Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Driver of the Month
for June 2008

Thomas W. Murphy

Born in 1988, Thomas Murphy excelled as a top driver-trainer of Standardbreds, and was considered to be one of the most accomplished horsemen of his era. Murphy's career extended from the turn of the century until he retired for the first time in 1927.

Thomas W. Murphy

Murphy was known as the "Wizard of the Reins", setting 34 major world records with trotters and 20 more with pacers. His fastest drive---of 1:56 and 3/4--came behind Peter Manning in 1922 at Lexington. He trained many to world record performances, including Miss Harris M, Margaret Dillon, Highland Scott, Arion Guy, Tilly Brooke, Czar Worthy, Merriman and Peter Volo, with whom he won the 1914 Kentucky Futurity. In fact, Peter Volo set a world record for a yearling of 2:19.

From 1909 to 1927 Murphy was the leading money winning driver in 16 of 19 seasons and was the first person to win $50,000 and then $100,000 in a season.

In 1931 he came out of retirement to train Thoroughbreds and won the 1931 Kentucky Derby with Twenty Grand.

       Twenty Grand after winning the 1931 Kentucky Derby and in the field.

Murphy also popularized his own ‘Murphy Blind’, a single blinker used to force a horse to carry his head straight, that remains a popular piece of harness to this day and is attributed to this master horseman.

FYI: The Murphy Blind is a large piece of stiff leather about three inches square and cupped in slightly toward the eye at the front. It is fastened to the bridle and positioned so that it affects the view out of one eye. Like any other piece of equipment it must be adjusted properly to be effective. For instance, if you have a horse that is turning his head to the left, you would put a Murphy Blind on the right eye side. Thus, when the horse turns its head to the left, the Murphy Blind will obstruct the forward vision of the right eye.*

Murphy suddenly retired from driving at the age of 50, winning his last professional race and stating he wanted he quit while he was on top.   However, in 1951 he returned to harness racing as an owner of Standardbreds and again was successful with the top pacer Bullet Hanover, 1:55.3.

Murphy went on to become a successful stock broker and held a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.   He became a wealthy man by buying stock in a little known company called International Business Machines (IBM). That company made him rich but horse racing made him famous.

Murphy died in 1967 at age 90 at Poughkeepsie, N.Y..