That Brian Sears should be one of the top drivers in harness racing today should come of no surprise to anyone. The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native was born into a harness racing family on January 21, 1968--the son of Jay Sears, a winner of more than 1,400 races. His grandfather, Gene Sears, was a 1,000+ race winner of $1.7 million in his career.

To date, Sears has driven the winner's of well over $99.1 million--with 6,861 victories to his credit at the end of 2006. From 1995 to the present, Brian has maintained a UDRS of .300 or higher.
 
                         Brian Sears

The 5' 10" reinsman, who dons brown and white colors drove the winners of $1+ million from 1994 through 1999, then had three years of $2.6 million or more (2000, 2001, 2002) and then capped out at $5+million in earnings in 2003 with $10+million in 2004 and a high of $15+million in 2005.

Brian won his first pari-mutuel race when he was still in high school aboard a horse named Alicia Blue Chip in 1:58.2. He began his professional career at Vernon Downs and in 1990 won the Dick Mumpton Memorial Award for the most promising driver at the central New York oval. Sear's career really took off in 1991 when he drove 99 winners and had earnings of $215,124. That season also saw him win the first of three driving titles at Vernon Downs. At the end of 1991 he was named USHWA Rising Star of the year.

In 1994 Brian moved from Vernon to the Meadows, with great success, finishing second behind Meadow's champion Dave Palone for nine straight season, and placing in the top 20 of the North American driving ranks every year since then. After nearly a decade of racing at the Pennyslvania venue, Sears began driving full time at The Meadowlands in 2003. That move proved to the best of his career as he's become one of that premiere harness facility's top reinsmen, with 2005 being his best season ever.

In 2005 Brian became the first driver to top the $15 million mark in earnings, surpassing John Campbell's single season record of $14.1 million set in 2001. In 2005 Sears was behind the top pacer Rocknroll Hanover, and guided him to victories in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace, the $555,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Pace, and the $500,000 New Jersey Classic, among others. He was also the pilot behind top victors Strong Yankee in the $610,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Trot and Blur in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot. He also captured the $460,000 Peter Haughton Memorial with Keystone Savage, and steered Boulder Creek to wins in both the $375,000 US Pacing Championship and $250,000 Classic Series.

Through 2006 Sears continued to dominate, especially at The Meadowlands. Through 19 of 21 programs during the fall meeting, Sears leads the way with 47 victories, 20 more than Yannick Gingras in second place. Combining statistics for the January through August meet with the fall season, Sears had 339 victories.

Four of Sears’ stakes wins at the Meadowlands in 2006 were with Sand Vic, a finalist for Older Trotter of the Year, who captured the Cutler, Titan Cup, Breeders Crown Open Trot and Nat Ray. Sears also won the Breeders Crown Open Pace with Lis Mara, who was voted the Dan Patch Award as Older Pacing Horse of the Year.

Sears’ other stakes wins at the Meadowlands in 2006 included the Aquarius with Jenna’s Choice, Exit 16W with Deliver The Goods, Hiram Woodruff with Corleone Kosmos, Stanley Dancer with Mr Pine Chip and the Tarport Hap with My Little Dragon, a finalist for Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year.

In 2006, Sears also broke a track record that had lasted for 20 years. From March 3 and May 18, 2006, he won at least one race for 48 consecutive programs, eclipsing the 47-program streak set by John Campbell in 1986. Sears’ skein was snapped on Friday, May 19, 2006 when he had six seconds from 12 drives.
Some of Brian's Top Mounts include.....Eicarls Ruman Coke, Ellamay Hanover, Score A Success, Midori Hanover, Art's Conquest, Allie's Western, Cosmic Express, Cheyenne Rei, Whatanartist and Pine Valley.

What Sears' Peers are Saying
Three Hall of Fame drivers provided their insights into Sears’ success.

"No doubt he's a top driver,” said Cat Manzi. “He gets horses to go for him.”

Manzi, the North American dash champion in 2005, has experienced that as well.

“You feel confident,” he explained. “You enter the stretch, and you feel like a winner, like they have to beat you. The horse senses it, too. It carries over. You just hope to feeling you get, the good roll, doesn't go away."

Mike Lachance knows what it is like to have a hot day. He holds the industry record of 12 wins on one day [June 23, 1988] and the Meadowlands’ track record of eight wins on one program [July 14, 1995].

"Confidence is the key,” Lachance said. “You start to win, and it builds up. Brian, he's awfully tough to beat in the stretch now, sharp, super sharp. It makes it difficult to get by them when they're going so well.

Lachance remembers his 12-winner day, which was on a doubleheader card at Yonkers. “I won six races on each card,” he noted. “I had 17 drives, and one horse had a five to six lengths lead at the top of the stretch and broke. Another jumped on the wire. Once you get rolling, you start to feel it."

Sears was the first driver to top $15 million in a season in 2005 but 20 years earlier Bill O’Donnell became the first in the sport to top $10 million in purse earnings. He offered his comments on Sears.

"He's been there and done it now,” O’Donnell said. “Now every stable wants to use him. He's very talented anyway. Now with all the best outfits wanting him, there won't be any stopping him.

"Brian never abuses a horse,” O’Donnell added. “He brings horses into the stretch fresh. He's earned the right, a privilege actually, to drive a lot of the best horses. He's spent a lot of time paying his dues.

"The difference between a good driver and a great driver is right on the wire,” said O’Donnell. “Right now, he's a tough guy to beat. The stretch is the whole key."

Brian Sears lifetime driving statistics through September 6, 2009
Year      Starts     1st       2nd      3rd       Money Won      UDRS
2009      1642      273      236      230      $8,331,218       0.293
2008      2163      447      305      285      $16,667,090      0.329
2007      2033      389      290      279      $12,912,186      0.316
2006      2255      442      332      295      $12,053,789      0.321
2005      2267      406      332      290      $15,088,392      0.303
2004      1995      353      302      262      $10,028,306      0.305
2003      1849      416      279      207      $5,025,281        0.346
2002      2132      488      400      284      $2,941,241        0.378
2001      2352      485      430      358      $3,008,946        0.359
2000      2487      554      448      374      $2,640,457        0.373
1999      2094      420      366      296      $1,888,805        0.345
1998      2359      418      395      345      $1,843,127        0.319
1997      1929      343      294      271      $1,448,398        0.309
1996      1677      309      279      257      $1,363,730        0.328
1995      2191      392      331      283      $1,716,084        0.306
1994      2015      321      289      275      $1,239,663        0.284
1993      697        108      105      99        $248,541          0.286
1992      624        103       90       97        $214,844          0.297
1991      518        99         71       63        $215,124          0.308
1990      325        37         29                  $66,497            0.253
1988      117        20         13       21        $27,095            0.292
1987      15           2           1        2         $2,946              0.215
1986      14           0           4        3         $2,104              0.230
1985      15           5           3        3         $4,167              0.511
1984      11           1           2        1         $1,812              0.222
Total:               6,861                           $99,094,586