HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: TimTimTimbo on August 05, 2026, 10:45:35 PM
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I love watching good horses and as discussed here when Gillespie lost the horse, I found this article and the owners cam out and took the horse without even a phone call
Fuck those assholes, I hope he gets beat
I'm rooting for Dex but I think Endurance is going to be really tough
https://pressprosmagazine.com/2026/08/05/mccoy-gillespies-dream-turns-nightmare-overnight-loses-ride-in-hambletonian/
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Good trainer, but he insisted on driving, Another Matt Bax, I never understood these Trainers who insist on driving while the real drivers watch.
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Good trainer, but he insisted on driving, Another Matt Bax, I never understood these Trainers who insist on driving while the real drivers watch.
Well if that was the reason and they told him they wanted a good one to drive then I can understand.
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Absolutely sadistic.
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I see Banana Beach has a new trainer and driver too, another Gillespie horse, correct? Looked awful good at Lexington Tuesday.
I thought the article pulling out the race card was a bit much.
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I see Banana Beach has a new trainer and driver too, another Gillespie horse, correct? Looked awful good at Lexington Tuesday.
I thought the article pulling out the race card was a bit much.
Seemed like the writer threw that in, as RG was never quoted as saying that. I'm thinking the issue was the driving because that was mentioned more than once in the article.
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I love watching good horses and as discussed here when Gillespie lost the horse, I found this article and the owners cam out and took the horse without even a phone call
Fuck those assholes, I hope he gets beat
I'm rooting for Dex but I think Endurance is going to be really tough
https://pressprosmagazine.com/2026/08/05/mccoy-gillespies-dream-turns-nightmare-overnight-loses-ride-in-hambletonian/
He should be the betting favorite but I would love it if he goes off-stride at the start and is no factor. They ruined what could have been a great story. Give me Endurance.
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Seemed like the writer threw that in, as RG was never quoted as saying that. I'm thinking the issue was the driving because that was mentioned more than once in the article.
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Ronnie Gillespie is widely regarded as an elite, high-percentage driver, particularly within the regional circuits of the Midwest and South, such as Indiana and Mississippi, as well as the fair circuits.
While he may not hold the national media profile of drivers who race exclusively at major East Coast venues like the Meadowlands, his statistical record and reputation among trainers reflect top-tier driving talent.
Key Strengths & Career Profile
Exceptional Winning Percentage: One of Gillespie's defining traits is his UDRS (Universal Driver Rating System) score and win percentage. He routinely posts win rates well above average, frequently out-driving the odds on horses that aren't market favorites.
Master of the Fair and Regional Circuits: He has been a dominant force in state-bred stakes and county fair circuits—environments that require quick decision-making on shorter tracks (like half-mile tracks) where post position and early positioning are critical.
Aggressive, Front-Running Style: Gillespie is known for getting horses off the gate cleanly and placing them in commanding early positions. His ability to judge pace on the front end makes him exceptionally difficult to catch once he controls the tempo.
High Versatility: In addition to driving, Gillespie has a deep background as a trainer. Drivers who also train tend to have a better feel for a horse's physical limits, allowing them to manage a horse's energy efficiently throughout a mile.
While drivers who compete daily on the major Grand Circuit tracks accumulate higher overall purse earnings due to bigger race pots, Ronnie Gillespie is universally respected as a "horseman's driver"—a sharp, highly effective driver who maximizes the potential of almost every horse he sits behind.
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He should be the betting favorite but I would love it if he goes off-stride at the start and is no factor. They ruined what could have been a great story. Give me Endurance.
I agree. I can see if you have a horse like this and a once in a lifetime chance to win the Hambo you might want to go with a top driver, but at the very least you have the courtesy to call Gillespie and explain to him what is going on. To show up unannounced to take the horse is very classless. And throw the guy a few $$$, he made the horse what he is and deserves it. What a terrible way to treat someone.
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I agree. I can see if you have a horse like this and a once in a lifetime chance to win the Hambo you might want to go with a top driver, but at the very least you have the courtesy to call Gillespie and explain to him what is going on. To show up unannounced to take the horse is very classless. And throw the guy a few $$$, he made the horse what he is and deserves it. What a terrible way to treat someone.
If they can do it to Billy Haughton, they can do it to anyone.
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Would love to hear the owner's side of the story. The truth will be somewhere in between that and RG's story. I'm guessing they didn't like the mile he put on Big Ranger for no real reason and said that's enough before he burns him out. Just a guess.
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I heard a different story. I heard RG suggested Ranger sent to Annette for several reasons. I also heard RG gets % of what the horse makes. So I dont believe the article is accurate. How did i know Ranger was going with Annette the next morning before RG knew about it. The person that told me thought he was sold and that was the reason at first. RG story let him tell it like he wants it told. Bottom line RG deserves all credit for the horse.
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I agree. I can see if you have a horse like this and a once in a lifetime chance to win the Hambo you might want to go with a top driver, but at the very least you have the courtesy to call Gillespie and explain to him what is going on. To show up unannounced to take the horse is very classless. And throw the guy a few $$$, he made the horse what he is and deserves it. What a terrible way to treat someone.
The industry lost a chance for a great story.
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Had the horse been in my barn in the way he did, he would have left minus 2 inches of toe on the left front! 73cv.2
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The industry lost a chance for a great story.
Agree, but what else is new.
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After watching Bobble's drive on Beau Jangles on Monday does that change your mind that you wouldn't want someone who may not be able to handle the pressure of the Hambo ??
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Had the horse been in my barn in the way he did, he would have left minus 2 inches of toe on the left front! 73cv.2
You want to cripple the horse because you don't like the owner.
SHAME ON YOU!
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You want to cripple the horse because you don't like the owner.
SHAME ON YOU!
I was thinking the same thing. Just kick the owner's ass. Horse didn't do anything wrong.
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I see Banana Beach has a new trainer and driver too, another Gillespie horse, correct? Looked awful good at Lexington Tuesday.
I thought the article pulling out the race card was a bit much.
turned down 800k
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no need for the comment about color to be in the article
writer had no information to back that up
irresponsible journalism
just trying to stir shit up with a comment like that
also ronnie said he would send big ranger to another trainer and he would continue to drive him
i think he had that backwards, had he said he would continue to train but get a top catch driver he might still have the horse
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Good trainer, but he insisted on driving, Another Matt Bax, I never understood these Trainers who insist on driving while the real drivers watch.
They knew that was part of the deal. He made them a lot of money and produced many good horses for them. If he was mine I might feel the same way about a top driver but I don't think I could ever pull the horse. Blair Burgess won the Hambo 2X and I think I remember people like John Campbell and others there.
As for Ronnie getting a percentage I believe that is untrue, they should give him a breeding share regardless of this article.
My guess is on Big Ranger is somebody gone in Madison Globals ear that if they won the Hambo he would be worth tons at a stallion and somehow that's how he got moved. But that's speculation.
The bottom line is Ronnie picked out and trained Sugar Instead, , Banana Beach,Big Ranger., plus OHSS 3 yo with Alagna My Boy Pank.
The people who moved Banana Beach did not even talk to him at all from what I have heard. It doesn't make a lot of sense because if you meet Ronnie he is as nice as can be. He trains horses very hard and those owners I believe are thoroughbred people and wanted their horses in a top looking farm looking great. So it makes sense they chose a first class operation like Pinske's.
Pinske, does a fine job and heard only good things about him but he has never developed anything like Sugar Instead, Banana Beach and Big Ranger if i'm not mistaken.And they spent way more money trying to do so.
Those 3 horses the owners spent 51K and have made 1.7 million in purses. ++++++ Big Ranger as stud? Banana Beach and Sugar Instead babies ? add probably 1-2 million to that number. And they are all still racing. Any owner would be happy to get one of them in a lifetime.
Big Ranger IMO is a freak. He will win the Hambo. People can do with their horses what they want. But the optics aren't the best.