bob boni
A native of New York City’s borough of Queens, Robert M. Boni’s interest in harness racing began when his parents would take him to Roosevelt Raceway and Yonkers Raceway during his childhood. When Boni was in the 4th grade, his family bought a trotter named Sam Sanders from Hall of Fame Immortal Billy Haughton. The Bonis’ interest in horses and harness racing eventually led to weekend and summer work for young Bob on the backstretch at Roosevelt.
Upon his graduation from high school Boni embarked on a harness racing career that has taken him through increasingly responsible positions, beginning with Pine Hollow Stud Farm in Pine Bush, New York, one of the two premier farms in the state at the time. He worked for Pine Hollow for eleven years, ascending to the position of vice president until 1980, then moving on to International Standardbred, the Wall Street Stable with principal Lou Guida, and Dreamaire Stud, where he assembled a broodmare band that contained five mares with 1:55 records at a time when no one else owned even two such mares. In 1992 Boni formed Northwood Bloodstock, which combined bloodstock agency, sales consultancy and breeding expertise.
Among the many great horses Boni has been associated with are 1985 Horse of the Year Nihilator, Pershing Square, Camtastic, Caressable and 2016 Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Always B Miki. Boni has been a part of six Breeders Crown championships.
Bob Boni’s impact has been felt in the upper echelons of harness racing’s premier guiding associations. He was president and general manager of the North American Sale at Garden State Park. He is a trustee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, chairman of the United States Harness Writers Association’s Breeder, Sire and Broodmare Awards Committee, and has written timely, pertinent articles on major issues of the day. In his capacity as vice-president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, in what may have been his greatest accomplishment, Boni has played a major role through his political connections in securing appropriation funding that helped revitalize racing and breeding in the Garden State.
In January 2025 Boni’s Northwood Bloodstock merged with Diamond Creek Sales, becoming Alliance Bloodstock.