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Stanley Dancer
Sport: Harness Racing
Born: July 25, 1927
Died: September 8, 2005
Town: New Egypt
Stanley Franklin Dancer was born July 25, 1927 in West Windsor and grew up on his family’s farm in New Egypt. A bright boy but a poor student, he dropped out of school at age 14 and eventually gravitated toward the newly revived sport of harness racing. So too did two of his brothers, Vernon and Harold.
Stanley was short and frail; in his prime he barely weighed 140 lbs. He began his career as a groom at Freehold Raceway. He got into the driver’s seat enough to win a few races and used money his wife, Rachel, was saving for college to purchase Candor, an 8-year-old gelding, in 1948.
Stanley honed his craft at Roosevelt Raceway over the next few years—gaining a reputation for forcing the action by pushing his horses from start to finish. He moved to Yonkers Raceway in the early 1950s. By the mid-’50s Stanley was considered the top driver on the track, and held that distinction for two decades.
During the 1960s, Stanley was the top money-winner in harness racing. His best horses during this period were Noble Victory and Su Mac Lad. Stanley finished first in prize money five times between 1961 and 1968, and was named Driver of the Year in 1968 when he won trotting’s Triple Crown with Nevel Pride. Nevele Pride was Horse of the Year in 1967, ’68 and ’69. Stanley won another trotting Triple Crown 1972, with Super Bowl. He also won the pacing Triple Crown in 1970 with Most Happy Fella.
Starting in the mid-1970s, Stanley dominated the Hambletonian, winning the prestigious race for 3-year-olds in 1974, ’76, ’77, ’80 and ’83. Despite his small stature, Stanley proved to be a tough customer. He was thrown from his sulky more than 30 times, and survived four car accidents, a helicopter crash and a plane crash.
Stanley won his final race in 1995. It was his 3,781st victory. A decade later he lost his final race, with prostate cancer, and passed away at his home in Florida on September 8, 2005.
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