Harry Harvey spent time as trainer/driver/breeder.
By: Ken Weingartner
With accomplishments dating back to the early 1950s, Harry Harvey wasn’t completely surprised when he learned last week that he was elected into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
But considering that nearly a half century has passed since he won the Hambletonian with Helicopter, he seemed happy to be remembered.
Mr. Harvey, 77, of Columbus, on July 7 will be inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, located in Goshen, N.Y.
He will be joined by driver Catello "Cat" Manzi, trainer/driver Jim Dennis, the late Curt Greene, who served as director of the Classic Series and held management positions at The Red Mile and Tattersalls Sale, and writer Ed Palladino.
"I knew I was up for the vote," Mr. Harvey said. "I’ve been around so long (but) what I did of importance was of another era. It was very pleasant to find out."
A native of Vermont, Mr. Harvey grew up around horses. His father worked with draft horses, which he had shipped from Canada and resold. They were used extensively during World War II. Mr. Harvey eventually became interested in racing through the fair circuit.
In 1947, Mr. Harvey left Vermont and got a job in Florida working with trainer/driver Tom Berry.
"I tried to get a job with him for a year, year and a half," Mr. Harvey said. "He was very prominent and seemed at the top of his game at that time. He was an excellent driver, a very talented guy. My initial assumption was correct. He didn’t tell you a lot, but you learned by observation.
"My idea was to learn from him and go back to Vermont, but I never went back."
After working with Mr. Berry for five years, Mr. Harvey landed a job as second trainer for Delvin Miller. In 1953, they teamed to win the Hambletonian with the filly Helicopter.
Mr. Harvey, then 29, was the youngest driver to date to win the great race. Helicopter made a break in the first heat and finished 17th, but rebounded to win the next two heats. In the decisive victory, she beat Kimberly Kid, driven by Mr. Berry.
"I trained with (Mr. Berry) but never beat him before," Mr. Harvey said. "But it was my time.
"Winning the Hambletonian was big for me. But it was part of a team effort."
In addition to his success on the track, Mr. Harvey was involved in helping the sport evolve on the farm. He managed Mr. Miller’s Meadow Lands Farm when Adios was the sport’s dominant pacing stallion, and wrote the farm management chapter in the original "Care and Training of the Trotter and Pacer."
He also developed, trained and drove Albatross until weeks before his 3-year-old campaign and drove and trained Lismore, the dam of winners of more than $3.9 million who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
Albatross won 14 of 17 starts as a 2-year-old, but was taken from Mr. Harvey and given to Stanley Dancer after the campaign. Albatross was named Horse of the Year in 1971 and 1972 and was the richest horse in the history of the breed at retirement with $1.2 million in earnings.
"Albatross was one of the better horses of all time," Mr. Harvey said. "He was just an outstanding horse. Not because of me, just because he was. Losing him was a big blow."
Mr. Harvey has retired from the sport, for now anyway.
"I’m not doing anything with horses, not that I’m not able, but the whole sport has changed," he said. "They’re breeding better horses. They’re precocious. It used to take more time for them to reach the level of speed they reach today.
"And guys are driving over 1,000 races a year now. You can’t compare someone who drives 10 times a month to someone who drives 1,000 races a year."
But even as the sport has changed, Mr. Harvey has had a hand in it through his roles with horses such as Adios, Albatross, Meadow Skipper and Lismore.
"The breed has advanced so much in the last 20 years," he said. "Those horses are a big part of it."
Turkey Trot
The Horse Park of New Jersey and the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association will present the fourth annual Turkey Trot pleasure ride/drive and pig/chicken roast from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Horse Park’s maintenance and construction of cross country jumps and hazards. The two organizations have joined together for the fund-raising effort to continually maintain and improve the quality of jumps and hazards for competitors.
The event will be held at the Horse Park, located on Route 524 in Upper Freehold, and the adjacent Assunpink Wildlife Area. Entries close Friday, Nov. 10.
Riders, in pairs, and drivers are invited to participate in the cross country pleasure pace. There will be separate courses for riders and drivers.
Each will choose a short course (6 miles) or long course (10-12 miles). An ideal pleasure time will be set for each course. The participants coming nearest to the ideal time in their division will win.
Divisions will include for riders: family, junior (18 years old and younger), senior (55 years old and older), English or Western; drivers can choose from senior, two-wheel or four-wheel divisions.
The exact course distance will be given out upon arrival show day at the secretary’s office. Fields, wooded trails, hills and dirt roads will make up the courses for both riders and drivers. For riders, there will be possibly two water crossings.
In addition, an obstacle course consisting of approximately eight obstacles will be set up for riders and drivers in the Horse Park’s main ring, located in front of the grandstand.
Riders, competing in pairs, will be joined by holding a four-foot piece of surveyor’s tape. If the tape breaks while on the course, elimination occurs.
Best time, after penalties incurred, are added to the elapsed time to determine the winner. Divisions will include drivers and riders. The "L-Turn Apple Toss" and "Wheel/Horse-Miss the Dummy" are some of the favorites on the course.
The chicken roast will be served at noon and is open to the public. Tickets for the roast are $20 per person. RSVP for the dinner by Nov. 10.
There also will be music, 4-H cloggers and vendors with arts, crafts and antiques.
Admission and parking are free for spectators.
For more information, call Helene Dunn at (732) 446-6245.

