Hall of Fame

 



joseph c. o'brien

Year of Induction: 
1971
Year of Birth: 
1917
Immortal: 
Yes
DriverTrainer: 
Yes
Driver: 
Yes
Election Into Living Hall of Fame: 
1970
Year of Death: 
1984
Biography: 

Joe O'Brien was born in 1917 on Prince Edward Island, Canada. In a career that spanned 45 years, he compiled a remarkable record as a trainer and driver, winning over 4,200 races and over $20 million in purses. For a long time he held the record for the number of trotters and pacers driven to their first 2:00 miles. Among O'Brien's outstanding performers were Scott Frost, Fresh Yankee, Nero, Armbro Nesbit (one of his fastest), Storm Damage, Flight Director and Arnie Almahurst. He was in the sulky behind Steady Star when that unheralded pacer time trialed in 1:52, a mark that stood as harness racing's fastest mile for almost a decade. Joe O Brien won virtually every major stakes race and was inducted into the Living Hall of Fame in 1970. He died in 1984.

Published in the Harness Racing Museum's 1994 book, The Immortals