The Kentucky native who now calls Ballouville, Ct .home,
Gill is battling Lounsbury for leading trainer honors again this year and
currently he’s leads him by three wins when two of his pupils, Tom Riddle
anmd Rusty’s Flyer, both scored victories yesterday (May 2) for driver
Jimmy Marohn, Jr.
Gill must be just as tough as any of his racing stock
because on Thursday afternoon he was back in the winner’s circle posing with
his victorious pacers.
So what’s the big deal, you say? Well, one week ago to the
day Gill had triple by-pass surgery and now he’s on the mend and back in
action, although his services will be limited for a while.
“It’s good to be back,” Gill said. “Monticello Raceway never
looked so good.”
Gill, a portly man, had been feeling off lately and got
checked out by his physician. When the doctor told him he had almost
one-hundred percent blockage in three arteries in his heart he thought the end
was near.
“When he told me of the blockages I was scared to death,”
Gill related. “They immediately sent me to Westchester Medical in
Valhalla (NY) by ambulance for immediate surgery. There I had a tremendous team
of doctors working on me.”
Asked (yesterday) if he was afraid to go under the knife
Gill admitted that didn’t bother him nearly as much as his diagnosis did.
“I had the greatest doctors in the country so I had faith
that all would be OK. Their team does thousands of heart surgeries and to them
it’s like taking out an appendix. It’s almost routine.”
The 57 year old harness trainer has recouped very well
and in less than a week he is back on his feet and out of the hospital.
“I’m feeling better every day and now I’ll be going to the
barn often,” said Gill, who has 17 horses stabled at the Mighty M.
“I can’t drive (my car) but my wife will take me to the
track. I won’t be doing much for a while but I will be able to oversee my
stable operation.”
“It felt real good coming back to two winners today ( May 2)
and I’m so glad to be back in action,” Gill added.
“ I’m a lucky guy.”
