Joe Adamsky was one of the top harness racing drivers in Ohio during the 1980s and 1990s, finishing his career with 2,707 victories and more than $11.42 million in earnings.

Adamsky was born on Feb. 29, 1936, in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Rochester, Michigan. While he enjoyed going to the gym, his true passion was training and racing horses. [More...]

George Herman Alber was born on February 6, 1905, in Marion, Ohio, and was a highly respected businessmen and longtime owner/breeder. His top horses included the trotting mare Sara Rodney and Sara Flo.

He was the owner/operator of the Marion Plant Life Fertilizer Services, which he founded in 1937, and upon his death donated more than $32 million to Marion-area charities and organizations, including the Matinee Club Barn at the Marion County Fairgrounds.

A proud graduate of Ohio State University, he was a varsity football player and obtained a Business Administration degree. When he died, Alber directed that the remainder of his estate would provide scholarships for students to attend Ohio State’s Marion Campus. [More...]

Long before William O’Donnell, Mike Lachance, and Tim Tetrick made ‘catch driving’ the norm in harness racing, it was a small, but powerful, five-foot, two-inch native of Delaware, Ohio, that would set the bar for future catch drivers.

Hugh Bell was born on July 27, 1902, and won his first race at the Delaware County Fair in Powell, Ohio, at the age of 14.

Despite his natural driving ability, Bell gained more press and notoriety as an amateur wrestler. “Farmer Boy” Bell was a welterweight champion who would take on competitors from Ohio and neighboring states.

When his mat career ended, he would go on to start his own public stable with Saunders Mills Stable of Toledo as his main client. Bell scored his first and only sub-2:00 mile with the Mills Stable’s Thunderclap in 1952.

In the mid-1950s, Bell served as an assistant trainer to John Simpson. [More...]

Known as the greatest harness racing horseman from Portage County, Ohio, Ned Bower became one of the top trainers and drivers in the U.S.

Bower was born on Aug. 9, 1923, in Ravenna, Ohio. During his childhood, he was a member of the Ravenna Mounted Boy Scout Troop and trained jumpers for Sterling Smith. [More...]

Earl Bowman was born March 21, 1925, in Burbank, Ohio, to Earl and Macy Bowman.

Earl Bowman was training saddlebred horses and was introduced to Elbridge Moxley. That meeting eventually led to a 50-plus year partnership between Bowman and Moxley and his Moxley Meadows.

One of the products of their relationship was the fine mare Jane Brewer, who made her mark as a broodmare. She produced 17 foals, all of which made it to the races with 16 taking records.

In an amazing bit of history, four of Jane Brewer's foals -- About Time, All Time, Arrival Time, and Another Time -- all won on one afternoon card at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, all in under 2:00.

Bang The Door ($257,844), Ruff Door ($213,212), Perfect Door ($203,353), Cervantes Osborne ($123,553) and Sweet Potato Chips ($129,993) were among the many fine horses that Bowman trained during his career.

Bowman’s personal favorite was About Time, who earned $160,540 racing from age 2 through 14. [More...]

Gabe Cartnal was elected as a Hall of Fame Immortal in 1985 and as an Ohio Hall of Fame Immortal in 2001.

He was born in 1888, and the Ohio native's career spanned 60 years as a trainer, driver, and breeder of harness horses.

Cartnal acquired his early reputation as an accomplished reinsman with pacers, starting at the county fairs. He soon became successful racing horses such as Patchen Boy, Joe Watts, and Wilma on the Grand Circuit. One of his most notable early wins was the $25,000 Kalamazoo Derby, then a premier pacing event, with the great mare Prue Grattan. [More...]

Born in Moscow, Russia, John Caton was the son of Hall of Famer Will Caton.

The young Caton began jogging horses in the late 1920s as a teen.

In 1957, he captured his first of three Northfield Park driving titles.

He continued to drive into his early 60s, until a serious racing accident left him in a wheelchair for a number of months.

Caton was enshrined on Northfield Park’s Wall of Fame in 1992 and was elected to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an Immortal in 2008.

Honored by the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association with a Special Service award in 1977 and inducted into the Ohio Harness Racing Immortal Hall of Fame in 1998, Riley Couch was a longtime starting judge. At 74 years old, he celebrated his 50th year in the sport of harness racing in 1966 at Scioto Downs. That year, he worked nine Ohio county fairs and the Scioto meet.

Described as friendly, reasonable, and diplomatic, Couch had a knack for anticipating tricky situations and solving them before they presented more difficult problems. [More...]

Jeffrey Lynn Cox was a well-respected trainer of more than 45 years at Northfield Park. He was known for his honesty, integrity, and knowledge. His work ethic was often mimicked by his horses.

He conditioned eight Ohio Sires Stakes champions, including the three-time champ Crisp Sahbra, Money Battle, Ro Julie, and Sweet Traditions. [More...]

Henry Critchfield was active in harness racing for half a century. Along with his brother, L. Robert Critchfield, he bred many winners over the years at Gay Acres near Wooster, Ohio.

Critchfield was a standout football player at Wooster High School and went on to become an All-American center at Wooster College. [More...]

James “Bill” Dailey was born on June 6, 1960, in Jamestown, Ohio, and began his career in harness racing at just 16 years old. From those early beginnings, his lifelong passion for Standardbred horses led him to remarkable success as an owner, trainer, and driver, and ultimately to his place among Ohio harness racing’s immortals.

Beginning in the late 1970s, Dailey recorded at least 1,200 training wins and amassed career purse earnings exceeding $12.3 million. As a driver, he made 2,301 trips to the winner’s circle, showcasing his versatility in the sport.

Dailey was instrumental in developing elite talent, producing six Ohio Triple Crown winners along with numerous Ohio and Indiana Sires Stakes champions. [More...]

James E. “Jim” Ewart was one of harness racing’s most respected and best-known race secretaries.

Ewart was born on May 3, 1939, in Greenup, Illinois, and grew up in a harness racing family. He graduated from Cumberland High School, where he held several basketball records, and went on to graduate from the University of Illinois, where he lettered in basketball. [More...]

The one-word epitaph for James K. Hackett would be ‘unpretentious.’

Long recognized in harness racing as a keen judge of yearlings, a fine trainer and a journeyman driver, “Rocky” - as he was known to his friends on the Grand Circuit - was, perhaps, modest to a fault.

From a respected family where harness horse were a way of life, Hackett took his victories and losses in stride. The son of a Madison County farmer, he compiled a brilliant, decoration-filled World War II record but was quick to hide his ribbons, medals, and citations and returned to the sales ring, training barn, and sulky.

Having apprenticed under William "Doc" McMillen, Hackett resumed operation of his public stable in 1946 and furthered his education under one of the sport’s greatest teachers, his father-in-law, Wayne "Curly" Smart.

The highlight of Hackett's driving/training career was a straight-heat win in the 1967 Little Brown Jug with Sam Huttenbauer’s colt, Best Of All. [More...]

Known by many as the “First Lady of Harness Racing,” LaVerne Hill, alongside husband Charlie, founded and operated Scioto Downs for 48 years and owned the Hill Farms breeding facility.

Hill was born in Hays, Kansas, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout her life, she maintained a love of horses and served in top capacities in a variety of equine-related groups. She was president of the Mid American Racing Association and president and C.E.O. [More...]

Grand Circuit trainer-driver Lou Huber Jr., a native of Cincinnati, was a regular at the Ohio fairs and raceways. He developed and campaigned such top stars as Sampson Direct, Claire Sampson, Uncle Sam, Peter Lobell, Mix Hanover, Canny Imp, Coal Smoke, Economist, RD’s Bret, Diamond Sam, and Bombsight.

Huber Jr. started driving and training horses in 1938 and was in private stable employment from 1950 through 1963. [More...]

Samuel Huttenbauer was a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. After he graduated from Harvard University, he joined the wholesale meat business, E. Huttenbauer & Son, that had been in his family since it was founded in the late 1880s.

Huttenbauer served in the Army Quartermaster Corps during World War I. [More...]

Born on April 28, 1896, in New Holland, Ohio, McKinley Kirk was a successful farmer, livestock dealer, salesman, and banker and one of the sport's all-time leading drivers. He bought his first horse when he was 44 and began his driving career in 1944 at the age of 48.

During his driving career, Kirk prepared and drove four world champions — Hodgen, Floating Dream, Pleasant Surprise, and Flaming Arrow. He owned or shared in the ownership of all the horses he drove. [More...]

Byron D. Kuth, prominent breeder and owner, was selected as the 2010 Ohio Hall of Fame Immortal.

Kuth was best known as the owner of Merrie Annabelle, the first juvenile trotting filly to win in 2:00. Shortly after that miraculous effort at Lexington, Kentucky, the roan filly was injured and later died from her injuries. [More...]

Joe Lighthill was greatly admired for his commitment and talent with horses, finishing his career with 2,272 driving wins and over $6.98 million in earnings. He received numerous accolades, including the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Harness Horsemen’s Association in recognition of his extraordinary career in harness racing.

Lighthill was born on April 22, 1928, in Deshler, Ohio, and was raised in a well-known harness racing family. His father, Clinton Lighthill, was the breeder of Hall of Famer Gene Abbe. [More...]

Joe Marsh Jr. was known as one of the leading drivers on the North American continent. Competing at Roosevelt, Yonkers, Liberty Bell, Washington Park, Hazel Park, Wolverine, and The Meadows as well as Sportsman's Park, Maywood, Aurora Downs, and Hollywood Park throughout his career, he drove at least 100 winners per season from 1960 through 1994 and was the first American driver to win the World Driving Championship in 1974.

Marsh Jr. [More...]

Charles Edwin “Ed” Mullinax entered the harness racing business in 1993 as a breeder and owner of Standardbreds, including 2005 Little Brown Jug winner P Forty Seven and Dragon Again, who finished with over $2.3 million in career earnings. While Mullinax made a name for himself in harness racing, he is best remembered for his success in automobile sales.

Mullinax was born on April 4, 1933, in Ellijay, Georgia, but spent most of his life in Ohio. He graduated from Stow (Ohio) High School in 1952, earning eight varsity letters in football, baseball, and basketball. [More...]

Richard “Dick” Neville was a well-known farrier of 60 years. Originally from Franklin, Indiana, Neville was a fixture at Scioto Downs for over 48 years and performed his trade during the Grand Circuit meet in Lexington, Kentucky, as well as the winter meet at Pompano Park.

The list of luminaries Neville shared his skills with are long and impressive with the likes of Hall of Famers Delvin Miller, Stanley Dancer, Howard Beissinger, George Sholty, Gene Reigle and Joe O’Brien. While the number of equine stars he shod are too numerous to list, it includes Albatross, Super Bowl, Delmonica Hanover, Most Happy Fella, Sonsam, French Chef, Happy Motoring and Western Hanover – earning a nickname of “Shoer to the Stars.”

“Not too bad for a short, bald-headed guy from Indiana, eh?”

Mr. [More...]

Former Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes will always be remembered for, among his many accomplishments in public life and service, the great support he gave to harness racing and the Standardbred sport.

Rhodes, who served an unprecedented four terms as the state's chief executive, followed the sport with as much interest as during his days in the Ohio Statehouse.

Much of the credit for the Ohio Sires Stakes program, established in 1976, can be directly attributed to Rhodes' efforts. He signed legislation that led to the creation of the program, which has won national recognition. [More...]

C.M. Saunders was elected into the Ohio Harness Racing Immortal Hall of Fame in 2010.

Saunders campaigned several of the sport’s top performers in the 1940s and 1950s under the banner of the Saunders Mills Stable of Toledo.

He scored back-to-back Kentucky Futurity victories in 1948 and 1949 with Egan Hanover and Bangaway and owned top pacers Goose Bay, Stormyway, Sea Eagle and Thunderclap.

Saunders died in 1979 at the age of 84.

John “Red” and Betty Shaw, recognized by industry peers throughout the Midwest for their over 40 years of involvement in racing, were elected as Hall of Fame Immortals in 2026.

Mr. Shaw was raised on a farm in Newcomerstown, was a member of 4-H, and worked showing cattle in New Philadelphia, Sunbury, and finally Mt. Vernon, where he met and married Betty, a partnership that lasted 50 years, coinciding with “Red’s” new business, John Red Shaw Auctioneer, which he operated for 52 years.

It was in Knox County where “Red” and Betty formed a liking for Harness Racing, that started at the local county fairs, which led to attending and purchasing at horse sales throughout the region. [More...]

A noted owner, trainer, and driver of Standardbred harness horses, Harry Short is perhaps best known for his association with Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame trotter B.F. Coaltown.

Short, a native of Chillicothe, Ohio, started driving when he was 10 years old and competed against the likes of Tom Murphy, Fred Egan, Ben White, Pop Geers, and Vic Fleming. He was the runner-up in the 1940 Hambletonian with Remus. [More...]

George A. Smallsreed Jr. was one of harness racing's greatest photographers.

His feather-adorned cowboy hats and turquoise jewelry made him easy to pick out in a crowd. [More...]

Pius Soehnlen was a great trainer and driver who gained fame with the great trotter Dream Of Glory.

Dream Of Glory won 50 of 86 career starts, was a four-time Dan Patch Award-winner, and set world records before becoming a dominant trotting sire in Ontario, Canada. He won the Old Oaken Bucket at Delaware, Ohio, as a 3-year-old, was a world champion at 5, and went on to earn nearly $500,000 in his career. Dream Of Glory won divisional honors at 3, 4, and 5 years old and was enshrined in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1993, a year after his death.

Soehnlen bred and campaigned many other champions over the years, including Stoneking, Fence Post, Proxies Garland, Preshlash and Kick A Lot. [More...]

An Ohio native, Harry Stokes was born in 1876.

He began driving and racing trotters on half-mile tracks throughout the state. His first "good drive" was in 1920, when he substituted for Tom Murphy, who, due to injury, could not take his seat that day behind Arion Guy and Peter Manning.

Stokes' judgement of driving was excellent, and he earned a good reputation as one of the ablest, most lighthanded and clever race drivers on the Grand Circuit.

Active on the nation's racetracks for over four decades, Stokes was associated with the Good Time Stable in Goshen, New York, for a number of years, as well as with other stables.

Stokes died in 1939 in Springfield, Ohio.

He was elected to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an Immortal in 1976 and was inducted to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an Immortal in 2004.

Biography provided by the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame.

Eddie Wheeler was highly respected by his peers as a horseman and driver. He trained and drove the great trotter Duke Rodney, winner of the Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity, two of the Triple Crown legs in 1961. He also drove such greats as Cardigan Bay, Gold Worthy, Meadow Skipper, Sprite Rodney, and Steady Star and trained Big John.

Wheeler was born on Jan. [More...]

A significant contributor to harness racing, Lewis “Lew” Williams was one of the most popular trainer-drivers in the business and became the first African American to be inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

Williams was born on March 1, 1947, in Cadiz, Ohio, and developed an interest in Standardbred racehorses through his grandfather, Clyde Williams. He began following the sport after school and during summer recesses and received his first racehorse, the trotting mare Dugo Silver Girl, from his grandfather when he was 14 years old. Two years later, at age 16, he won his first two races driving Dugo Silver Girl on the Ohio county fair circuit.

In 1963, Williams left school to work with horses at various racing stables and soon became the most successful African American in the primarily Caucasian world of harness racing. [More...]