by Jack Ginnetti

Marlborough, MA — It’s been said, “you can judge a man by the friends he keeps.” If that’s so, nobody fits that bill better than Stan Bergstein.

On Monday (July 9), Plainridge Racecourse pays homage to harness racing’s ‘go to guy’ with the final of the sixth edition of the $26,100 Stan Bergstein Pace.

Six pacers are entered in this year’s event, one of the prime races run on the New England circuit. They include, by post position, driver and best time: Sansome Hanover (Jim Hardy), 1:53.3; Dark Sign (Ron Cushing), 1:54.2; Shark Lockin (John Nason), 1:53; Pilgrims Toner (Fernand Paquet, Jr.), 1:51.4; Herzon (Sean Bier), 1:54.3; and May Day Malone (Bob Sumner), 1:53.4.

Sansome Hanover and Dark Sign are the top money earners in the field with $26,000 in purse earnings, but Herzon has five firsts in 11 starts with earnings of nearly $20,000.

When you think of Bergstein, who has served as executive vice-president of Harness Tracks of America since 1961, you have to marvel at his endless accomplishments.

Announcer dating back to the 1940s, columnist, executive, host of Racing From Yonkers, sought after speaker, Hall of Famer on two fronts (Living and Communicator’s Corner at the Harness Racing Museum in Goshen, N.Y.), contributer to Hoof Beats magazine, and on and on and on.

In this writer’s eyes, Stan has more than withstood the test of time. I can’t think of anyone who has more knowlege of harness racing than Bergstein.

Noted columnist and among Goshen’s newest members of the Communicator’s Corner, Dean Hoffman describes Stan as a man with the ability to recognize challenged opportunities and devise innovative solutions.

“He’s a man of great vision.”