A North American harness racing legend who will forever be known for the exploits of world champion mare Moni Maker, Wally Hennessey’s fascinating harness racing career story covering close to five decades is told in exemplary detail in “Wally Driven to Win” by Gary MacDougall.
The 232 page biography by heritage award winning writer Gary MacDougall is his third biographical portrayal – others being Forbie and Wayne Gray A Man of Vision. The book moves at good pace taking one through Wally’s earliest day’s right up to the most recent period of his lengthy award winning career.
The initial outlining of his early life and commencement of his harness racing career in Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island makes for fascinating reading including his first winner two weeks prior to his nineteenth birthday. The background given is comprehensive and makes reference to many well-known individuals. It emphasises what a great ambassador Wally Hennessey has always been for Prince Edward Island. This is outlined in his pride in winning PEI’s feature race the Gold Cup and Saucer on two occasions in 2001 and 2005 and hearing the “Island Hymn” sung on that special race night.
MacDougall takes the reader on a journey through Hennessey’s distinguished career as a commensurate professional horseman in Canada and the United States. All aspects of his career are accounted for in an excellent description of events. Hennessey’s story continues with his time in the Maritimes at Saint John, New Brunswick where he became the youngest Maritimer to achieve 1,000 driving successes aged 28. Making the move to Pompano Park, Florida the “Winter Capital of Harness Racing” in October 1986, aged 30 and to Saratoga Raceway, upstate New York in 1987 for summer racing, were profound moves that survive until the present day.
Wally’s journey is further relayed through memories from family, owners, trainers, drivers, friends together with numerous black and white photographs of significant and interesting events. As a leading catch driver, now with well in excess of ten thousand driving successes to date (10,955 thirteenth all time, $72.230m as of 22 August 2021; win 10,000 at Pompano Park on 23 January 2019 on trotter Prince Of Fame; seventeenth horseman to achieve this record in North America) and continuing in the current 2021 season when at the time of writing this piece USTA stats recorded 284 victories (eleventh position), $1.755m, inside top fifty; his reign as “King of the New York Sires Stakes” unfolds; references to champion horses and major successes are outlined – Americas Pastime, 1992 Woodrow Wilson (2yo Meadowlands, $778,800); Cambest; Armbro Maneuver; Gallo Blue Chip as two year old; Breeders Crown races; Kentucky Futurity, Elitloppet, Hambletonian Oaks ….. just a few to marvel at plus the many accolades he has been given e.g. multiple Hall of Fame inductee commencing with Florida in 1996, Saratoga, Prince Edward Island, USA, Canadian and the Key to City Award for Charlottetown in 2012.
None however can compare with the outline of Hennessey’s involvement as driver in the phenomenal success of one of the all-time leading racehorses and successful broodmare, Moni Maker. Racing over six years the Queen Of Trotting won stakes of $5.5m (first standardbred to win $5m); 67 of 105 starts with Wally driving her in the majority of them; USTA Horse of Year in 1998 and 1999; won the biggest stakes races in eight countries, races including Wally’s career highlight Elitloppet heat/final success, Hambletonian/Canadian Oaks, Nat Ray (three times), Copenhagen Cup, Norway Fina Cup, Breeders Crown, Prix d’Amerique etc. Dam of O’Brien award winner International Moni and grand dam of millionaire Ready For Moni.
What shines through most of all is the passion, dedication, hard work and humbleness of a man that was destined to become a multiple Hall Of Fame inductee, reflective of his achievements and respect for him from within the worldwide harness racing family.
The writer of this article had the privilege of briefly meeting Wally Hennessey during the launch of Retromedia’s “World Harness Racing” book/e book during Old Home Week in August 2017 as attested by the photo accompanying this review. Wally Driven To WIn book launch at Red Shores Charlottetown’s Top of the Park restaurant on Wednesday 23 June 2021 was live streamed to audiences with Wally Hennessey as the virtual guest of honour (well worth viewing on worldharnessracing.com). Among many heart felt tributes made to him were those from Hambletonian Society President and CEO John Campbell, horsemen Jimmy Takter and Bill O’Donnell, Jerry McCabe, Larry Resnitzky and many others.
Wally Driven to Win is available in soft book cover format (C$34.95 plus shipping and handling/postage and packing – Canada $7.95; USA $9.95; International $18.95) from :
Retromedia Publishing, P.O. Box 471, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 7LI, CANADA;
contact : larry@retormedia.ca.
An excellent addition to every harness racing enthusiast’s literary arsenal.
Peter Craig
25 August 2021.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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