Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Trainer of the Month
for September 2006

Carl Allen

Michigan native Carl Allen was born in the Wolverine town of Wheeler on November 23, 1929 and would evolve into one of the most respected and family-oriented trainers in the sport of harness racing.

Throughout the years his white, black and gold colors could be found at any number of raceways throughout the United States and Canada. He trained over 200 winners to the tune of $5.2 million and drove 649 winners to over $9.8 million in earnings curing his career.

Carl Allen

Carl's story is unique indeed, for he had never even seen a harness race until 1967, when he was selling vacuum cleaners at the Fowlerville, Michigan county fair.

“I thought it looked like fun,” said Allen. “A friend of mine introduced me to a trainer, and the next day he let me jog a horse for him. I told my wife I was going to get some horses.”

By 1968 Allen was involved in the harness racing business full-time and in 1974 he shifted his stable to Pompano Park. He soon purchased land in the Sunshine State and once said, "When I was in Michigan I saw guys driving in with beat-up old trailers and trucks and at Pompano some folks had brand new pick-ups and fancy rigs. I decided then and there that I wanted to part of the latter group."

Allen wasted no time in getting his four boys invovled in the sport. Rod, Mike, Chet and Marty all became invovled in training, driving, shoeing and in Marty's case, later as a veterinarian.

Ever the innovator, Carl was one of the first prominent trainers to use trotting hobbles on nearly all of his trotters--most notably CR Kay Suzie--who used them to score a 1:52.4--almost unheard of in 1995 for a trotter.

CRKaySusie

Carl behind his filly CR Kay Suzie, at the Meadowlands in 1995

CR Kay Suzie--who was named for Rod’s daughter Kaylie---won seven of nine starts as a 2-year-old, including the Merrie Annabelle and Goldsmith Maid, earning $450,596. At three she won 10 of 13 races including the World Trotting Derby, Yonkers Trot, Breeders Crown and Beacon Course, garnering Horse of the Year honors. However, the 1995 Hambletonian would elude Suzie, as she broke stride during her elim and failed to qualify for the final.

Allen also earned the national spotlight with such standouts as Sundance Skipper, Perette Hanover, Gridiron Lad, Olaf, Spellcaster, Mo Bandy (1981 Yonkers Trot winner), Carl’s Bird (winner of the $1.7 million Woodrow Wilson in 1983), homebred Royal Troubador (1989 Breeders Crown winner), Carlsbad Cam (won the 1992 Meadowlands Pace)
CR Commando (Breeders Crown winner), CR Renegade, and CR Excalibur.

As a driver, Carl's final trip to the winner’s circle came Nov. 24, 2003, when he steered Miss Michelle H to victory in at Mohawk Raceway. His best driving year came in 1983, when he piloted 15 winners from 100 starts, with earnings of over $1.2 million.

As a trainer, Allen’s best season was in 1999, when CR Renegade won the Breeders Crown, Yonkers Trot, Zweig Memorial and Beacon Course, and CR Commando won the Colonial.

"When I was in Michigan I saw guys driving beat-up old trucks and trailers and at Pompano some folks had brand new pick-ups and fancy rigs. I decided then and there that I wanted
to part of the latter group."

After a farm accident at his Golden Cross Farm in the Spring of 2004, the 74-year-old patriarch of the Allen clan perished, leaving behind a legacy of goodwill and cheer that forever will be remembered by all who knew him.

2006 Archives
August: Mark Ford
July: Ron Gurfein
June: Jim Dennis
May: Delvin Miller
April: Chuck Sylvester
March: Billy Haughton
February: Bill Robinson