Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

MEADOWLANDS OPENS FRIDAY...SEARS SETS SIGHTS ON 2005

January 3, 2005

Brian Sears, who in 2004 became only the eighth harness driver to join the $10 million club, will be back in action on Friday night when live harness racing returns to the Meadowlands.

The 141-date meet runs thru
August 6 and features $20 million in stakes and a
$200,000 average overnight purse structure.

The racing schedule in January is Tuesday through Saturday
nights; post 7:30 pm EST.

Sears, 36, doubled his best year ever when he reached
$10 million in money won, joining the select company of Campbell [eight times], Miller
[three times], Luc Ouellette, Bill O'Donnell, Randy Waples, Mike Lachance and Ron Pierce--who topped $12 million in 2004.

"I hope that 2005 can be a good year also," said Sears, who shifted his tack to the Meadowlands in April of 2003.

"You like to keep it going when good things go your way in this business. You always want to make it a little better than the year before."

Hall of Famer Bill O'Donnell became harness racing's first $10 million man in 1985 thanks in large part to the brilliant campaigns of Nihilator and Prakas. He has high praise for Sears.

"He's a natural," said O'Donnell. "He's head and shoulders the best right now, with a great set of hands. Horses respond very well to
his touch. He's another Campbell-type. He does something that John is
just so good at. He gets a horse into position at the top of the stretch without getting them tired. That's not an easy thing to do. I remember his grandfather in the mid-1960s at Monticello, Gene Sears. He
was an older guy then, and he trained and drove most of his own. But he would catch drive a few and in those days there weren't many catch-drivers. As soon as you heard his name go down on a horse as a driver change, they would always win. I know his father a little bit too, Jay."

O'Donnell has fond memories of his record-setting year.

"In 1985, with Nihilator and Prakas, that was like $3.5 million right there," he said. "It kind of came up on me fast. Driving better horses has a lot to do with it. I became a better driver after I got to the Meadowlands. I never minded the pressure. I preferred it. You bank on others not being able to deal with it as well. I always loved driving in the big races."

Sears comes into the 2005 season with 4,904 career victories and $34 million in earnings, nearly half of which he has banked since moving
to New Jersey. Below is a list of drivers with $10 million or better seasons

Year/Driver/Earnings
1985--Bill O'Donnell--$1.,2
1987--John Campbell--$10.1
1988--John Campbell--$11.1
1990--John Campbell--$11.6
1998--John Campbell--$10.7
1999--Luc Ouellette--$10.8
1999--John Campbell--$10.3
2000--John Campbell, $11.1
2001--John Campbell, $14.1
2001--Mike Lachance, $10.6
2001--Randy Waples--$10.6
2001--David Miller--$10.5
2002--John Campbell--$11.9
2002--David Miller--$10.5
2003--David Miller--$11.4
2004--Ron Pierce--$12.3
2004--Brian Sears--$10