by John Manzi, chairman of
USHWA's Amateur Driver Committee
Monticello, NY--Each
year amateur racing becomes a bigger part in the Standardbred sport with many
talented drivers displaying impressive abilities guiding spirited steeds to
victory. And this season has been no exception especially with the expansive
opportunities available with the ever-growing number of amateur organizations
dotting the landscape.
In spite of the talents of a
multitude of amateur drivers the USHWA National Committee unanimously voted Joe
Pennacchio this years recipient of National Amateur Driver of the Year.
Although having prominent
stats, which “Joltin' Joe “ has, it takes more than that for consideration.
Besides being a member of many amateur organizations Pennacchio is the
president of the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association and sits
on the Board of the USTA. Since he purchased his first horse in 1987 over the years
he owned more than a hundred standardbreds and in 2004 his 3-year-old trotter,
Yankee Slide, won the prestigious Breeders Crown at Woodbine in Canada with
Brian Sears in the sulky.
“ Yankee Slide was trained
by Steve Elliot and was sent off at odds of 40-1 and man we were pleasantly
surprised with his victory,” Pennacchio recalled.
But Pennacchio still can
remember the first horse he ever purchased. “In 1987 I bought a pacer by the
name of Skipper Marlow and raced him at Monticello under the care of Craig
Mosher. In 1995 I drove for the first time and had two wins in three starts.
That year both wins were with a trotter by the name of Fox Valley Trump. I won
at Delaware ,Ohio and then at the Red Mile. After that I was hooked,”
Pennacchio said.
The next year Pennacchio and
Fox Valley Trump won the $30,000 Billings Series Final at Freehold Raceway
covering thr 1-1/4 mile distance in a time of 2:31.3
Since then “Joltin' Joe (his
Billings nickname) has won 176 races. This past season he had 65 starts with 14
wins, 11 seconds and four thirds for a .330 UDR.
He currently owns 14 race
horses. Pennacchio's Florida contingent is handled by Jim McDonald while Allen
Sisco trains his stock in New York.
Over the years Joe has won
races on all size racetracks and has enjoyed some nice horses along the way. He
has even won races in Europe and thoroughly enjoys the sport and the horses
he's owned.
But arguably his favorite is
Super Manning, who is still racing today. The veteran trotter has won $650,000
thus far in his career and earned a record of 1:54.1 taken at Yonkers Raceway.
Pennacchio is a retired CEO
who spent most of his career in department store retailing. His last assignment
was as the president of Jordan Marsh department stores in Boston. He has had
significant experience in running companies with both United States and foreign
facilities and has served on several boards for both private and public
companies.
He will receive his National
Amateur Driver of the Year Award when the US Harness Writers Association holds
in annual Awards Banquet in Florida in late February.
