by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Last year Danny Gill burst on the scene and on the final day of the 2012 season at Monticello Raceway he harnessed his 117th winner and walked away with leading trainer honors with one more win than runner-up Bob Lounsbury.

The Kentucky native, who now calls Ballouville, Conn., home, Gill is battling Lounsbury for leading trainer honors again this year and currently leads him by three wins after two of his pupils, Tom Riddle and Rusty’s Flying, scored victories on Thursday (May 2) for driver Jimmy Marohn, Jr.

Gill must be just as tough as his racing stock because on Thursday afternoon he was back in the winner’s circle posing with his victorious pacers.

Geri Schwarz photo

Driver Jimmy Marohn, Jr. joins Danny Gill and his mother-in-law, Linda, after Rusty’s Flying’s 1:58.3 victory.

So what’s the big deal, you say? Well, one week ago to the day Gill had triple bypass surgery and now he’s on the mend and back in action, although his services will be limited for a while.

“It’s good to be back,” Gill said. “Monticello Raceway never looked so good.”

Gill had been feeling off lately and got checked out by his physician. When the doctor told him he had almost 100 percent blockage in three arteries in his heart he thought the end was near.

“When he told me of the blockages I was scared to death,” Gill related. “They immediately sent me to Westchester Medical in Valhalla (N.Y.) by ambulance for immediate surgery. There I had a tremendous team of doctors working on me.”

Asked if he was afraid to go under the knife, Gill admitted that didn’t bother him nearly as much as his diagnosis did.

“I had the greatest doctors in the country so I had faith that all would be OK. Their team does thousands of heart surgeries and to them it’s like taking out an appendix. It’s almost routine.”

The 57-year-old harness trainer has recovered very well and in less than a week he is back on his feet and out of the hospital.

“I’m feeling better every day and now I’ll be going to the barn often,” said Gill, who has 17 horses stabled at the Mighty M.

“I can’t drive (my car) but my wife will take me to the track. I won’t be doing much for a while but I will be able to oversee my stable operation.

“It felt real good coming back to two winners today and I’m so glad to be back in action.

“I’m a lucky guy.”