Question of the day - Who is the most underrated ...

[Fuguzzi]

Bell started driving in like 1915. Can we go back a bit further.

[7minuteAbz]

Gary Mosher

[old guy]

Bell started driving in like 1915. Can we go back a bit further.

Sep Palin,Curly Smart

[Fuguzzi]

One of the most disliked Assholes YR/RR ever saw. Literally had to leave in fear for his safety. Literally.

[Fuguzzi]

Sep Palin,Curly Smart

E. Roland Harriman and President Grant

[7minuteAbz]

One of the most disliked Assholes YR/RR ever saw. Literally had to leave in fear for his safety. Literally.

Gary was very confident and could make speed, he would park anyone, and yes, he made enemies

[Fuguzzi]

Perry Steinkhols brother literally tried to run him over with a car at RR.

On a personal level, when Gary cane down to YR, I was one of the first people to give him catch drives. He won back to back for me with 2 different horses. So in a couple weeks, we are 4 for 4. Ok great. Seemed like a nice kid. Farm boyish. like you said could get one out good. One of the two horses was a mare. We are free wheeling in the same class off 2 wins and we have the rail. On the ramp waiting to go out he comes out and asks how she is. I tell him she's as good as she has been. I'm thinking she has to fall down not to be first or second. This prick turns to me and says "I think our win percentage is getting a bit too high" takes the lines and heads out.  He gets good and lost through out the race and finishes 4th. He's been down here and 2 weeks and he is pulling Herve shit. Except he isn't Herve... I never put him down on a horse again.

[Larry Bird Boy]

Wally Hennessey - 11,500 wins in 45, 500 . No one else in the 10000+ plus club even approaches that. Next to Herve and Tetrick, he is probably the most "complete" driver I have ever seen. Can drive anything vs anyone, anywhere at anytime. Lifetime UDRS and win percentage is staggering!

I don’t know why but I never liked Wally probably because it seemed like at pompano he drove all the cadillacs and most of his drives were horses that were tons the best. I always liked Bruce ranger over wally. Just my opinion but being a midwestern guy yeah Tony Morgan took catch driving to a whole new level. I literally seen him do Walter case type moves on horribly gaited horses and drive them fearlessly. I also thought it was cool how track management hated tony but he loved every minute of it and told them to kiss his ass.

[Fuguzzi]

Moni Maker

[Larry Bird Boy]

Moni Maker

Like she wasn’t a Cadillac that nobody else could of done the same? Bad example in my opinion.

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

Like she wasn’t a Cadillac that nobody else could of done the same? Bad example in my opinion.

He is the guy who said anyone could have won with Niatross but now he says Wally made Moni Maker. She may have been one of the top 5 trotters that ever lived. He's a mental case.

[Fuguzzi]

It's a compliment to him that a Sire Stake  / Pompano snow bird was given the priveledge to drive her. I never said he made her what she was. In a racing world dominated by other names, Hennessey reached every plateau after 5000 up to 11000, in fewer drives than anyone. His lifetime win percentage is 1 out of 4.5  Yet he flies under the radar and is still very sharp in his mid 60s   His career numbers are almost impossible,

[theokodjak26]

I can’t imagine how many times I witnessed Wally at Pompano. He basically made the same move off the gate 90-95% of the time, unless he didn’t think he had any chance. Off the gate Wally took no prisoners. He was going to get to the lead or sit in the pocket regardless of his post position. Until Dave Miller started coming during the winter months, Wally intimidated all the other drivers. They all acted like they had to succumb to Wally’s wishes. The strategy served Wally well at Pompano. But I thought Wally’s skills were better demonstrated at Saratoga Raceway. At this track the Pompano strategy couldn’t work as well. With the short distance to the first turn, strategy and skill trumped tenacity and brute speed. To be successful at Saratoga, unless you have an inside post, you had to work out a good trip and have something left to finish on top. Wally showed he was very good pulling this off for so many years. He’s a true HOF resident.

[Fuguzzi]

Having won 11,500 and counting in 45,500 drives something no one else has even approached, ( Jason Bartlett is in this "neighborhood" , he has an amazing career win percentage ) Wally Hennessey has show that for over 40 years he could win with anything, anywhere at anytime. But when other names, IMHO, roll off most peoples tongues when asked who the greatest catch drivers ever were ( Carmine, Herve, Case, Miller, Palone, LaChance, Campbell, Cat, Pierce, Bartlett, Brennan, Sears , O'donnell, Waples and so on ) Wally Hennesey, to me, comes off underated. Kinda forgotten about when we talk about the greatest ever. His win percentage and adjusted earning blows every one of those guys away. AND he beat all of them and more than onceI mentioned Moni Maker to demonstrate in era when all of those guys existed, they handed her to Wally and she won all over the world with him. Theo is correct. He was a dominant force.

As for Moni Maker's stature measured against history   The Best 3 North American trotters ever, IMO, were Mack Lobell, Peace Corps and Moni Maker

[bond]

My vote for top 3 trotters are-Muscle Hill, Greyhound, Moni Maker.
I included Greyhound as his 1.55 record in 1938! stood for 31 years!! Incredible.  He was considered the greatest harness horse of all time by many and the videos Ive seen of him are amazing. Had a beautiful flawless gait and built like a tank.
Muscle Hill probably the best trotter Ive seen-trained by a clown-and on his day could beat anyone anywhere . Look at his stallion record also-great racehorse great sire.
Moni Maker--3 times horse of the Year says it all---Legend.
As for HOF--Tony Morgan has been winning races for 40+ years-and has more talent in his little finger than most drivers today have in their whole body. He fully deserves to be in the HOF and Im sure he will be soon. There are drivers in there with half the talent of TM--eg Carmine.