Jun 30, 2022 By Evan Pattak for The Msoa 6 min read

Already harness racing’s “winningest” driver, Dave Palone on Saturday went where no driver has gone before — and quite possibly where no driver ever will go again.

Palone, a Jefferson-Morgan graduate who grew up in Dry Tavern, collected career win 20,000 when he piloted Brother Dick to victory in the fourth race at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.

“No. 20,000 for Dave Palone,” exclaimed Hall of Famer Roger Huston. Though Huston retired as the longtime race caller at The Meadows in 2019, he returned to call the milestone victory at the special request of current track announcer Jeff Zidek, who wanted “The Voice” to be part of this historic moment.

Palone, 60, was joined in a jubilant winners’ circle by his mother Jean; wife Bethann; daughters Hannah, Alana and Sophie; grandson Asher; officials of the United States Trotting Association, Penn National Gaming, which operates The Meadows, and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, as well as dozens of colleagues and fans — including fellow Hall of Famer trainer/driver Dick Stillings.

Too emotional to speak immediately after the win, Palone deferred to Scott Lishia, director of racing for The Meadows, who presented him with a number of gifts to recognize his singular accomplishment. These included including a custom golf bag — with a hidden pocket containing a box of Pop Tarts, Palone’s favorite golf course snack — and an oversized check to pay for a set of custom golf clubs. Most important, Lishia said The Meadows paddock will be named for Palone at a ceremony in the near future.

Palone’s achievement was hailed throughout harness racing. Mike Tanner, USTA executive vice president, called it “unprecedented, amazing, incredible.”

“I think we’re running out of superlatives to describe Dave Palone,” Tanner said. “I can’t think of an athlete in any sport who has been so good for so long. Anyone who loves harness racing needs to appreciate this because we’re not going to see it again, at least not in our lifetimes.”

Those thoughts were echoed by Harness Hall of Famer John Campbell, president and CEO of the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown and the sport’s all-time leading money-winning driver with nearly $300 million in purses.

“It’s an unfathomable number when you think about it,” Campbell said. “When Herve (Filion) retired, nobody thought anyone else would get to Herve’s total. To go by it by 5,000, a lot of things go into it: keeping the talent level up for all these years; an incredible work ethic; commitment to your craft.”

Palone’s accomplishment is particularly astounding when you consider that the “winningest” thoroughbred jockey, Russell Baze, retired with 12,842 victories. Moreover, it’s not clear if any harness driver can reach 20,000. Anthony Morgan ranks second with 17,051 wins, but at 64, it isn’t clear that he can roll up enough wins this late in his career. Behind Morgan among active drivers are Aaron Merriman (13,963), David Miller (13,696) and Tim Tetrick (12,863). All would need to continue their extraordinary success for extended periods to reach 20,000. As for passing Palone, forget that, as he likely will continue to pour it on.

As a youngster, Palone was active in the typical pursuits of youth. He played guitar in a rock band and got his first job setting pins at a local bowling alley. But when his father, Butch, took him to watch harness racing at The Meadows and actually purchased horses to race, the teenager was hooked on what would become his life’s work.

He persuaded the late Herman Hylkema, a Meadows-based trainer, to allow him to jog one of Butch’s horses. He learned much about the game from Hylkema, his first mentor, and began driving at The Meadows in 1982. That first year was unspectacular — 14 drives, no wins. But thanks to the patronage of trainers such as Mark Goldberg, he received both driving assignments and valuable advice.

He had 33 wins the next year, and he was on his way. He’s been the leading driver at The Meadows for 33 consecutive years, and he’s won at least 368 races for 31 straight years; both those streaks remain intact. His horses have banked more than $152.3 million in purses.

While he may be best known as King of the Meadows, Palone has thrived against national competition as well. A brief stint as a trainer at The Meadowlands brought him into contact with some of harness racing’s top conditioners; they responded by giving him the call on many of their equine stars.

That proved to be a productive partnership, as Palone won the 2005 Little Brown Jug, the sport’s most prestigious pace for 3-year-olds, with P-Forty-Seven. He also has won the Messenger, a jewel in pacing’s Triple Crown, and three Breeders Crown races. In 2007, he was the leading driver on the Grand Circuit, the touring showcase for the sport’s top young horses. He was inducted into the Harness Hall of Fame in 2010.

Perhaps his most important professional partnership was formed with The Meadows-based trainer Ron Burke, the sport’s all-time “winningest” conditioner, who has provided the horsepower for probably thousands of Palone’s wins. The phenomenon of harness racing’s “winningest” driver teaming with the “winningest” trainer has no equivalent in sports.

“We grew up 6 miles apart, and we’re very similar, in that I love to win and he loves to win,” Burke said. “But I don’t think I love to win as much as he does. He comes totally prepared for every race; that’s what separates him from other drivers.”

Added Palone: “Ron’s the greatest trainer that ever lived as far as what he can get horses to do. Not only can he train the top horses, the Sweet Lous, but I can’t tell you how many $4,000 claimers I’ve won for him. It’s been a fun run, and we’ve had a lot of success together. Hopefully we can still continue to win races together.”

Asked about the skills that have enabled him ton win 20,000 races, Palone cited “a really good sense of pace.”

“A lot of times I can pretty much smell out how the race will go in the middle of the first turn just by how much we’re traveling,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a long way to go from there, but I think a lot of races are won in positioning and getting your horses in the right spots without spending them too much. I like to think that I can win from any part of the racetrack.”

Others are more expansive, crediting his tireless preparation and physical and mental toughness.

“The mental aspect is just as hard to keep up as the physical. To do it at this level is an incredible feat, ” Campbell said.

Kim Hankins, MSOA executive director, noted that Palone is unusually well prepared for each drive.

“Most of the top drivers I’ve been around could tell you specifically not only what the horses they’re driving did the last three starts but also what every horse in the race did their last three starts — and how they were rigged,” Hankins said. “That’s pure horsemanship, and that’s David.”