Stanley Dancer is a professional harness racing driver from the United States who is widely regarded as one of the greatest. Similarly, he had a great career and was the driver of 23 Triple Crown winners. In addition, during his professional career, he won over 3000 harness races. The United States Trotting Association even labeled him “the most well-known star in the sport.”
Quick Facts
| Name | Stanley Dancer |
| Fullname | Stanley Franklin Dancer |
| Nickname | “One of the Gold Dust Twins” |
| Birth Date | July 25, 1927 |
| Birth Place | West Windsor Township, New Jersey, USA |
| Death Date | September 9, 2005 |
| Age (At the time of death) | 78 |
| Death Place | Pompano Beach, Florida, USA |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Chinese Zodiac | Rabbit |
| Nationality | American |
| Body Type | Athletic |
| Hair Color | N/A |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Skin | Fair |
| Height | 5 ft. 8 in (172 cm) |
| Weight | 135 lb. (62 kg) |
| Shoe Size | 12 (U.S.) |
| Profession | Harness Racing Driver (horse) Horse Trainer Horse Owner – Breeder |
| First Horse | Candor |
| Career Wins | 3781 |
| Notable Achievements | United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame (1969) Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame (1989) |
| Major Racing Wins | International Trot (1961, 1963) |
| Hall of Fame | 1969 (Election) 1970 (Induction) |
| High School | Dropped out in the eighth grade |
| Parents | James Dancer (Father) Helen Stanley (Sister) |
| Siblings | Harold Dancer (Brother) Vernon Dancer (Brother) |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Married Year | 1947 and 1985 |
| Wife | Rachel Young Jody Dancer |
| Divorce | 1983 (with Rachel Young) |
| Children | Ronald S. Dancer (Son) Stanley Richard (Son) Shaldonna Dancer (Daughter) Susan Dancer (Daughter) |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
| Last Update | June, 2022 |
What is the Net Worth and Salary of Stanley Dancer?
Stanley Dancer has a net worth of $30 million thanks to his racing career. Similarly, his horse investments paid out handsomely.
He won all the game has to offer as a professional athlete. International Trot 1961 and 1963 were two of his most memorable competitions with large prize pools. In both of these tournaments, he came in first.
According to a source, he is the first trainer to campaign a horse to a career earnings of $1 million. When he rode Cardigan Bay in 1968, he accomplished this accomplishment.
Similarly, during his career, he won nearly $28 million and 3,781 races. As a result, it is apparent that Stanley amassed a fortune solely via his professional endeavors.
He was also the first athlete to ride and train three horses for the Triple Crown. In addition, he had honed his skills as a trainer and established a reputation for producing champion horses.
He also won the harness horse of the year award seven times. With trotters Su Mac Lad in 1962 and Nevele Pride from 1967 to 1969, he accomplished this achievement. Then, in 1971 and 1976, he switched to Albatross and Keystone Ore to win it.
Stanley is certain to have made millions as a result of his professional victories and the horses he coached to victory. As a result, after accounting for inflation and time, his current net worth is estimated to be roughly $28 million.
Horses and Houses of Stanley Dancer
Houses
Stanley grew up during a time when the global economy was struggling. He steadily poured his net riches into a variety of residences after generating a fortune from harness racing.
According to The New York Times, Dancer spent the majority of his life on a 160-acre farm outside New Egypt with a half-mile training track. This is where he grew up and established his name in the world of harness racing.
Throughout his boyhood, he arranged the stable and kept track of each horse’s improvement. The Dancer family would produce potatoes, tomatoes, and cows from the house’s farm.
This property was in the Plumsted Township region of New Jersey. This estate has been designated as a property of conservation value by the New Egypt Historical Society.
Stanley finally decided to relocate to his Pompano Beach home in 1999. When the winter season arrived, he would seek refuge at this location.
Horses
Stanley Dancer was one of the main forces behind the evolution of horse racing. Although he was not like other athletes who spent their fortune on exotic horses.
Stanley enjoyed harnessing and training his horses. As a result, his portfolio is chock-full of champions.
One of his early horses is the world-famous “Candor,” which dates from 1948. He bought it using his wife’s college earnings at the time, for roughly $250.
Stanley also owned, trained, and raced four of the five Hambletonian horses.
These horses included Nevele Pride (1968), Super Bowl (1972), Bonefish (1975), and Duenna (1983).
Stanley was the only horseman to have trained and ridden three Triple Crown winners, as previously stated. He did so with the trotters Nevele Pride and Super Bowl between 1968 and 1972. In 1970, he repeated the feat with the pacer Most Happy Fella.
In 1961 and 1962, he owned and trained Henry T. Adios and Lehigh Hanover, both of whom won the Little Brown Jug.
Albatross, Dancer’s world-record-holding horse, also set a world record for the fastest Standardbred. On a mile track, the horse came in first, clocking in at 1:54.4.
He also owns and trains famous horses such as Cardigan Bay, Silent Majority, and Su Mac Lad.
Lifestyle of Stanley Dancer
Stanley Dancer rose from the New Jersey barns to become one of the world’s most famous harness professionals.
As a result, Stanley enjoys spending his fortune, particularly on items linked to his career.
Stanley had no other interests in life besides horses. In an interview, he remarked that it is the center of his universe. In his personal time, he prefers to spend as much time as possible with his horses.
He was also one of the most aggressive racers on the track, despite his little stature. Unfortunately, his love for thrills and adventure led to multiple injuries throughout his career.
His wife and two kids, Ronnie of New Egypt and Stanley Richard of Pompano Beach, are his only survivors. Susan Moyher of Naples and Shaldonna Chaisson of Pompano Beach are his two daughters.
Charity of Stanley Dancer
Stanley Dancer had one of the most difficult upbringings. Despite this, he overcame every obstacle and won the harness racing championship. As a result, his family tried to be a visible presence in the community when it came to giving back.
In the 2014 Legislators Pace, Ronald Dancer ran in his late father’s colors. He was up against three other legislators in the race. He was the son of Stanley Dancer and had previously worked as a driver-trainer.
Ronald Dancer acknowledged his current profession as a politician and his prior one as a horseman, according to US Trotting News.
Between the first and second races, there was also a one-mile competition. The winning charity received $1,000, while the other three finalists each received $500.
As a result, it is apparent that Stanley Dancer has used his wealth for humanitarian and community causes.
Stanley Dancer | Movies, Investments, and Book Publications
When it came to harness racing, Stanley Dancer was a legend. In fact, he helped the sport to previously unheard-of levels of popularity.
Stanley grew up in a time when television wasn’t widely available. Fans from all around the United States, on the other hand, flocked to see him.
Stanley did, however, become the first racer to win a million dollars. He had ridden New Zealand’s Cardigan Bay to victory in 1968 during this time.
As a result, his celebrity skyrocketed, and he became a popular public figure. He was eventually invited to go on “The Ed Sullivan Show” with his horse. Both Stanley and his horse, Cardigan Bay, appeared in the Sunday show.
Dancer was also given a toast at the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson considered encouraging a generation to take up a new sport to be an accomplishment in and of itself.
Every year since his death, a memorial race has been held in his honor. It’s for three-year-old colt trotters, and the purse is projected to be $280,000.
This memorial is televised around the world and is one of the few important events in the calendar year at the moment. The highlights of these memorial races are also available on YouTube.
Investments
Stanley Dancer lacked the same level of education as other investors in the game. Instead, he was a dropout from eighth grade who pursued his passion for harness racing.
Stanley had learnt the ways and methods of horses and how to make them winners all along the road. As a result, after completing his career as a horseback rider, he began investing in horses.
Because he made the most of his fortune through horse training, this decision turned out to be one of his best.
“Egyptian Candor,” the winning horse, was trained by Dancer. In the 1965 four-horse Hambletonian, Del Cameron drove the horse to the finish line.
He hasn’t looked back since, putting everything he had into building a winning horse portfolio. As previously stated, his horses were in a league of their own, as the majority of them went on to win the championship.
Stanley recognized a potential in one of the most obscure sports at a time when the world economy was growing. And his investments paid off handsomely, increasing Stanley Dancer’s net worth.
Publications of Books
When it comes to harness racing, Stanley Dancer was seen as a role model. He did, however, come from a time when prints and posters were more valuable.
As a result, he has been the subject of several prints and illustrated posters. The Sports Illustrated magazine is one of the most valued items.
Stanley is featured on the first page of the book, and rarer editions have his autograph.
Stanley was, nevertheless, the subject of a book. “People in Harness Racing” was the title of the book. Along with Stig H. Johansson, Lloyd Duffy, and Soren Nordin, his story was published.
Other noteworthy harness racers in this book include Bill O’Donnell, Free Holmes, John Hayes, and Herve Filion.
In addition, the Library of Congress maintains a dedicated section dedicated to Stanley. Contact sheets, lookbooks, and rare images of him racing in his peak are among them.
The royalties and passive income from these publications, posters, and other sources all contributed to Stanley Dancer’s net worth.
Stanley Dancer’s Career
During his career, he drove 23 triple crown winners and personally trained three of them. He is the only horse trainer and driver in history to win the Triple Crown with three different horses.
Stanley borrowed silks for his first race and rode a horse he had paid $75 for with money he had earned. As a result, it’s apparent that he didn’t have an easy start in this field.
Nonetheless, he began driving horses at Freehold Raceway in 1945, and he won his first race the following year. He hasn’t looked back since.
He started his stable with a trotter that he bought with $250 from his wife’s funds. Throughout the next three years, that horse named Candor made him a lot of money.
Similarly, he drove Su Mac Lad (the horse’s name) to victory in a six-horse race at Roosevelt Raceway in 1961.
In front of 28,105 racing fans, Stanley set a timing of 2:34.4 in the rain on a slick track. Su Mac Lad was the first horse from the United States to win the championship.
Stanley Dancer was also an accomplished horse trainer and breeder. In the 1965 four-horse Hambletonian, he trained the winning horse “Egyptian Candor,” which Del Cameron drove.
Super Bowl, one of his best horses, won the 1972 Kentucky Derby in record time of 1:57.2 and 1:56.2, breaking five world records in the process.
Three Interesting Facts About Stanley Dancer
Stanley Dancer was really fortunate. During this time, he survived four car accidents, a helicopter disaster, and an aircraft crash. He was not killed by any of them.
He borrowed $200 from his parents to purchase Candor, his first horse.
His family was enthralled by horse racing’s adrenaline rush. Harold and Vernon, his brothers, were also well-known horse drivers.
FAQs
Is it true that Stanley Dancer also had a heart attack?
Yes, there is more than one. During his career as a professional harness racer, Stanley suffered two heart attacks.
Which horse, out of all the ones he owned, was his favorite?
It’s possible that Dancer’s Crown, the horse he named after himself, was his favorite.
