BREEDERS CROWN DRIVER BIOS
BRANDON BATES
Born: 9/6/1975 – Birthplace: Van Wert, OH – Resides: Monroe, IN
Brandon Bates, 45, made his Breeders Crown debut in 2019 with 2-year-old filly pacer Priceless. She won her elimination and finished eighth in the final.
Bates followed his father, Bill, into harness racing. Bates was born in Ohio but relocated to Indiana in 1997.
Prior to working with horses on a full-time basis beginning in the mid-2000s, Bates split his time at the barn and a job in a soybean processing facility.
Bates got driving win No. 1,000 on July 26 at Hawthorne Racecourse. He has started driving more frequently in recent years, topping 1,000 races each season beginning in 2017. He is enjoying his fourth consecutive year with more than $1 million in purses as a driver.
He ranks among the leading drivers at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
JOE BONGIORNO
Born: 9/23/1993 – Birthplace: Red Bank, NJ – Resides: Monroe, NJ
Joe Bongiorno, 27, won his first Breeders Crown final in 2019, guiding American History to victory in the Open Pace. Bongiorno debuted in the Breeders Crown in 2016.
In September, Bongiorno won the Little Brown Jug with Captain Barbossa. The victory came one day after his 27th birthday.
Bongiorno established a career high in 2019 with $5.89 million in purses. His 333 wins were the second most in his career, behind only his 399 in 2016.
On Aug. 28 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Bongiorno got career win No. 2,000 with Nicholas Beach, a 4-year-old pacer trained by his sister, Jennifer. Bongiorno has earned $26 million in purses in his career.
Bongiorno was the 2010 Amateur Driver of the Year, awarded by the U.S. Harness Writers Association, and was USHWA Monticello-Goshen chapter’s 2011 Rising Star Award winner.
COREY CALLAHAN
Born: 4/21/1978 – Birthplace: Easton, MD – Resides: Middletown, DE
Corey Callahan, 42, is seeking his first Breeders Crown trophy. He won an elimination in 2019 with 2-year-old filly pacer New Year and finished fourth in the final. He was second with 3-year-old male pacer Mr Wiggles in 2009 and has finished third on three occasions.
Callahan received the 2013 Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association. He has won more than 6,400 career races and $94 million in purses.
In 2011, Callahan represented the U.S. in the World Driving Championship and finished second behind Canada’s Jody Jamieson.
Callahan was a latecomer to harness racing, at least as a participant. The son of horseman Nick Callahan did not begin focusing on a driving career until after graduating from the University of Kentucky and spending some time working in the business world. Callahan, who grew up in Easton, Md., was a standout hockey player in both college and high school. He also was a standout soccer player in high school.
His nickname, The Captain, is a nod to his days on the ice. The 2-year-old trotting colt Captain Corey is named in his honor. Callahan drove Captain Corey’s sire, Googoo Gaagaa, during his world-record-setting 3-year-old season in 2012.
JOHN DeLONG
Born: 1/16/1989 – Birthplace: Beloit, WI – Resides: Anderson, IN
John DeLong, 31, made his Breeders Crown debut in 2017 at Hoosier Park. He drove in three finals with a best finish of eighth.
He is among the leading drivers at Hoosier Park, ranking third in wins this season.
DeLong was 19 years old when he won the driving title at Running Aces in its inaugural season in 2008. In 2016, he set career highs with 375 wins and $4 million in purses. For his career, Delong has won more than 2,800 races and $25 million in purses.
He also has 125 wins as a trainer.
DeLong’s family, which operates a worldwide agricultural-distribution business based in Clinton, Wis., has been involved in harness racing for decades and is one of only two families enshrined in the Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame. DeLong’s father Jesse (better known as Jay) is a trainer and occasional driver, and DeLong got his first-ever win in 2005 with a horse trained by his uncle William (aka Bo).
DAN DUBE
Born: 6/8/1969 - Birthplace: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec - Resides: Millstone, NJ
Dan Dube, 51, has won seven Breeders Crown finals, most recently with Emoticon Hanover in the 2018 Mare Trot. He also won the 2017 Mare Trot with Emoticon Hanover and in 2019 he finished second to Manchego with the mare.
His other Breeders Crown triumphs include two with Horse of the Year Award winners: 3-year-old male pacer Gallo Blue Chip in 2000 and 3-year-old male pacer Rock N Roll Heaven in 2010. In 2003, Dube drove Pans Culottes to victory in the 2-year-old female pace, beating Kikikatie by a neck to hand the filly her only loss in 15 races that year.
Dube began his driving career at the age of 18 and six years later in 1993 won the trainer and driver of the year awards at Hippodrome de Quebec. He also took home the Roger White trophy as the outstanding trainer in the province of Quebec.
He represented Canada twice in the World Driving Championship, finishing ninth in 1995 and second in 1997. He received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 1997.
Dube has won more than 9,200 races lifetime, ranking 24th in North American history. His horses have earned $124 million in purses, ranking 15th.
DEXTER DUNN
Born: 9/1/1989 – Birthplace: New Zealand – Resides: Allentown, NJ
Dexter Dunn, 31, made his Breeders Crown finals debut in 2019 and came away with two trophies. Dunn won with Manchego in the Mare Trot and with Amigo Volo in the event for 2-year-old male trotters.
On Oct. 11, Dunn drove Amigo Volo to victory in the Kentucky Futurity at Red Mile. It gave Dunn his first win in a Triple Crown event.
New Zealand native Dunn enjoyed a memorable first full season of racing in North America in 2019. He received the Driver of the Year Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association after winning 460 races (eighth best in North America) and $12 million in purses (third). In addition to winning two Breeders Crown finals, he drove the season’s top money-earner, 3-year-old male pacer Bettor’s Wish.
Dunn led New Zealand’s premiership in wins for 10 consecutive years from 2008 through 2017. During that span, he won at least 200 races on six occasions and twice finished with 199. He was the first New Zealand driver to win at least 200 races in a season.
He was invited to drive in the U.S. in the summer of 2018 by trainer Chris Ryder, a longtime family friend. When Dunn left New Zealand, his 2,225 wins ranked fifth in history there.
In 2015, Dunn represented his country in the World Driving Championship and drove off with the trophy.
Dunn ranks No. 1 in North American purse earnings this season and is attempting to end the stranglehold Tim Tetrick and Yannick Gingras have enjoyed on the top spot. The last time neither Tetrick nor Gingras ended the season No. 1 was in 2006.
YANNICK GINGRAS
Born: 8/4/1979 – Birthplace: Sorel, Quebec – Resides: Allentown, NJ
Yannick Gingras, 41, is third among active drivers in Breeders Crown trophies, with 23, and No. 6 all time in the series. He won two finals in 2019, with 3-year-old filly pacer Warrawee Ubeaut and 2-year-old colt pacer Tall Dark Stranger. He also won a Breeders Crown in 2018 with Warrawee Ubeaut in the 2-year-old filly pace.
In 2017, Gingras won four Crowns in a year for the second time in his career. Among those victories, he won the Open Trot with Hannelore Hanover, who became the first female to win the event since Moni Maker in 1998. Hannelore Hanover went on to be named Horse of the Year in the U.S. and Canada.
Gingras won his first Breeders Crown in 2007 with 3-year-old female trotter Southwind Serena, at odds of 50-1. He won four trophies in 2014 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey and has won three trophies in a year three times.
A third-generation horseman from Quebec, Gingras arrived in the U.S. in 2001 and established himself as a top driver at Yonkers Raceway. In 2003, he received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association and in 2004 he moved his base to the Meadowlands.
Gingras led the sport in purses for four consecutive years, 2014-17, before finishing second in 2018 and 2019. He has finished no worse than second in each of the past eight seasons. His $189 million in career purses rank No. 7 in history.
He was voted Driver of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 2017 and 2014. For his career, Gingras has won more than 7,500 races.
In 2019, Gingras represented the U.S. in the World Driving Championship. He finished second behind the Netherlands’ Rick Ebbinge.
Among his many accomplishments, Gingras is known for his association with pacer Foiled Again, who retired in 2018 as the richest horse in harness racing history, with $7.63 million in lifetime earnings. Foiled Again and Gingras won the 2013 Breeders Crown Open Pace in the mud at Pocono, beating Pet Rock by a nose after a memorable stretch drive.
JEFF GREGORY
Born: 9/8/1966 – Birthplace: Saratoga Springs, NY – Resides: New Smyrna Beach, FL
Jeff Gregory, 54, won the 2011 Breeders Crown for 3-year-old male trotters with Chapter Seven. He also had a second-place finish that year with 2-year-old female pacer Handsoffmycookie and a third with 2-year-old female trotter For A Dancer.
Gregory grew up near Buffalo, N.Y., and started driving in matinees at the age of 14. He worked with his father, Gary, and drove horses in the family stable before branching out. He spent 10 years racing at Florida’s Pompano Park during the winter and Vernon Downs in the summer. In 1997, he moved to the metro New York-New Jersey circuit.
In 2002, Gregory won the Yonkers Trot with Bubba Dunn. That same year, he received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Three years later, Gregory won the Hambletonian Oaks with Jalopy.
Gregory has won more than 6,900 races and $73 million in purses as a driver, but in recent years has focused on training as well as driving.
His wife, Helene, is an accomplished equestrian.
MATT KAKALEY
Born: 3/19/1988 – Birthplace: Royal Oak, MI – Resides: Mountain Top, PA
Matt Kakaley, 32, got his first two Breeders Crown trophies in 2018. He won the 3-year-old colt pace with Dorsoduro Hanover and the 3-year-old filly pace with Percy Bluechip. In 2019, he won an elimination of the Open Pace with Dorsoduro Hanover and finished second in the final.
Earlier in 2018, Kakaley was sidelined for two months because of injuries suffered in a March racing accident at Yonkers. He required three surgeries, including one for a broken orbital bone and another for a fractured collarbone.
Kakaley set a career high with $9.04 million in purses in 2017. He has won more than 4,800 races and $79 million in purses lifetime. He was the youngest driver, at the time, to get to 1,000 wins (21) and 2,000 wins (23). He was second-youngest driver to 3,000 and 4,000 wins, trailing only Tim Tetrick.
In 2010, Kakaley received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
A third-generation horseman, Kakaley followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Joe, who owned horses and spurred the family’s interest in harness racing, plus dad, driver John Kakaley, and mom, trainer Linda Kakaley. He lived in Michigan but spent his teen years around Pompano Park in Florida before moving to Ohio in 2007 and embarking full time on his career as a driver.
RICKY MACOMBER JR.
Born: 9/1/1970 – Birthplace: Buffalo, NY – Resides: Fishers, IN
Ricky Macomber Jr., 50, made his Breeders Crown debut in 2017 at Hoosier Park and won the 3-year-old colt-and-gelding pace with Beckhams Z Tam. He also had a fifth-place finish with 3-year-old filly pacer Carol’s Z Tam. Both were trained by Macomber’s wife, Jamie.
Macomber’s father, Richard “Dick” Macomber Sr., raced one horse in the series, 3-year-old female pacer Milynn Hanover in the inaugural Breeders Crown in 1984. She finished fifth.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Macomber moved to Pompano Beach, Fla., when he was a young child. His father, who passed away in 2015, was a longtime owner and trainer, as was Macomber’s grandfather, Ed Hauck. His grandfather also was a successful restaurateur in Florida, thanks to bringing south a delicacy from his birthplace – Buffalo wings.
Macomber, who is deaf, graduated from Gallaudet University in 1994 with a degree in business management and worked for two years doing accounting and finance. He won his first race at Pompano on March 28, 1997 with Cane Pole, a horse trained by his father. Later that season, he headed to Hoosier Park, which opened three years earlier.
For his career, he has won more than 3,500 races and earned $39 million in purses.
ANDREW McCARTHY
Born: 3/31/1986 – Birthplace: Bathurst, Australia – Resides: Swedesboro, NJ
Andy McCarthy, 33, in 2019 became the eighth driver in history to win at least four Breeders Crown finals in a year. He became the first to accomplish the feat without driving a favorite. McCarthy’s victories came with 2-year-old filly trotter Ramona Hill, 2-year-old filly pacer Reflect With Me, pacing mare Caviart Ally, and 3-year-old colt pacer Dancin Lou.
On Aug. 8, McCarthy drove Ramona Hill to victory in the $1 million Hambletonian in a stakes-record-equaling 1:50.1. Ramona Hill became the 15th filly to beat the boys in the 95-year history of the race.
McCarthy picked up his second win in a million-dollar race on Sept. 26 when he guided Venerate to victory in the inaugural Mohawk Million for 2-year-old trotters.
McCarthy has seen his purse earnings increase every year since the start of 2013, reaching $7.67 million in 2019. For his career, he has won $51 million and more than 2,500 races.
A chance meeting with trainer Noel Daley inspired McCarthy to leave Australia and head to the U.S. in 2007. In his third lifetime drive in the States, McCarthy piloted Daley’s Took Hanover to a 1:49 win in the open at the Meadowlands.
McCarthy is a third-generation horseman. His brothers Luke and Todd are successful drivers and his father John is a highly regarded trainer. Todd recently relocated from Australia to the U.S. to compete in North America. The McCarthy family was selected by the Bathurst Harness Racing Club as its 2016 Gold Crown honoree.
TODD McCARTHY
Born: 2/24/1993 – Birthplace: Australia – Resides: Swedesboro, NJ
Todd McCarthy, 27, is in his first season of racing in North America and is making his Breeders Crown debut. McCarthy contemplated leaving Australia to his continue his career in North America for several years but watching his older brother Andy win four Breeders Crown trophies in 2019 helped convince him to do it.
McCarthy’s accomplishments Down Under included winning the 2016 Australasian Young Drivers Championship and multiple New South Wales state and metropolitan premiership driving titles. He represented Australia at the 2019 World Driving Championship and counts the Inter Dominion as his top victory.
AARON MERRIMAN
Born: 6/30/1978 – Birthplace: Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Resides: Northfield, OH
Aaron Merriman, 42, has driven in three Breeders Crown finals. He has two fourth-place finishes, with 3-year-old female trotter Classical Annie in 2015 and 3-year-old male pacer Mac’s Jackpot in 2017.
Merriman is on his way to his sixth consecutive year on top of North America’s standings in wins. He is among four drivers in history to win at least 1,000 races in a year, and the only one to do it multiple times. Merriman accomplished the feat in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
With more than 12,500 victories in his career, Merriman ranks sixth among all North American drivers in history. He became the youngest driver to ever reach 12,000 victories in January.
Merriman was named Driver of the Year in 2018 by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
He has ranked among the top 10 drivers in purses each of the past five years and is among that group again in 2020. His best season was in 2018 when he finished third with $10.5 million. For his career, he has $84 million in purses.
ANDY MILLER
Born: 9/7/1968 – Birthplace: Mattoon, IL – Resides: Millstone Township, NJ
Andy Miller, 52, has won five Breeders Crown trophies in his career. He got his first win in 2004 with 2-year-old female pacer Restive Hanover, who was trained by his brother, Erv. It also was Erv’s first victory in the Breeders Crown.
In 2009, Miller teamed with his wife, trainer Julie Miller, to win a Breeders Crown with Lucky Jim in the Open Trot at the Meadowlands. Andy and Julie were married in 1996 and started their harness racing stable the same year.
Team Miller had second-place finishes in 2018 with Top Flight Angel in the Open Trot and Met’s Hall in the final for 3-year-old male trotters.
For his career, Miller has won more than 9,600 races, ranking 20th in North American history, and earned more than $130 million in purses, ranking 12th in history.
He has twice represented the U.S. in the World Driving Championship, finishing fourth in 2005 and sixth in 2007.
Miller began driving at the age of 16 on the Illinois fairs circuit. He was a top driver in Chicago before moving to the East Coast in 2006.
BRETT MILLER
Born: 8/19/1973 – Birthplace: Columbus, OH – Resides: Blacklick, OH
Brett Miller, 47, has won three Breeders Crown trophies. He got his first in 2015 with Pure Country, who won the final for 2-year-old female pacers to cap a 10-for-10 campaign on her way to divisional Dan Patch Award honors. He won his second in 2016 with Racing Hill in the final for 3-year-old male pacers. In 2017, he won with Split The House in the Open Pace.
Miller won 519 races in 2019, the fifth highest total in North America. He is among the top 10 again in 2020.
For his career, Miller has won more than 8,700 races and $93 million in purses. Miller won the Meadowlands Racetrack driving title for the 2016-17 meet.
Miller followed his grandfathers and dad, Del S. Miller, into the sport. He participated in his first matinee race at the age of 14 at a fair, and won with a horse trained by his cousin, David Miller. In 1992, Miller got his first pari-mutuel win with a horse trained by his father.
In 2007, Miller drove 10 winners on a 13-race card at Northfield Park to equal the then-record for most victories on a single program at a non-fair racetrack.
DAVID MILLER
Born: 12/10/1964 – Birthplace: Columbus, OH – Resides: Cream Ridge, NJ
David Miller, 55, ranks No. 2 among active drivers in Breeders Crown wins, with 24, and is No. 5 all time in the series. His most recent trophy came in 2019 with Gimpanzee in the 3-year-old colt trot.
In 2015, Miller set the record for most Breeders Crown victories in a single year, with five. He accomplished the feat at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
He won his first Crown in 2000 with Magician in the Open Trot.
Miller got career driving win 13,000 in August.
He ranks No. 2 among all drivers in harness racing history in purses, with $247 million, and is No. 5 in wins. He has ranked among the top five in earnings 20 of the past 21 years and is again in the top five this season.
Miller was the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Driver of the Year in 2016, 2015 and 2003.
In 2016, Miller was the driver of Horse of the Year Award winner Always B Miki, who paced the fastest mile in harness racing history when he won in 1:46 at Lexington’s Red Mile. In 2003, Miller led the sport in purses and drove No Pan Intended to the Pacing Triple Crown and Horse of the Year honors.
Miller was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y., in 2014.
He represented the U.S. in the 1999 World Driving Championship and finished fifth.
Miller, who received the 1993 Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association, was already a standout in his native Ohio when he headed to the East Coast in the late 1990s. He captured multiple driving titles at the Meadowlands Racetrack in the early 2000s and has been a force on the Grand Circuit ever since he made the move.
CHRIS PAGE
Born: 11/20/1983 – Birthplace: Mount Vernon, OH – Resides: Mount Vernon, OH
Chris Page, 36, had three drives in Breeders Crown finals in 2019, with a best finish of fifth with 2-year-old filly pacer Looksgoodinaromper. He made his Breeders Crown debut in 2018 and had fourth-place finishes in the 3-year-old filly pace final with Baron Remy and the Open Pace with Rockin Ron.
Page has won more than 5,300 races in his career and $45 million in purses.
In 2019, Page finished 10th among all drivers in North America in wins, with 434. This year, he ranks among the top 10 in both wins and purses.
Page was the leading driver at Scioto Downs in 2017.
He got involved in harness racing by helping his uncles, who were hobby horsemen, at the county fairs in Ohio. He attended his first Little Brown Jug in 1993, won by Life Sign, which cemented his love of the sport.
BRIAN SEARS
Born: 1/21/1968 – Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Resides: Secaucus, NJ
Brian Sears, 52, leads active drivers in wins in Breeders Crown finals, with 32, and is second all time in the history of the series. Sears trails only John Campbell (48).
Sears won two Breeders Crown finals in 2019, with 3-year-old filly trotter Winndevie and international star Bold Eagle in the Open Trot. He won three trophies in 2018. His triumphs came with 2-year-old male trotter Gimpanzee, 3-year-old male trotter Tactical Landing, and older male pacer McWicked.
McWicked was the 2018 Horse of the Year in both the U.S. and Canada. Sears has driven three other Horse of the Year award winners: Rocknroll Hanover in 2005, Muscle Hill in 2009, and Bee A Magician in 2013. They also were Breeders Crown champs for Sears.
Sears got his first Breeders Crown trophy with 3-year-old female trotter Stroke Play in 2003. He won a total of 19 trophies in the next six years. He won four Crowns in each 2004 and 2005, and three in each 2006, 2008 and 2009. He had two victories in 2007.
In July 2017, Sears was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sears is a third-generation horseman, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Gene and dad Jay. Both are in the Florida Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
For his career, Sears has won more than 10,200 races and $201 million in purses. He ranks 18th in North American history for wins among drivers and fifth in purses. He led the sport in earnings in 2005, with a then-record $15 million, and has finished among the top 10 in purses in 14 of the past 16 years.
Sears received the 2009 Driver of the Year Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association and was the 1991 Rising Star Award recipient from the same organization.
JORDAN STRATTON
Born: 6/30/1987 – Birthplace: Ottawa, OH – Resides: Montgomery, NY
Jordan Stratton, 33, is making his Breeders Crown debut.
Stratton received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 2009. That year, the 21-year-old Stratton won career race 1,000 and became only the second driver in history to reach the milestone prior to his 22nd birthday.
A year earlier, Stratton became the youngest driver to win a driving title at Monticello Raceway. He now is one of the leading drivers at Yonkers Raceway.
Stratton’s decision to pursue a career in harness racing can be traced back to 2001, when he was the groom for two-time Ohio Sire Stakes champion Noble Cam, trained by his father, David. Later, one of Stratton’s early memorable moments came in 2006 when he drove Noble Cam to victory at Monticello Raceway in an amateur event.
Stratton’s younger brother Cory also drives and trains.
TIM TETRICK
Born: 11/22/1981 – Birthplace: Flora, IL – Resides: Woolwich Township, NJ
Tim Tetrick, 38, is fourth among active drivers in Breeders Crown finals wins with 20 and is No. 7 all time in the series. His most recent trophies came in 2018, in the Mare Pace with Shartin N and the 3-year-old filly trot with Lily Stride.
He won a career-high four Breeders Crown trophies in 2012 at Woodbine Racetrack, including the Open Trot with Chapter Seven. At the end of the season, Chapter Seven was voted Horse of the Year.
In 2014, Tetrick drove 2-year-old filly pacer JK She’salady to wins in her Breeders Crown elimination and final. She was named 2014 Horse of the Year.
Tetrick ranks No. 3 among all drivers in history in purses with $225 million and No. 8 in wins with more than 11,700.
He was elected to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in September 2019. The induction ceremony scheduled for July 2020 was postponed until the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2007, Tetrick won a single-season-record 1,189 races and was named the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Rising Star Award winner as well as Driver of the Year. That season he became the first driver to lead the sport in both wins and purses (a then-record $18.3 million) in the same year since 1991.
He also was named Driver of the Year in 2008, 2012 and 2013.
Tetrick led the sport in purses seven consecutive years (2007 through 2013) and was No. 1 again in 2018 and 2019. He has ranked among the top 10 in wins for 15 consecutive years.
He represented the U.S. in the 2015 World Driving Championship and finished third.
Tetrick grew up in Illinois and followed his father, Tom D. Tetrick, into the sport. Brothers Tom T. and Trace also are involved in harness racing. Trace is the all-time leader in wins at Hoosier Park, where he has won eight driving titles including the past six in a row.
TRACE TETRICK
Born: 9/29/1986 – Birthplace: Flora, IL – Resides: Anderson, IN
Trace Tetrick, 34, has won three Breeders Crown finals, including two in 2017 at his home track of Harrah’s Hoosier Park. He won with 3-year-old female pacer Blazin Britches and 2-year-old male trotter Fiftydallarbill. His first trophy came in 2015 with Freaky Feet Pete in the final for 3-year-old male pacers at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack.
Tetrick calls Hoosier Park his home. In fact, Tetrick lives only five minutes from the track, where he holds the record for most career wins and is on his way to his seventh consecutive driving title (and ninth overall).
He received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 2017 after setting career highs with 569 wins (fourth most in North America) and $6.81 million in purses. He is enjoying his fourth consecutive year among North America’s top 10 in wins.
Tetrick, a native of Illinois and brother of Tim Tetrick, got his first win as a driver in 2003 and became a regular on the Indiana circuit in 2006. He has won more than 5,600 races in his career and $60 million in purses.
SAM WIDGER
Born: 10/7/1963 – Birthplace: Canton, IL – Resides: Beecher, IL
Sam Widger, 57, drove in his first Breeders Crown final in 2017 at Hoosier Park, finishing seventh in the Open Pace with Manhattan Beach. His only other Breeders Crown appearance came in an elimination in 1999.
Widger has won more than 6,700 races in his career and $58 million in purses. This year, he ranks No. 2 in victories at Hoosier Park, trailing only Trace Tetrick.
He was introduced to harness racing when his father was building barns near Quad City Downs. He knew nothing about the sport at the time. He started by cleaning stalls and eventually became one of Illinois’ leading drivers.
MIKE WILDER
Born: 4/10/1972 – Birthplace: Springfield, OH – Resides: Washington, PA
Mike Wilder, 48, has driven in two Breeders Crown finals, most recently in 2019 with Catch The Fire in the 2-year-old colt-and-gelding pace. He finished ninth.
In August, Wilder won the Delvin Miller Adios with Catch The Fire at his home track, The Meadows. It was Wilder’s first Adios victory.
Wilder grew up in Ohio, where he followed his stepfather, David Ritter, and mom, Rhonda, to the county fairs and Lebanon Raceway. Wilder began driving at the matinees when he was 14. He went on to win 13 driving titles at Lebanon and two at Scioto Downs before moving to The Meadows in 2001.
Over the past 10 years, Wilder has annually ranked among the top-five drivers at The Meadows in wins and purses. Four times in the past six years he has finished second in wins to perennial Meadows driving champ Dave Palone. He is second to Palone again this year.
Wilder won 381 races in 2019, the second-best season of his career. Lifetime, he has won more than 8,300 races and $68 million in purses.
PETER WRENN
Born: 9/23/1962 – Birthplace: Detroit, MI – Resides: Carmel, IN
Peter Wrenn, 58, has won two Breeders Crown finals. He won his first in 1994 with 2-year-old female pacer Yankee Cashmere and added the second in 1996 with 3-year-old female trotter Personal Banner. Wrenn did not appear in the Breeders Crown again until 2017 when he drove Shnitzledosomethin to a second-place finish in the final for 2-year-old male pacers.
He drove in one final in each 2018 and 2019, both times with male trotter Chin Chin Hall, who finished fifth at age 2 and fourth at age 3.
Wrenn ranks No. 17 in career driving wins with more than 10,300. He has $78 million in purses lifetime.
He followed his father, Howard, into the sport. Wrenn cleaned his first stall at the age of 6 and drove in his first race at the age of 14.
Wrenn’s brothers Gary, Ron and Mark also won races as drivers and trainers.
JAMES YODER
Born: 8/2/1994 – Birthplace: LaGrange, IN – Resides: Bell, FL
James Yoder, 26, made his Breeders Crown debut in 2019 with 2-year-old filly trotter May Baby, finishing fourth in her elimination and eighth in the final.
Yoder is the son of trainer/driver Verlin Yoder, who in 2018 made his Breeders Crown debut and won the 2-year-old filly trot with Woodside Charm.
Lifetime, James has won more than 270 races as a driver and 75 as a trainer. He surpassed $1 million in career training purses earlier this month. He is among the top drivers and trainers at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in win percentage this year.
His wife, Cheyenne, picked out May Baby at the 2018 Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. It was the first time she selected a horse. The horse was born on Cheyenne’s birthday, May 13.
VERLIN YODER
Born: 9/12/1973 – Birthplace: Kokomo, IN – Resides: Bell, FL
Verlin Yoder, 47, made his Breeders Crown debut in 2018 and won the 2-year-old filly trot with Woodside Charm. She finished the year 7-for-7 and received the Dan Patch Award for best 2-year-old filly trotter.
Yoder first gained attention nationally in 2014 when he drove his trotter Natural Herbie to victory in the Vincennes Invitational on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands. Later that year, Yoder and Natural Herbie won the International Trot Preview at Yonkers Raceway, where they defeated a field that included Commander Crowe, Bee A Magician, Obrigado, Archangel, and Sebastian K.
Additionally in 2014, Yoder was selected by the fans “Horseperson of the Year” in Railbird Recognition Award voting sponsored by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
A former factory worker who used to build RVs, Yoder has been involved in harness racing since 2004. It started as a hobby but turned into a fulltime pursuit. In his career, Yoder has won 360 races as a trainer and 230 as a driver. Only twice has he driven more than 100 races in a year and he usually starts fewer than 150 horses a year as a trainer.
SCOTT ZERON
Born: 5/23/1989 – Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec – Resides: Chester, NY
Scott Zeron, 31, won his first Breeders Crown in 2016 with Call Me Queen Be in the final for 3-year-old female pacers. He won a second trophy in 2018 with 2-year-old male pacer Captain Crunch.
Zeron twice led all Canadian drivers in wins (2010 and 2011) before relocating to the U.S. near the end of 2013. In 2012, he received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
In 2018, Zeron drove Atlanta to victory in the $1 million Hambletonian Stakes, the sport’s premier event for 3-year-old trotters. Atlanta became the first female to win the Hambletonian since Continentalvictory in 1996. She was named 2018 Trotter of the Year in Dan Patch Award voting.
In 2016, Zeron won the Trotting Triple Crown (Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot, Kentucky Futurity) with Marion Marauder, who was named Trotter of the Year. The then 27-year-old Zeron was the second-youngest driver to win the Hambletonian and youngest driver to win a harness racing Triple Crown, either trotting or pacing.
In 2016, Zeron set a career high with $8.91 million in purses. He also won his first Meadowlands Racetrack driving title.
For his career, Zeron has won more than 3,800 races and $77 million in purses.