Last seen in action more than two years ago, U.S. Hall of Fame driver Brian Sears made a return to the racebike in qualifying action on Saturday, March 28.
Sears, a winner of 10,424 races with more than $216 million in career purses, last recorded a raceline of any kind on Nov. 18, 2023 at The Meadowlands. Over the course of 2024, many in harness racing expected to see Sears back in the sulky at some point.
That didn't happen.
Just over one year ago, Sears provided TROT Magazine with an exclusive interview on his hiatus, and his status.
“There was part of me that felt like it was time to step away, but I wasn’t 100 per cent certain,” Brian told TROT Magazine in March 2025. “Look, I’ve done this my entire life, I’ve been grateful for every single opportunity I’ve gotten, and I’m especially grateful for what this game has given me… Stepping away from basically the only thing I knew my entire life was one of the hardest things, believe me.
“I stepped away quietly because it was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do, and to be quite honest with you, I was still trying to cope with everything,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to speak with any publication because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing, and the thought of a ‘retirement speech’ just didn’t sit well with me."
There's still no speech, but Sears sat behind a few horses during the qualifying session at Sunshine Meadows in Florida on Saturday to record his first charted lines in 861 days. Sears was the driver of record for a pair of three-year-olds: Travis Alexander trainee Dreamers Due and Hunter Oakes pupil Really Bright.
A maiden after three freshman starts, Dreamers Due finished fourth for Sears in his second appearance of the season. Really Bright posted a much more impressive rookie campaign with a 4-3-3 summary from 10 appearances, and that son of Tall Dark Stranger - Economy Terror (a horse Sears used to drive regularly) closed in :25.4 in his first sophomore appearance to trip the timer in 1:55.4, finishing third by a length.
Sears told Trot Insider on Saturday afternoon that his racelines aren't an indication of a plan for a regular return to active competition.
"I've been in Florida for a few days, just enjoying sitting behind a few and enjoying what I really always loved to do," said Sears. "I think we all originally got into this game because it was fun. And it still is."
(Standardbred Canada)