Walter E. “Bud” Barrett Jr., 95, dies

Walter E. “Bud” Barrett, Jr., 95, the author of the book The Story of the Readville Race Track, died March 5, 2021.

Mr. Barrett leaves behind his beloved wife, Olive (Emerson); daughter, Susan (Robert) Sisk; and sons, Alan and Steven (Azine).

An avid harness racing fan, Mr. Barrett resided in Dedham, Mass., just a short distance from where the track was located.

Readville, which is about nine miles from downtown Boston, is considered the sport’s most historically important track. This is where the first 2:00 mile pace occurred when Star Pointer stopped the clock on Aug. 28, 1897, in 1:59-1/4.

On Aug. 24, 1903, Lou Dillon became the first trotter to achieve that goal when he won in 2:00.

In 1908, the 5-year-old trotter Allen Winter won the $50,000 American Trotting Derby, at Readville, which was the largest purse in the sport’s history. Another great horse to compete at the facility was Dan Patch.

In 2004, Mr. Barrett, along with members of the New England chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association and other notables, dedicated a marker commemorating those accomplishments.

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