Palone's longtime friend and Meadows announcer Roger Huston says that Palone has a rare gift and talent for assessing a horse's ability and the abilities of his foes.

"I don't know how many times I've thought, 'Gee, what's he doing?' and then they come under the wire and he's on top," Huston said. "He's able to read what's developing in behind the gate better than any other driver I've ever seen race." 

Dave enjoys golfing in his spare time and has this simple adage that he applies to life "stay healthy and hang around the sport for as long as I can."

Update: July 12, 2006
Palone notched the 11,000th win of his illustrious career, highlighting W.N. Reynolds Memorial Stakes action at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Wednesday afternoon.
He became the fourth driver in North American harness history to accomplish the feat, joining Herve Filion, Cat Manzi & Walter Case Jr.

Palone got the historic win aboard Gel Mibson, a two-year-old trotting colt making his debut, in 2:02:3. It was the third and final Reynolds win of the day for Palone, all for trainer George Teague Jr. Palone also won with Fiore Hanover, a filly who won her second straight in 1:55:4, and Warrawee Imprint, a colt who trotted to a win in 1:59:2 in his first lifetime start.

A fixture at the Meadows, where he has been the leading driver for a dozen years, Palone has recently embraced travel and the Grand Circuit. He’s picked up drives with some top horses in recent years – in 2005 he won the Little Brown Jug with P-Forty-Seven and was second in Breeders Crown races with two-year-old trotters Mr Pine Chip and Macaria Hanover. He also won the Allerage with older trotter Hellava Hush. In 2004, he was second in the Breeders Crown with Allamerican Inca, runner-up in the Sweetheart with Up Front Norma and second in the Woodrow Wilson with Up Front Charlie.

“I’ve been able to hook up with some good horses,” said Palone, 44. “I really enjoy the stakes racing now; I love to travel now. I used to love to pile up the wins, but now it means a lot to me to drive in the top races. I’ve kind of stayed here [at the Meadows] and it’s tough when you’re not on the Meadowlands circuit to pick up the top horses. It’s a great feeling when people have the confidence to turn the lines over to you to race those kinds of horses.”

Palone is a four-time winner of Harness Tracks of America’s Driver of the Year Award. He has put together a streak of 14 consecutive years with at least 500 wins; no other driver has ever done it for more than six straight seasons.

“Those are the kinds of things I’m proud of, and I’m fortunate,” Palone said. “I’ve never had an injury that kept me out more than a couple months. I’m very fortunate, knock on wood. It’s been a long grind, and it’s very satisfying to get there.

“It’s awfully satisfying to have my name up there with guys like Herve and Cat. It’s a lot of work. It’s tough to stay on top of your game for as many years as I have. I’ve stayed here at home, at the Meadows, and been a bang-it-out type of grinder. I enjoy racing on the Grand Circuit, but knocking around the Meadows for 12 months a year – that’s going in a lot of circles.”

Dave Palone's Career Stats through September 1, 2005
Year     Starts    1st      2nd      3rd      Money Won      
2005      1438      415      224      157      $2,127,077 
2004      2251      669      371      246      $4,671,119 
2003      2041      532      310      280      $4,037,910 
2002      2280      620      385      284      $3,142,655 
2001      2514      642      419      307      $3,493,971 
2000      2640      739      473      324      $3,865,999
1999      2404      725      429      281      $4,056,827
1998      2287      626      373      298      $2,899,388 
1997      2350      677      398      264      $3,232,599 
1996      2449      639      397      326      $2,696,818
1995      2299      543      427      330      $2,645,110 
1994      2290      581      406      298      $2,218,874
1993      2077      574      377      282      $1,968,386 
1992      2093      615      362      271      $1,931,779 
1991      1732      453      315      234      $1,727,484
1990      1764      428      297      236      $1,048,423 
1989      1427      319      240      183      $709,661 
1988       695       137      113       94       $340,918
1987       782       157      113       98       $296,727
1986       383        83         50       48       $147,295 
1985      1054       181      169      141      $339,720 
1984       610         81        87       89       $162,524 
1983       158         33        19       16       $46,936 
1982         14          0         4         1        $1,955 
Total    10,469 wins                             $47,810,155 career earnings