by Kenneth W. Terpenning, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Lexington, KY — In November 2008, the 3-year-old pacing gelding Roy Orbisong was purchased from the Standardbred Mixed Sale in Harrisburg for $98,000 by Glenn Del Russo.

Fotowon photo

Roy Orbisong has won eight times in 2010, with earnings of $141,240.

Unfortunately, a few days after the gavel hammered down the sale, the pacer could hardly walk. X-rays were taken and showed a broken bone in his knee. After seven months of rehab, Roy Orbisong made seven starts in 2009, then one evening he kicked the wall, breaking his P-1 bone.

The bone became infected which in most cases would be a fatal condition. After several calls to local veterinarians, trainer (and the horse’s current owner) Daryl Bier called in Dr. Patricia Hogan.

“Dr. Hogan and God saved Roy,” said Bier. “He should have never made it.”

Following a careful recovery, Bier began training Roy Orbisong down. After a few starts, it became apparent he was not the same horse.

“He was so sore after training and racing, I felt like I had to put him in a claimer,” Bier added.

So, on July 11, 2010, Roy Orbisong raced in a $25,000 claimer at Harrah’s Chester and finished second. Bier decided after that start, Roy Orbisong was too special to lose to a claim, so he stepped him back up to the conditioned ranks.

Roy Orbisong won that next start. Following that win, he raced 14 times between Chester, Harrington, Balmoral, Colonial and Dover Downs. Out of those 14 starts, Roy Orbisong would not miss a check. In fact, he won five starts, placed in three and showed in one.

Among those five wins, Roy Orbisong managed a win in a conditioned race at Harrington, two wins in the Open at Harrington (one of which was a new lifetime mark in 1:50.4), an elimination of the Maurello at Balmoral (finished second in the $115,000 final), and his most recent win in this past Monday’s (Nov. 8) Delaware Special Handicap.

Guess Roy Orbisong’s health issues are behind him.

For Daryl Bier, the win in the Delaware Special was not only special because he did it with Roy Orbisong or that the race was called the Delaware Special, but also because he set a driving milestone by hitting $1 million in purse earnings for the first time in a single season. In addition to breaking the million dollar mark, Bier also exceeded career driving purse earnings of $9.5 million. He has also set a new career best as a trainer, with more than $500,000 in 2010 purses.

Originally from Jessup, Pa., Bier began driving in 1986. His first win was aboard a horse named T J’s Yankee at the now defunct Brandywine Raceway. His most memorable drive, aside from the win with Roy Orbisong, was aboard Sadies Dreamboat for trainer Gary Baker in Pompano Park’s $162,000 Isle of Capri Pace final in 2001.

Bier’s goals for the future are to be able to continue to drive at his favorite place, Dover Downs, and to continue to provide for his family.