Bill O'Donnell
Encyclopedia
William Arthur O'Donnell (born May 4, 1948 in Springhill, Nova Scotia
, Canada) is a prominent harness racer
.
O'Donnell's parents, Etta and Henry, were both heavily involved in the local racing circuit. After graduating from high school, he became second trainer for Jim Doherty, and moved to Saratoga, New York
, where in 1979 he set the all-time record for most wins (269) at a single track in a single season. Later he went to the Meadowlands
in New Jersey
on the Grand Circuit.
O'Donnell was given the nickname "Magic" for being able to drive a horse seemingly past its limitations. He was named Harness Tracks of America's Driver of the Year in 1984, a year when he set a yearly earnings record of over $9 million. In a race in 1984 with Nihilator, O'Donnell was the first to post a sub-1:50 race mile. The next year, he became harness racing's first driver to eclipse $10 million in earnings in a single year. He returned to Canada in 2001.
He has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
(1992), the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1986), and the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY (1991).
Springhill, Nova Scotia
-Coal mining:The first industrial coal mining in the area took place in the 1870s after a rail connection was built by the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal and Railway Company to the newly completed Intercolonial Railway at neighbouring Springhill Junction....
, Canada) is a prominent harness racer
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
.
O'Donnell's parents, Etta and Henry, were both heavily involved in the local racing circuit. After graduating from high school, he became second trainer for Jim Doherty, and moved to Saratoga, New York
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
, where in 1979 he set the all-time record for most wins (269) at a single track in a single season. Later he went to the Meadowlands
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
on the Grand Circuit.
O'Donnell was given the nickname "Magic" for being able to drive a horse seemingly past its limitations. He was named Harness Tracks of America's Driver of the Year in 1984, a year when he set a yearly earnings record of over $9 million. In a race in 1984 with Nihilator, O'Donnell was the first to post a sub-1:50 race mile. The next year, he became harness racing's first driver to eclipse $10 million in earnings in a single year. He returned to Canada in 2001.
He has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
(1992), the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1986), and the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY (1991).