Palone closing on Herve

[Headpole Dave]

[NIATROSS]

I would rather Palone have the record instead of Herve.

[tonyb147]

And Mr Palone is far from done. 

[Elgin]

Palone will deserve plenty of accolades for topping Herve, but the latter was our Wayne Gretzky, something steady as she goes Palone has never been. From the mid-sixties through the seventies it was Herve and everybody else. That

[Dolfan]

Elgin, I agree.  When I started watching harness racing in 1977, Carmine was easily the king of NY.  In fact, Herve was really never leading driver in NY from that point on which also means he didn't drive for the very best trainers (Buddy Reagan) & didn't have 3 or 4 to choose from in every race like Dave has.

That's a luxury you get at B & C tracks but not at A tracks.  Now I know Herve won plenty of races at Liberty Bell & Freehold & such but he was at YR & RR every night until they stopped him.

Truth is Palone has never really been a match for the top guns, some of whom he chased away from The Meadows, making many of their lives "miserable" to quote Brian Sears, but it is still a tremendous accomplishment.

[Elgin]

Yeah, Herve was a decidedly different kind of cat from Palone. In 1972, the year ended on a Sunday, and he was lusting after another record. He drove 10 in the afternoon and 10 more at night in a Monticello day-night doubleheader, and then drove at Dover on Sunday. He

[Just Saying]

Regardless of his warts, Herve could drive anything, anywhere, against anybody. You don't hold the dash winning record for all those decades by being lucky. Palone & Case have a hand for winning lots of races, but not against the best of the best every night.

[beans and weenies]

agree JS .

[Dolfan]

Herve had six winners at RR, matching a record held by Dancer, Insko, Sholty, Webster and Gilmour. Like Bear Bryant, he could beat yours with his or his with yours.

Didn't Jimmy Cruise also have something like 6 winners at RR one night?  Maybe in the late 50's?

Anyway, I was in the winner's circle for Lachance's record 7th winner, out of 11 races, at RR in 1987.  He & Robert Hiel (trained the winner) autographed the photo for me last year.  Neither could remember the occasion without my reminder.

[Elgin]

Didn't Jimmy Cruise also have something like 6 winners at RR one night?  Maybe in the late 50's?

Anyway, I was in the winner's circle for Lachance's record 7th winner, out of 11 races, at RR in 1987.  He & Robert Hiel (trained the winner) autographed the photo for me last year.  Neither could remember the occasion without my reminder.

Yes, Cruise did win six one night. It was 1958, when he won the driving title. It was an eight race card and he won on all six of his drives. But I think that may have been at Yonkers.

[Elgin]

What Cruise did with that cripple Earl Laird goes down as one of the top achievements in the history of the sport. His legs were so bad he didn't get to the track until he was six-years-old. Then he missed the following year due to injury. At age eight he beat Grandpa Jim, Carlisle and Flamboyant in the UN Trot, and also won the Maple Leaf. Cruise won about $500,000 with him in an era when they weren't handing out gobs of slots money for beating your tail around the track. A lot of that dough was earned the hard way over the NY twice arounds.

[pezz97]

When Dave Palone gets career win 15,000 at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, one of his biggest fans will be there to congratulate him.

Herve Filion holds the North American harness racing record of 15,180 career victories -- the mark Palone is chasing -- and will join the 15,000 watch. Filion plans to be in the winner's circle to celebrate with Palone when he reaches the career milestone.

Filion told The Meadows he

[LVGaryD]

You can love Dave Palone or hate Dave Palone, but he can flat out drive a horse. Dave has always been friendly to me, though he really doesn't know me. Of course he got slightly upset last time I talked to him when I pointed out that he ran over someone in the Adios in 2010. 

As I told Dave, I appreciate how he has turned Brett Miller from a good driver into a great driver. He's also helped a whole lot of other guys along the way. Most of the drivers currently racing at The Meadows are far better because they drive with Palone every day. Another thing I like about the guy: he does not use a whip that much.

 

[tonyb147]

Dave's first drive of the day Tuesday is on Meirs Hanover 

[Dolfan]

he has turned Brett Miller from a good driver into a great driver. He's also helped a whole lot of other guys along the way.

Are you saying he helped by being pro-active or just by racing against them?

Brett is possibly better than Palone, like Dave Miller & Brian Sears.