Batavia, NY – Gary Gregory, longtime western New York horseman from Churchville, NY, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 22. He was 81.
Mr. Gregory was born May 4, 1944 in Medina, NY to George and Dorothy (Wall) Gregory. While still in school, he started working around horses with his father and got his first training license in 1962 at the age of 18. He eventually set off on his own and started a public stable that quickly became very successful. In a very short time, Mr. Gregory became known as a “go to guy” when people were looking for a trainer because of his honesty and integrity when dealing with anyone.
Although a premier trainer of Standardbreds for over 50 years, Mr. Gregory had never driven in a race. He attributed that to his early owners wanting the best drivers on the grounds to team their horses, and him wanting to make his owners happy. It was a combination that worked out very well for him as his successful string of horses constantly drew those top drivers every week.
Because records held by the United States Trotting Association only date back to 1991, it is impossible to assign numbers that factually illustrate Mr. Gregory’s career as more than half of it took place prior to that date. But those who are familiar with him know how many races he won, how many training titles he took and the litany of horses that competed out of his stable that people still remember to this day. During the 1970s and 1980s, every top class at Batavia Downs had a horse trained by Gary Gregory in it.
Among the over 300 horses Mr. Gregory trained during his life, a short list of top performers include 51-time winner Keystone Astro (2:01.1, $136,204), Brandywine Jet (2:01.4, $63,182), Spitfire Lauxmont (1.56, $124,271), Coaltown Smoke (2:03, $121,556) and Bold Collins (1:56.4, $96,191). He also guided the early racing careers of foundation mares Mary Lou Hall, who is the dam of the outstanding trotting sire Crazed, and Must B Heavenly, who is the dam of the 1997 Hambletonian Oaks winner Must B Victory.
Another mare that Mr. Gregory trained that would end up fostering another very successful career in harness racing was Rambling Roxie (2.02.4, $33,860), the horse that gave Gary’s son Jeff, his first driving win.
As a child, Jeff Gregory jogged horses while sitting on Gary’s lap and by the time he was six, he never thought of doing anything other than working with horses.
In a 2021 interview, Jeff Gregory reflected on the influence his father had on him.
“I was brought along slowly by my father. He wanted me to learn on our horses that I was comfortable with and it benefited me because it gave me confidence driving in the race. He was by far the biggest factor in my career, my only teacher. I worked for him until I was about 20 and then he sent me off on my own. He just kept pushing me in the right direction. And other than my dad, I never worked for another trainer.”
Although he was the driving force for his son’s success, Mr. Gregory also influenced many other horsemen during his life, because he was always willing to help anyone who asked for it. His patience, calm demeanor and endless pool of both horse and life knowledge, benefited generations of horsemen, and lives on today through the talents of those who continue to race in Western New York.
Gary Gregory was a consummate gentleman, loving husband, father and grandfather, friend to everyone he knew and a horseman who was admired and respected by all of his peers. His career allowed him to make scores of horses better for having been in his barn, and the connections of those horses who became his friends.
Mr. Gregory was a member of the United States Trotting Association, Canadian Trotting Association, Western New York Horsemen’s Association and was inducted into the Upstate New York Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Mr. Gregory was predeceased by his parents George and Dorothy Gregory, loving wife Sue (Caleb) Gregory and brother-in-law Ron Chase (1996).
Mr. Gregory is survived by son Jeff (Helene) Gregory of New Smyrna Beach, Florida; daughter Kathy (Bill) Stevens of Byron; grandson Eric Stevens of Rochester; granddaughter Colleen Stevens of West Seneca; sister Sue Chase of Plant City, Florida; niece Sandy (Chase) Falco of Middleburgh and nephew Bill Chase of Schoharie.
Calling hours will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Octo, 27 at Walker Brothers Funeral Home in Spencerport, NY with a funeral service to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Harness Horse Youth Foundation and Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey.