Tony Hall notched career win 5,000 Saturday at The Meadows when he piloted Political Cash to victory in the 13th race. It was Hall’s fifth victory on the card, making the day productive as well as historic.
Hall, 38, grew up in Carlisle, Ohio near Lebanon Raceway, where he began his career and won several driving titles. He moved from Lebanon to Northfield Park and relocated to The Meadows in 2006. He recalls those early days as a struggle.
“It was a day-to-day grind back then, just trying to survive and make enough to keep afloat,” he said. “I really didn’t have a plan until I came here, started traveling quite a bit and driving a lot of horses.”
Hall, who currently ranks second in purses and third in UDRS at The Meadows, recorded career win 4,000 in January 2014.
“That 5,000th win was kind of a goal for me,” he said. “It’s a number I’ve looked forward to, and it came a little quicker than I thought it would. It’s a good thing for sure.”
Hall resides in Washington and operates a four-horse stable with his wife Ashley. He indicated he doesn’t expect to change his routine in the near future.
“Eventually, I’ll go more towards training,” he said. “For now, my wife and I will keep a small barn, and I’ll keep driving the way I’ve been driving and see where it goes from there.”
The Meadows and The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association (MSOA) staged their annual “Pink Out” Saturday to aid cancer awareness and treatment with events that included a pair of $22,000 benefit races.
War Chief captured the “Pink Out for Cancer Trot” while Dapper Dude took the companion pace.
War Chief was jumping to the elite class after a series of mixed-bag wins at fairgrounds and in raceway conditioned events. Tougher company proved no problem for the five-year-old Royal Palm-Screamen Indian gelding, who unleashed his characteristic rally for owner/trainer/driver Ammon Hershberger to down Chef Lee by a head in 1:55.3 on a “good” surface. The first-over See The Wind finished third.
Dapper Dude zipped to the front from post 2 for Aaron Merriman and easily parried several challenges, scoring in 1:52.2. The pocket-sitting Unlocked was 3/4 lengths back in second, with Atta Boy Dan a closing third. Bill Bercury conditions Dapper Dude, a seven-year-old son of The Panderosa-Dress To Suggest who boosted his career bankroll to $994,110, for Renee Bercury.
(The Meadows)