by Bob Heyden

Both Glen Garnsey and Joe O’Brien were gentlemen and industry giants. Both passed away this very week: Garnsey in 1985, the year after O’Brien in 1984. Fittingly the first of two Grand Circuit weeks will have just ended at The Red Mile where they did some of their best work.

GLEN GARNSEY

Born on New Year’s Day in 1933, we lost Garnsey on Sept. 27, 1985 at just 52 returning from the Fasig-Tipton sale. A son of Garland Garnsey, this dynamic duo provided the very first 1,000 victory father-son driving team.

Glen won his first race near his birthplace of Clayton, NY, with Margaret Eblis in 1950. Also a baseball and basketball star, Glen worked with his dad until 1963. He also served his country for two years in 1953-54.

He opened his first public stable near Vernon Downs, NY, in 1963 and later in 1968 privately trained for K D Owen. It would be just a year later when prestigious Castleton Farms came calling for Glen’s services. There he developed such standouts as Colonial Charm, Alert Bret and Noble Florie.

Glen amazingly drove three of the first four Hambletonian Oaks winners, Gay Blossom (1971), Colonial Charm (1973) and Berna Hanover (1974).

He re-opened his public stable in 1978 — some fantastic timing here — as Keith Bulen came calling with a 3-year-old named Abercrombie (HOY in 1978). That title to be repeated in 1981 with a $20,000 yearling named Fan Hanover, still the only female to win the Little Brown Jug.

Glen had other notables such as Bruce Gimble, Armbro Aussie and Incredible Nevele. He had a day for the ages at The Red Mile on Oct. 2, 1982, setting three world records on the same day with Delmegan, Armbro Aussie, and Fan Hanover.

Glen was a USTA director and was the 33rd person elected to the Living Hall of Fame in 1983. The night he was inducted, Glen said, “I only wish that my father was here to see it.”

Stan Bergstein put it quite aptly when he said of Glen, “There were many beneficiaries of Glen’s generosity and teachings. Glen was always available to other horsemen, and as one of the blithe spirits of the sport, always was one of the most popular of the fraternity.”

JOE O’BRIEN

Born on June 25, 1917, we lost O’Brien in the early morning hours of Sept. 29, 1984, forty years ago today! Born in the Maritimes, O’Brien was 67 and retired about a year at the time of his passing. Just one week later, the Breeders Crown era began.

A look at O’Brien’s amazing career saw him train for such notables as Stan Bergstein, Thurman Downing, Armstrong Brothers, Almahurst Farm, Larry DeVan and Duncan MacDonald.

It was O’Brien who won the sports first Triple Crown with Scott Frost in 1955. O’Brien also scored the initial back-to-back HOY 1955-56 also with Scott Frost.

It was O’Brien who won the Hambletonian twice (Scott Frost and Blaze Hanover), the Little Brown Jug twice (Shadow Wave and Melvins Woe), the Cane Pace once with Nero, the Roosevelt International twice — both with standout females — Fresh Yankee and Armbro Flight, the inaugural edition of the Yonkers Trot in 1955 with Scott Frost, and an amazing five victories in the Kentucky Futurity (Scott Frost, Safe Mission, Armbro Flight, Governor Armbro, and Arnie Almahurst).

It was O’Brien again with the phenomenal Fresh Yankee (1970 HOY), the first North American-bred millionaire! When Niatross stunned the world in 1980 with his 1:49.1 time trial, it was O’Brien who had set the previous mark of 1:52 flat nine years earlier with Steady Star.

On the day Niatross set that electrifying new standard (Oct. 1, 1980), guess who had the most time trial assignments? O’Brien. Of the first 100 scheduled (of 259 total) Joe was named on 23, at 63 years of age mind you!

This year, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of Armbro Nesbit and O’Brien setting the new track standard at Yonkers of 1:56 4.

O’Brien wrote the “Bits, boots and bridles” section in the Care and Training of the Trotter and Pacer.

O’Brien won 4,285 races and $20,443,084.

He did some of his best ever work with the outstanding Flight Director and Ima Lula. Some of the other stars handled by O’Brien in his stellar career include Storm Damage, Sunbelle, Diamond Hal, Horton Hanover, Dream Of Glory, Armbro Regina, Flower Child, Sara Lane Hanover, and Starita Lobell.

In 1964, the Alberton, PEI, native, now residing in Shafter, CA, and just the second driver ever to reach 2,000 wins (Billy Haughton was the first) was installed in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. The only other inductee prior involved in harness at that time was Colonel Dan MacKinnon, also a PEI native.

O’Brien’s 685 2:00 victories at the time of his passing was third all-time to another pair of proud Canadians John Campbell and Bill O’Donnell.

GOOD TIMES AT THE RED MILE

As things really heat up in Lexington, heading into the sale and Week 2 of racing, here’s a look at some fond memories and fun facts from the past.

1. Only The Red Mile can say that for over a month in the second half of last year they were the home of both the Trotter and Pacer of the Year, Tactical Approach and Confederate.

2. Closing Day of The Red Mile in 2023 was the ultimate all or nothing results day. On the high end to win you had Eternal Love ($67.56), Speak Volumes ($162.84) and Windwood Jack ($65.52). On the lower end was Grace Hill ($2.10), Alrajah One IT ($2.66), Bythemissal ($3.02), Sylvia Hanover ($2.20), Twin B Joe Fresh ($2.14), and Confederate ($2.32).

3. In what is next to impossible to believe, 48 years later, Peter Haughton is still the youngest Triple Crown race winner taking the 1976 Kentucky Futurity with Quick Pay when he was just 22. Winning sire Stars Pride was 29, seven years older than the winning driver! When Stars Pride won the 1950 Kentucky Futurity there was not yet a Triple Crown to shoot for as the Yonkers Trot debuted in 1955.

4. The Tattersalls debuted in 1971 with Albatross going 1:54 4 twice as history’s fastest race horse. The 1987 Tattersalls had its first dead heat with Laag and Jaguar Spur unable to be separated.

5. Peter Haughton’s 1976 nose win over Steve Lobell in the Kentucky Futurity prevented his dad from winning this classic, the only Triple Crown event that eluded Billy Haughton. It also kept his dad from his only Trotting Triple Crown since Steve Lobell had already won the Yonkers Trot and the Hambletonian.

6. Nevele Pride was the only three-time HOY among the trotting set. It figures then that his career Red Mile record is six-for-six.

7. Hanover Shoe Farms not only has the fastest winner at The Red Mile in two of the past three meets, but they were 1-2 in the track’s all-time record in 2021 with Allywag Hanover in 1:46.4 then in 2022 when ‘Allywag’ edged by Bulldog Hanover in a new track standard of 1:46 flat.

8. On Sept. 30, 1995 Jenna’s Beach Boy went 1:48.4, five years later to the day, on Sept. 30, 2000, P B Bullville went 1:48 flat, Both 3YO world records at the time.

9. Two times was the charm for Donato Hanover, who is the last HOY to post his two fastest career miles on the same day at The Red Mile. On Oct. 6, 2007, he went 1:51.1 and then a lifetime best 1:50.1 in the Kentucky Futurity.

10. Can you believe that five years have now passed since Manchego’s 1:49 record at The Red Mile on Oct. 6, 2019? And, it’s been six years since Homicide Hunter’s 1:48.4 all-age world record at The Red Mile also on Oct. 6, but a year earlier in 2018.