Heyden Stat Pack: Bill O'Donnell

Meadowlands Racetrack statistician Bob 'Hollywood' Heyden is renowned for crunching numbers. Today, on the 61st birthday of Hall of Fame driver Bill O'Donnell, Heyden has examined some of the 'firsts' of one of the most accomplished pilots in standardbred racing

history.

O'Donnell, who recently stepped down as president of the Ontario Harness Horse Association, has scores of stakes victories under his belt and the respect of an industry. In his career, O'Donnell has steered his mounts to over $98 million in purses earnings and over 5,700 wins.

As Heyden points out, O'Donnell is truly a man of many firsts.

• First $10 million driving season (1985).
• First man to have a 10-win and $1 million day -- August 16, 1984: Five wins at Springfield during the day and five at the Meadowlands at night. Total take: $1.44 million, which is still the one day driving record today.
• First-ever drive on Nihilator came in the 1984 Woodrow Wilson, which went for a purse of $2,161,000, still the No. 1 richest standardbred race ever held. Nihilator won in world record time 1:52.4.
• First man to lower the Meadowlands' track record under 1:53 (1:52.4 in June 1982 with Genghis Khan).
• First man to win a race -- anywhere -- in under 1:52 (1:51.4, Genghis Khan, August 1982, world record).
• First man to win a race in under 1:50 (Nihilator, 1:49.3, 8/3/85 -- note -- this came right after he won the Hambletonian with Prakas, also in record time).
• First man to win a race in under 1:49 (1:48.2, June 19, 1993 with Staying Together in a Driscoll elim [now the Haughton]).
• First and only man to time trial in 1:46.1 (Cambest 8/19/93).
• Last man to drive two Horses of the Year to victory on the same day (8/16/84, Fancy Crown [1984 winner] during the day and Nihilator [1985 winner] that night in the Wilson).
• First and only man to win the 'big three' in the Wilson (the final and both consolations-on the same card) in 1984. Not only did he win the $2,161,000 richest event ever held, but he was relentless in taking the $150,000 and $100,000 consolations.

Happy Birthday Bill O'Donnell!

(With files from Bob Heyden)