20 years since Stanley Dancer’s passing
He was a man before he was a monument.
by Bob Heyden
On Sept. 8, 2005, Stanley Dancer passed away at age 78. I am fully cognizant that many have not heard the name before, or possibly know that he indeed was a huge figure from a bygone era. I won’t overwhelm anyone, I’ll just break it down to:
1. The Numbers
2. The Uniqueness
3. The Man Himself
4. My Personal Relationship
THE NUMBERS
No one before or since can touch Stanley Dancer’s numbers. Think Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan.
Three Triple Crowns, done in a five-year span: Nevele Pride (1968), Most Happy Fella (1970), and Super Bowl (1972). No one else, then or now, has had more than one, ever!
Seven Horses of the Year, done in a 15-year stretch no less, from 1962-76.
Firsts:
• Million $ syndication (Noble Victory)
• Million $ earner (Cardigan Bay)
• First sub 1:55 pacer in a race (three times): Albatross
• First to go 1-2 in HOY balloting twice: Su Mac Lad over Henry T Adios (1962) and Albatross and Super Bowl (1972)
• First sub 1:55 trotter: Nevele Pride (1:54.4)
THE UNIQUENESS
He won a race driving Albatross in a body cast. Horses that he raced in the Hambletonian (he won five, tied for all-time most) sired Hambletonian-only participants to an astounding 38 checks in the Classic. His Su Mac Lad (richest trotter of all time upon 9/30/65 retirement) raced in seven consecutive Roosevelt Internationals (1959-65). Nobody in the 49 years since his 1976 Keystone Ore was named HOY (Dancer’s seventh) has any trainer come close to that HOY total. Jimmy Takter has four since, while Frank Ervin remains No. 2 with five. He trained three Hall of Fame horses that also doubled as game-changing stallions (Albatross, Super Bowl, and Most Happy Fella).
THE MAN HIMSELF
Meticulous. Charitable. Decent. A visionary. Principled. Unique. Laser-focused. Determined. Stand-alone.
There’s an expression, “Don’t follow trends, start them.” Dancer’s driving style in the 1950s became the trend.
“Nothing stands without a good foundation.” One morning in the Dancer barn backs this up in spades. “Chance favors the prepared man.” Was Dancer nearby for this one?
“There’s no sacrifice too great for a chance at immortality.” Dancer was doing his thing for a half century. Immortality was probably the best way to describe his career, no waffling involved.
MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
From the late 1980s through 2003 or so, it was standard practice to chat three-to-four times per week with Dancer, from New Egypt (until 1997) to South Pompano Beach. His quieter/laid back/not exactly the life of the party demeanor was often thought of as aloofness. I never saw that.
Quick anecdote: In 1999 or 2000, I was doing The Meadowlands show and was hurried onto the set earlier than scheduled. Sam McKee was only a year or so into his Meadowlands career. I was talking to Dancer and didn’t want to hang up, so I stuck the phone into McKee’s chest, “Here, you talk to him.” I’ll never forget the look on Sam’s face. Oh, Dancer quickly took care of any jitters by telling McKee, “I know who you are.” It lasted 20 or so minutes. Friendships have the best chance of enduring if neither one needs the other. Nobody is asking for anything. One side isn’t in it for the benefits. Heck, Dancer, a half dozen or so times, absolutely wanted to buy me a condo. It wasn’t necessary. I valued our chats way more than to ever attach anything to it.
FINALLY
Dancer passed away on a Thursday (Sept. 8, 2005). On Friday morning Jody, his absolutely wonderful/decent/thoughtful/always-there-for-him wife of over 20 years, called me and asked if I would do the eulogy. Jody said, “Stanley asked if you would. He said he never had a better friend.”
To this day I have never had a prouder moment. Did I kind of know it? Yes, but hearing it was a completely different thing. I was sitting on the floor when she called, went to the diner, and came back with the floor as my desk. You see, of course I knew Stanley wasn’t well, but I refused to ever write a single word while he was still with us. Respect. This Mount Everest of a human totally deserved my absolute best effort. Jody too and Stanley’s family of course. As I look back, it was just a couple of guys talking racing. Events of the day, the upcoming Hambletonian, and chatting about the Yankees. No one particular conversation comes immediately to mind. After all, it was just a couple of fellas who had a common interest, and a ton of memories. One of them just happened to be Stanley Dancer.
