Posted Friday September 3, 2010
By Mike Paradise
The old idiom “Cream Rises to the Top” certainly fits our National Hall of Fame driver Dave Magee.
When given the opportunity in a big race Dave continues to deliver and he’s still going strong at the age of 56. No stranger to success, Mr. Magee had himself, and the owners and trainers he’s drove for, a very productive past few weeks.
The Green Bay, Wisconsin native was behind four favorites in state-bred championships at the Springfield State Fair and came through with each, winning first with Rock Hollywood in the three-year-old colt trot for trainer Mike Brink on August 18.
One day later Dave followed with Miss Caroline B in the two-year-old filly trot for conditioner Robert Taylor, and then drove a pair of freshman to championships for trainer Dirk Simpson, first guiding Pardon to her triumph on the filly final and then with Boi in the colt showdown.
Dave went to the Indianapolis State Fair the next day and won that Sunday with Bobby Browser’s Allthatgltrsisgold in the Horsemen stake for sophomore filly pacers. Three days later on August 23 he was at The Red Mile in Lexington bringing home the two-year-old trotter Tactician for Taylor in a Kentucky Sire Stake.
Last Saturday afternoon at the Do Quoin State Fair Magee again steered My Miss Carline to a victory in the Shawnee for first season ICF filly trotters and also won with Taylor’s Miss Vickie in the stake for aged trotting mares. Then he again drove Simpson’s Pardon to a victory in a division of the Director’s Award stake for juvenile filly pacers.
Dave made it back in time last Saturday night to be at Balmoral to handle both American National three-year-old trotting stake winners, first in the sixth race with the filly Sparkling Stone for the Dwayne Minor Stable and two races later with the colt Wishing Stone for trainer Jan Johnson.
Then is was back to the other end of the state for Sunday afternoon at Du Quoin where Dave stepped up for Erv Miller Stable and drove Iam Bonsera to his triumph in the Pronto Don stake for ICF three-year-old males. Magee also won the stake for aged state-bred male pacers that afternoon with My Boy Luke for conditioner Roger Welch.
Dave goes into this weekend with 11,261 career dash winners and 130 of those have come this season. Horses Dave has driven have won over $93 million with $1.2 million coming in 2010, making this the 32nd consecutive year Magee’s horses have gone over the $1 million plateau in purse earnings.
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