Meadows notebook: More than 1,000 reasons for Altmeyer’s success
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By John Sacco
For the Observer-Reporter
The fact is, trainer and longtime staple at The Meadows, Dan Altmeyer, reached the 1,000-mark in training wins long ago.
Unofficially speaking.
Officially, the 69-year-old Altmeyer reached the 1,000 wins mark this past week at the North Strabane Township track.
According to statistics provided by the United States Trotting Association, Altmeyer just reached the milestone. However, the USTA only started tracking trainers in 1991.
Altmeyer began his career in 1973 and recorded his first driving victory at the York Fair in 1974, according to longtime track announcer and harness racing officiant Roger Huston. The victory came with Pat Way, who was owned by Eileen McCall. That driving career began in 1973 and concluded in 2004, resulting in nearly 700 wins. On the trainer side, Altmeyer’s career wins total is 1,865.
“It means a lot to me,” said Altmeyer. “Certainly, to win more than 1,800 races I’ve been surrounded by great people – trainers, caretakers, grooms and owners. No one can do a whole lot without support from others.”
In that time frame, Altmeyer conditioned six world champions, including Cambest, Sierra Kozmos, Michaels Western, Make A Success, Santastics Pam and Lookout Hanover. Another standout was Slick Pavement, who had $1 million in earnings.
Altmeyer’s 51-year career has seen at least 45 stake wins with two Pennsylvania Champions and 26 multiple-stake winners.
“Cambest is the best horse ever for me,” Altmeyer added. “He was the world’s fastest Standardbred, a record he held a long time.”
Huston said the amazing part of Altmeyer’s wins total is that his most single-season training victories is only 73.
“That says a lot about how steady and consistent he’s been. He’s never had a big stable. It’s a family operation. It’s the epitome of growing up in harness racing with family involvement.”
Altmeyer is the father of Heather Wilder and father-in-law of driver Mike Wilder.
He said the stables are combined and that the Wilders take care of about 90 percent of the stable during the summer while he and his wife, Ruth, travel. Altmeyer added that he takes care of about 50 percent of the stable during the winter.
“I started training horses before I was out of high school,” Altmeyer said. “Once you start, it’s hard to get out of your system.”
Wilder closes in
Wilder is on the verge of a milestone win. He entered this week seven wins shy of 9,000 career victories.
Stakes racing
The initial 2-year-old stake races of the season at The Meadows will take place Saturday. Freshmen filly trotters will compete in PA Sire Stake and PA Stallion Series action. Post time is 12:45 p.m.
Triple Crown races
The Yonkers Trot and the Grand Messenger Stakes, the opening legs of harness racing’s trotting Triple Crown, will be contested Friday night at Yonkers Raceway.
The $300,000 Yonkers Trot elimination winner, Bargain, will be driven by Yannick Gingras. Trainer Ake Svanstedt, in search of his fourth Yonkers Trot title, will rely on Flying Kronos S and Situationship from posts five and eight. Marcus Melander, a two-time winning trainer in the Yonkers Trot (2021 and 2023), has Security Protected.
Howlenthehills and Janelle Granny were the Grand Messenger Stakes elimination victors. Janelle Granny was driven by Tim Tetrick in the elimination but he has elected to go with Armada Hanover from post 1 in the final, putting George Brennan on Janelle Granny.
NOTE: Jeff Zidek, The Meadows’ track announcer, and Harnesslink.com contributed to this story.