One of the state’s most respected trainer/drivers, Dave Rankin has been selected as the 37th inductee into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in balloting of the
Ohio Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association.
The Breman, Ohio native was a driving force on the Ohio Sire Stake and fair circuits for nearly 40 years. Through 2010, Rankin’s green, gold and white silks graced the winner’s circle over 2,646 times and earned over $12.5 million.
Rankin conditioned Barefoot Hanover ($535,604), Gramarian ($425,218), Cyrano De Bergorac ($319,665), Pedro Island ($218,660) and Fan Anna ($178,975).
Rankin, 64, has been battling health issues the past few years and those issues have curtailed his training in recent years.
Rankin will be formally inducted during the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Banquet on Saturday, January 15, 2011 in Dublin, Ohio. For ticket information please contact the OHHA at (800) 353-6442.
The Ohio Chapter of the USHWA also has tapped C.M. Saunders into the Immortal Hall of Fame; Saccharum into the Standardbred Hall of Fame; Barry Conrad as the winner of the Rambling Willie Award for the Ohioan who has done the most for harness racing over the past two decades; Ron Potter as the recipient of the Winner’s Circle Award for the Ohioan who has achieved outstanding accomplishments in the past year; and Tyler Smith to receive the Peter Haughton Memorial Award as the young Ohioan who is an up-and-coming star among harness horsemen.
C. M. Saunders campaigned several of the sport’s top performers in the 1940s and 1950s under the banner of the Saunders Mills Stable of Toledo. Saunders scored back-to-back Kentucky Futurity victories in 1948 and 1949 with Egan Hanover and Bangaway. Saunders also owned top pacers Goose Bay, Stormyway, Sea Eagle and Thunderclap. Saunders died in 1979 at the age of 84.
Saccharum was one of the state’s grittiest distaffers from 1984 – 1988. The two-time Ohio Horse of the Year finished on the board in 81 of 120 career starts and earned more than $805,000 during her career. The daughter of Sugar Tree was bred by Jan Wulf and Bill Walters and was campaigned during her two and three-year-old seasons by Dr. Dale Walters and Frances DeMayo. As a broodmare, Saccharum produced 14 foals including the Cleveland Classic champ Salinas Hanover ($290,869) and Gamebreaker ($119,327) for the famed Hanover Shoe Farm.
Conrad, the owner of Conrad Photo, started in the mid 1970s shooting races at Scioto Downs. In 2010, Conrad Photography served as the track photographer at Scioto Downs, Lebanon Raceway, Raceway Park, Beulah Park, the Delaware County Fairgrounds and 28 other Ohio fairs. Conrad also has dabbled in owning and breeding standardbreds for more than 25 years.
Despite a limited stable, Potter enjoyed his greatest season as a conditioner posting a .403 UTRS and over $455,000 in season earnings. Potter, a native of Delaware, Ohio, trained the $145,000 International Stallion Stake and $129,000 Bluegrass Stake winning Big Bad John ($222,750) and a pair of top Ohio performers, Doc’s Yankee ($129,472) and Cruise On Ashley ($50,874).
In 2010, the 17-year-old Tyler Smith showed that he can compete with the state’s top reinsmen. The Washington Court House native scored 79 seasonal wins and posted more than $165,000 in earnings this season on the Ohio fair circuits. Smith’s greatest triumph came in the $15,000 Fayette County Classic by guiding Total Revenge to an upset victory at his hometown fair.
(USHWA)