by John Manzi, for the Monticello-Goshen chapter USHWA

Monticello, NY — He was born in Monticello, N.Y., graduated high school in Monticello and began his illustrious career at Monticello Raceway and on October 30 George Brennan will be honored in his hometown by the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA when the scribes hold their 53rd annual awards banquet at Monticello Casino and Raceway.

In his illustrious career Brennan currently has driven 6,882 winners and his horses have earned more than $113.2 million in purse money.

“We had the pleasure of watching George as a youngster when he started out and it was apparent early on that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with,” noted Amos Finch, a charter member of the Monticello-Goshen Chapter. “We look forward to welcoming him home this fall.”

USTA photo

George Brennan

Brennan, who now calls Perrineville, N.J., home, has driven some of the sport’s finest horses but even he has to be amazed by what he accomplished on August 6 at the Meadowlands, winning both the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks with Bold And Fresh and the famed $1.5 million Hambletonian with Broad Bahn to become only the second driver in the history of the sport to win both prestigious events on the same day.

Brennan grew up around harness horses and right from the reel knew what he wanted to do. As a youngster he learned his lessons from his beloved step-dad Joe Ricco, Jr. who happened to be one of Monticello Raceway’s leading drivers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

While he was attending Monticello High School George began driving in matinee races at the age of 14 and after he graduated in 1985 he began earnestly to try his hand at driving.

George is not a big man in stature (5’5”-145 lbs.), but when he started, at the beginning of his teen years, he was really a little guy and many locals can still remember “Georgie,” as he was known by then, jogging horses when he could barely reach the stirrups on a jog cart.

In 1984, at age 17 and while still in high school, Brennan had seven drives at the Mighty M and won his first pari-mutuel race. The following season he won 16 races in 84 starts and had a .306 UDR. In 1986 Brennan had 19 winners and a .231 UDR in 180 starts. The following year Brennan’s talent began to show and he reined 56 winners, good for ninth place on the local leaderboard. And in 1988 Brennan drove a then career high 69 winners and finished sixth in races won at the Mighty M that season.

After showing signs of greatness here Brennan moved to New England where in 1993 he led the driving colony in races won at Foxboro Raceway in Massachusetts. Then, in 1995 he again moved his base of operations, this time to the Meadowlands where he handled A Stud Named Sue and Chippie’s Ruler, both divisional champions that season, which helped showcase his driving ability.

He vaulted into national prominence at the Meadowlands where he has been a force ever since.

In 1986 the national organization of USHWA honored Brennan with their Rising Star Award and for 13 straight years (1995-2007) he finished among the top 25 money winners in the sport, though that streak ended in 2008 when he missed 4-1/2 months due to a compound fracture of his right wrist, suffered in a racing accident at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. But still his mounts that year earned $4.1 million.

Brennan rebounded nicely in 2009 when he drove 312 winners and his purse earnings again topped $8 million, putting him in 11th place.

During 2010 his mounts earned more than $12 million and Brennan was honored with the Driver of the Year Award by the US Harness Writers Association. That year Brennan led the Meadowlands drivers in all three categories with 247 wins, $5,020,153 in earnings and a .316 UDR. He was also the top UDR driver (.355) at Yonkers while finishing in a second place tie for wins and third in money.

This season he has unseated Jason Bartlett as the top driver at Yonkers Raceway with more than 450 winners there alone.

At the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA banquet on October 30, George Brennan will be the chapter’s main honoree and presented with their prestigious Laurel Award.

“My mother still lives there and I’m really looking forward to going back home,” Brennan said. “It’s always fun to see old friends and we will have a big party that night at the banquet.”

Tickets and charity journal congratulatory ads are available by contacting banquet chairman John Manzi, at 845.794.4100, ex. 455. Or e-mail him at jmanzi@empireresorts.com.