The 11,000 win club and the almost unparalleled greatness of Wally Hennessey

[Generation XYZ]

Carmine, the red man, was known to be the cheapest sob that ever sat in a sulky. Believe it or not it wasn’t sour grapes.

 

[Fuguzzi]

I never saw "Wally World" race outside Florida, but he is a great driver. We lived down there over 30 years before retiring to Maine, and went to Pompano a couple of times a week. Wally, Kevin Wallis, Bruce Ranger, Kelly Shepperd, etc. were fixtures there. In those mid-80's through about 2000, we had a pretty decent deriving colony. My two favorite trainers there were Jake Huff and Peter Blood. I also enjoyed when Tom Harmer trained/drove there.

I knew Peter Blood in HE  Damned good horseman!

[Fuguzzi]

That sounds like sour grapes from jealous drivers.

Herve, John Chapman, George Sholty, Buddy Gilmour, Lucien Fontaine had NOTHING to be jealous about where Carmine was concerned. He was a jerk and not a horseman. On his own, Carmine couldn't train a ball to roll downhill   I had a horse with Carmine - Columbia Lee   33.000 claimer and a winner but Carmine was still a jerk

[remington]

I knew Carmine very well. He was smarter than most of the other drivers with his money. That is the reason they called him cheap. He was the king and most of the other drivers went to him he didn't go to them. He was a great trainer but maybe he didn't share information with everyone and his owners. Do you know why he quit training just drove horses?

[kooter for hipin]

 


  Could very well be like comparing apples to oranges, however, Bob Farrington was the original Red Man. He was a very good driver and horseman and smart enough to hold on to 1/2 of Rambling Willie who was a very tough FFA year in and out. It basically comes down to who has the biggest air plane.

[Fuguzzi]

I knew Carmine very well. He was smarter than most of the other drivers with his money. That is the reason they called him cheap. He was the king and most of the other drivers went to him he didn't go to them. He was a great trainer but maybe he didn't share information with everyone and his owners. Do you know why he quit training just drove horses?

I am sorry Remington but if you are gonna say Carmine was a great trainer you have lost all credibility with me   I was in apartnership with 2 guys and we had two horses with carmine   Columbia Lee and Evenings Choice   His trainer at the time was Jack Tashjian listed in the program   Carmine was a TERRIBLE trainer     After Tashjian Bobby Siegelman took over and was essentially useless    Carmine's brother Anthony was a far better trainer and horseman    As far as smarter with his money   he did not have the cash Lucien , Buddy, Insko, Chapman, Rejean etc had   Definitely had more than Herve but thats because Filion was a degenerate gambler     If you truly knew Carmine well its hard to say he was smart  He spoke like an idiot

[Pixiegonewild]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6gOV6kZs9I

[The Exporter]

I recall the stories of Carmine being super obnoxious and aloof . Hey, so what. With all the scandals and race fixing that went down in that era, Carmine was never in trouble. So, if you wanted a hard nosed no nonsense guy to drive your horse, ata avenue that had greatest in the country competing night after night, put the Red Nan down, if you could get him.
 For all his douchebag like qualities, at 80 years +, enjoying the good life with his bride of many years. Many guys from that day are dead and died broke. So being cheap paid off.

[Superfecta]

I recall the stories of Carmine being super obnoxious and aloof . Hey, so what. With all the scandals and race fixing that went down in that era, Carmine was never in trouble. So, if you wanted a hard nosed no nonsense guy to drive your horse, ata avenue that had greatest in the country competing night after night, put the Red Nan down, if you could get him.
 For all his douchebag like qualities, at 80 years +, enjoying the good life with his bride of many years. Many guys from that day are dead and died broke. So being cheap paid off.

  Have a Schaefer in the winner's circle 

[Fuguzzi]

All true   But when Remington called Carmine a great trainer I almost gagged. 

[Fuguzzi]

Carmine was born in 1936 - wow

[dougie]

What's amazing is i met Carmine about 10 years ago in a Wegmans on Route 9 in Manalapan New Jersey. I said "Hello" and we chatted for a few minutes. I told him i was a big fan and he was very gracious. I believe he said he lived in Colts Neck NJ.

[Fuguzzi]

Nice experience for you. You shoulda been there when he went around refusing to drive horses sent out with a "shit towel" Would he have preferred no shit towel? Made money with him, still a jerk

[remington]

Hey Fuguzzi I am sorry He didn't share his betting with you. As far as cash he had more cash than the other drivers that you mention put together. He didn't flaunt it or show it that's why he had it. He told it the way it was.

[dougie]

I think you could be right. The town he lives in, Colt's Neck NJ has some of the most expensive homes in the northeast. He obviously was smart with his cash!