January 16, 2004

PALONE WINS 3D HTA DRIVER OF YEAR TITLE

Dave Palone, perennial driving champion at The Meadows in western Pennsylvania, has won Harness Tracks of America’s Driver of the Year honors for the third time. Palone also won the HTA title in 1999 and 2000.

The award, one of the most difficult to win in harness racing, requires that a driver finish in the top 25 in North America in three categories: money won, races won and percentage standings. Points are awarded from 25 down to 1, with a 25-point bonus for finishing in all three categories. Only four drivers of 5,960 who participated at North American pari-mutuel tracks last year were able to reach that goal. The four were Palone, who earned 77 points under HTA’s formula; Anthony Morgan, who races on the Chicago circuit and was HTA’s champion in 1996, 1997 and 2002, with 75 points; Stephane Bouchard, who has raced primarily at Yonkers Raceway and was HTA champion in 2001, 66 points; and Brian Sears, racing at the Meadowlands, 63 points.

Palone won by finishing 2^nd in percentage standings, 4^th in winning drives with 532 victories, and 20^th in money won with $4,037,775 earned by his mounts.

Here are the final standings of HTA’s Top Ten in North America.