Palone drives to victory No. 18,000
Dave Palone celebrates at The Meadows Wednesday after winning his 18,000 career race.
Palone
MEADOW LANDS – Dave Palone, harness racing’s all-time winningest driver, continues to go where nobody has gone before, as he collected career victory No. 18,000 Wednesday at The Meadows. The landmark win came with Outburst in the 11th race.
“It’s pretty gratifying,” said Palone, who boasts more than $135 million in career purses. “I’m starting to reflect on all the years, all the hard work and all the things that had to go right. I’ve been very lucky – pretty much injury free although I’ve had some serious accidents. But I was able to bounce back and have all the great opportunities I’ve had.”
The milestones have come at a rapid pace for Palone, who in 2010 was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Among the recent highlights:
• July 5, 2012 – Palone notches career win No. 15,181 to pass the late Herve Filion as North America’s all-time leading driver.
• Sept. 24, 2013 – Palone scores career victory No. 16,000 at The Meadows, his home track throughout his career.
• Nov. 14, 2014 – The Rices Landing native secures career win No. 16,754 to supplant Germany’s Heinz Wewering as the winningest driver in the world – and accepts videotaped congratulations from the gracious Wewering.
• May 13, 2015 – Career win No. 17,000 comes at The Meadows.
A competitive nature always has been a dominant theme of Palone’s career. These days, he acknowledges that he’s mellowed ever so slightly.
“I can’t say I’m as intense as I was in my 30s. I’m a little more laid back now, enjoying things like golfing and the kids. But when I put my helmet on for the first, I’m ready to go and as intense as ever.”
At 55, he continues to maintain a full driving schedule, although he’s dialed back his workload a bit. United States Trotting Association records indicate that Palone had 2,827 drives in 2008, a career high. His 2016 total was 2,036, and he’s on pace for about that this year. He’s carving out a little more time for golf and family activities, including supporting his wife Bethann and daughters at their barrel racing competitions.
“You would love to have the pick of the litter and the cream of the crop every day,” Palone said. “I’ve been giving myself breaks now and then when it doesn’t look like the opportunities (for wins) present themselves. I’ll take half a day or a golf day or do something with the kids. For the most part, it’s been 35 years of nose to the grindstone and showing up every day and getting it done.”
He doesn’t anticipate doing anything differently in the immediate future.
“I don’t really have any plans except to show up and race every day,” Palone said. “I just hope to stay healthy and able to compete at the top level and win races. I’m still having fun with it. It’s like any other sport: when you fail to produce, you’ll know when it’s time to go.”