Bill Gregg has named only one horse in his life and it is unlikely he will do it again. Not because the first time went badly, but because it might be impossible to duplicate the outcome
.
Gregg named a trotter in honour of his late father, Jim. The horse, Lucky Jim, merely won 17 of 18 races this year, earned $1 million, and equaled the all-age World Record for trotting on a mile track.
"I'd always wanted to name a horse after my dad," said Gregg, who was given the opportunity by Lucky Jim's other partners, David Prushnok and John Prushnok. "My dad never owned any racehorses, but he loved to go to the track. He wasn't a big bettor, he'd bet two bucks or five bucks, but he loved it.
"He died of cancer on Labor Day 2003. He was still watching races right up until the end. He loved harness racing."
Gregg owned horses in a partnership (FLG, which stood for Four Lucky Guys) in the mid-1990s, but got out of ownership for a few years before getting involved with the Prushnoks. Gregg, who is the president of Northeast Energy Management, and the Prushnoks are both in the energy business in western Pennsylvania.
"You couldn't ask for better partners," Gregg said. "Those guys are tops."
Lucky Jim showed flashes of talent his first two years at the races, but won only two of 20 races. He was gelded after his three-year-old season and turned over to the husband-and-wife team of Andy and Julie Miller for his driving and training.
On Monday, Lucky Jim was named harness racing's best older male trotter in Dan Patch Award voting. Lucky Jim's wins in 2009 included the $600,000 Breeders Crown and the $300,000 Nat Ray Invitational.
"We knew he was a good horse as a two and a three-year-old," Gregg said.
"He was a little bit crazy, but he showed extreme speed. He just couldn't put it all together. We gelded him and he matured. He looked like a different horse as a four-year-old.
"It was unbelievable. Nobody can expect a horse like that. It's the most exciting thing I've ever been through. It's the one great horse I've always wanted and never had. And just by coincidence it's named after my dad, which makes it even more special."
Gregg's mother, Nancy, and six siblings enjoy following Lucky Jim's exploits.
"When that horse is racing around the track, you'd think my dad was driving him," Gregg said. "My mother and family are so excited about the horse. It's a big kick."
None of the other family members can expect to have a horse named in their honour, though.
"The expectations would be too great if I tried to name another one," Gregg said, laughing. "I think anything would be a letdown after this."
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S.
Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com. *