Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Brian Sears Reflects at Age 40

January 22, 2008

Brian Sears turns 40 today (January 21) and prefers the term “veteran” to “old man.” Not that anyone will be showing Sears the door anytime soon. He is coming off a year in which he won 390 races and $12.9 million – the second-highest purse earnings of his career to the then-record $15 million he had in 2005.

His earnings last year ranked third behind Tim Tetrick and Ron Pierce and he won a third straight driving title at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Only John Campbell has won more consecutive Big M crowns, with seven in a row from 1985-91, and four in a row from 1993-96.

Among Sears’ noteworthy victories last year were the Messenger Stakes and Cane Pace with Always A Virgin, the Canadian Pacing Derby and Graduate with Lis Mara, the Peter Haughton with Blue York Yankee, the Progress Pace with Ghee’s House, the Classic Oaks with Buck I St Pat, the Matron with Great Success, the Cutler with Sand Vic, and the Kentucky Filly Futurity and Moni Maker with Falls For You. He also added two Breeders Crown titles, with Arch Madness and Artcotic, to his list of accomplishments.

“I was real happy with the way the year went,” Sears said. “I figure $12 million is a pretty nice standard to go by, and if you get that, you have to be happy with it. I drove a lot of nice horses. I just kind of look back at the year in general; I’m thankful I got the opportunity to drive the good horses.”

Sears has eclipsed the $10-million mark for purses each of the past four years while maintaining a driver’s rating better than .300 each season. He is the only driver in history to have more than two consecutive years of at least $10 million with a .300-plus rating.

When Sears established the record for purses with $15 million in 2005, he made 2,267 starts. Tetrick broke the mark last year with $18.3 million in 4,728 starts.

“There’s so much money out there now that if you’re willing to race that hard, work that hard, it’s there for you,” Sears said. “I’m not going to increase my workload too much. I had just over 2,000 starts last year; that’s probably a little low, but that’s fine. I’m pretty happy with that.

“I’d like to have a little bit of a life myself,” he added with a laugh.

Sears is more of a homebody than traveler at heart. The Florida native raced at the Meadows in western Pennsylvania for nine years, finishing second in the driver standings to perennial champ Dave Palone each season, and spent time at Pompano Park before heading to the Meadowlands, in the shadows of Manhattan, in 2003.

“I think it all worked out,” Sears said. “I got all the experience I needed – I got the opportunity I needed – at the Meadows. I got to make a few contacts out there with guys from Jersey before I made the move and that helped with my transition. The fact I was able to enjoy myself for that many years at the Meadows, where the lifestyle is so much easier going, I really appreciate that now that I don’t have it anymore.

“Now I just try to take advantage of the opportunities I have here, living where I live now. But I definitely appreciate the lifestyle I had back then. I would think most people would prefer a more laid back lifestyle. There’s something to be said about lifestyle. A lot of guys could make it at the Meadowlands, but they enjoy the lifestyle they have where they are.”

Sears enjoys the slower pace of the winter months, especially when it affords time to visit his mother, Sharon, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and work in a few rounds of golf. He races only at the Meadowlands, with the exception of Mondays at Dover Downs in Delaware, and is off Sundays and Tuesdays.

“I really like being in one place and having a routine instead of flying here, flying there; hotel here, hotel there,” Sears said. “It all changes too quickly.”

In addition to driving, Sears owns a few horses trained by his father, Jay, and has bred a handful of horses. He has no inclination, however, to get deeper into the breeding side of the business.

“I would just like to have one worth a couple million dollars and sell it,” Sears said, chuckling. “I sold one colt this year; I want to sell one every year.”

There’s no reason to expect Sears to slow down on the racetrack anytime soon. Unlike other sports, the age 40 is relatively young in harness racing. Campbell has posted six of his record nine $10-million seasons after the age of 40 in addition to winning three Hambletonian trophies. Cat Manzi, at 55, was the sport’s leading driver in wins in 2005 and Tony Morgan, 49, won nearly 1,900 races the past two years combined. Pierce has led the sport in earnings twice and picked up 11 Breeders Crown titles after turning 48.

“I feel real good,” said Sears, who was an all-county football player during his high school days in Florida. “I’m in the best shape of my life. I’ve worked out since I was in the sixth grade; I know the benefits of it. I’ve got aches and pains, but they were aches and pains when I was in eighth grade; I played football for 10 years. I’m not 25, I’m not 18; definitely not. But I feel I’ve got a lot of good years left in me, that’s for sure.”