Mike] Lachance, [Cat] Manzi, Jimmy Morrill Jr. So much talent. And remember the racing there was different than you see today. Everyone was on the move. No :59 halves. No matter what odds they were. Today it’s more like half mile racing even on the bigger tracks.”

You went to Pompano the winter of 2003 and you dominated. Was that a deciding factor?

“Yes, that was part of it. I got on a good roll.”

Sears’ UDRS that winter in Florida was an incredible .484.

His bio has him as the 1991 Rising Star Award winner. He won the 2001 Adios with Pine Valley and the 2002 Matron with Cheyenne Rei so you can see he was not an overnight sensation. When he went to The Meadowlands he was 98th all-time in earnings and 70th all-time in wins.

“When I first got to The Meadowlands, you were lucky to be in the race. That’s how I felt. You had to sit in the back and hide and then close up the pylons. Starting out anywhere is different. But I started to do well with some longshots too and it worked out pretty well and just built up from there.”

Sears had the unusual occurrence of having the Meadowlands Pace and Hambletonian favorite in his debut in each. Neither did well, but that was not a sign of things to come.

DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT DECADE

• In 2003, Stroke Play was the first of three straight 3YOFT Breeders Crown winners for Sears/Trond Smedshammer. In Smedshammer’s career, every one of his Breeders Crown scores was with Sears driving. Sears was 5 1-0-1, $346G in his first Crown year.

• In 2004, Sears scores history’s first sub 1:50 mile with a Metro score of 1:49.4 with Rocknroll Hanover. It was the first time he drove him and he was 30-1.

• In 2005, Sears begins a Breeders Crown run for the ages. He would be the leading money winner for each of the next five years in the Crown and was the fastest driver ever to 20 Crown wins. Rocknroll Hanover was his first Horse of the Year in 2005, winning Sears’ first NA Cup/Pace along the way.

“A beautiful specimen,” Sears said of the dominating son from the first crop of Western ideal.

• Sears’ Crown history before 2003 was similar to his Meadowlands history. Just one drive: 1998, Colonial Downs, Midori Hanover finished third for trainer Dave Smith. That means no Sears victories in the first 19 years of the Breeders Crown series (1984-2002) but he’s still second all-time to Campbell in wins in the series, 49-34.

• Summary of Sears in the Breeders Crown from 2005-2009:

2005 — #1, 12 4-2-2, $1,647,026

2006 — #1, 12 3-1-1, $1,208,200

2007 — #1, 11 2-1-1, $934,590

2008 — #1, 10 3-2-1, $1,289,910

2009 — #1, 11 3-1-0, $1,102,325

HAMBLETONIAN/OAKS HIGHLIGHTS

• Six favorites.

• Three wins, including a first-time drive with Pinkman in 2015. “An honest horse. I didn’t know much about him going in. Jimmy [Takter] told me ‘Just win.’”

• Muscle Hill, 2009: “I never had to fully extend him until possibly his last start in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine. He was a little tired by then and the track was off. But overall, I always wanted to save something with him and was able to do so.”

His Hambletonian win with Muscle Hill was the fastest (1:50.1) and the richest ever trot race and still is at $1,520,333.

• Bee A Magician, Hambletonian Oaks, 2013 and HOY: “A big great trotting mare who was very good in her era.”

Bee A Magician went undefeated in 2013, 17-for-17, the most trotting wins for an undefeated HOY. She also set the earnings record for a trotting female at over $1.5 million, surpassing Moni Maker’s record, ironically, in the Moni Maker.

• In 2009, he became the first driver to win the Hambletonian/Oaks on the same day. He then duplicated that in 2013. Nobody not named Sears has repeated this feat.

• In 2013, Sears won the Hambletonian/Oaks with both favorites, Royalty For Life and Bee A Magician, the latter besting the boys by a tick with a 1:51 mile.

• Sears has had streaks of nine straight and then 10-straight Hambletonian drives. He missed the final only in 2012 [Market Share]. He’s driven fillies in two of the last three editions, just missing in 2022 with the 3YOTF of the Year, Joviality. He will not be driving Joviality overseas, where she won her first start at age 4.

• In 2019, Greenshoe was the overwhelming Hambletonian favorite: “A very high-speed horse.”

• In 2022, Joviality just missed to upsetter Cool Papa Bell: “She is an outstanding filly. Twice I had the eight post at Yonkers with her and she overcame it both times. Full tilt into the first turn at Yonkers and it didn’t bother her. No ill effects either. Usually, a horse coming out of efforts like that wouldn’t be as sharp the next few starts. Not her.”

OTHER SEARS HIGHLIGHTS

• He won 10 Meadowlands driving titles: “That’s the number I am most proud of.”

• Fifty-eight consecutive nights winning at least one race every day at The Meadowlands in 2008. No one is close to that.

• First driver in history to go from $5 to $10 to $15 million in three straight years (2003-2004-2005).

• He’s the richest single-day driver with $1.666 million on Hambletonian Day 2009.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME HORSES

• Gimpanzee — Won three straight Breeders Crowns at 2, 3 and 4, the first trotter to do it since Mack Lobell (1986, 1987 and 1988): “He knew what it was all about. My job was to get him where he had to be and call on him. It didn’t make a lot of difference to him where it was, he always responded.”

• Lis Mara: “A serious high speed horse. He waited for me to call on him.”

• Mister Big: “Loved a target. Loved to chase. He really wanted to pass horses.”

• McWicked: “A smart horse. Very intelligent. He could drive himself. He knew where the winner’s circle was too. After the race he’d head right over there.”

• Tactical Landing: “He was just getting good at the end of his 3-year-old season. It broke my heart when I found out he wasn’t returning at 4.”

• Western Terror: “A lot of fun. I have a lot of respect for that horse. Underrated. When he won the Breeders Crown from post 10, that was impressive.”

• My Little Dragon: A three-time Breeders Crown champ. “A sweetheart. A fun horse.”

A FEW FINAL QUESTIONS

Did your dad, Jay, or your grandfather, Gene, see any of this coming?

“My grandfather always told me when I was a kid that I would be a driver. My father, not as much. He would have been surprised at how well it has worked out.”

What is your schedule going forward?

“Pretty much sire stakes and big races. I have a great relationship with Marcus Melander and Anders Strom.”

You had a decent season last year in limited action, 406 75-41-50 $4,702,866 ranking you #28 in North America in money.

“I’ll sign up for that for the next couple of years for sure. I want to do this for a few more years.”

Will you ever consider being just a trainer?

“Never say never. But no, I don’t see that happening.”