Hall of Fame

Born in 1900 in Stevenson, Alabama, Sanders Russell drove his first race at age fifteen and was still training Standardbreds when he died at 82. During his almost seven-decade career, Russell developed a number of standouts, most notably Fresh Yankee, the 1970 Horse of the Year and first North American trotter to win $1 million. "The Preacher's" biggest day came in 1962 when, with his ankle in a cast, he drove A. C.s Viking to victory in the Hambletonian Stake at Du Quoin, Illinois. Russell also raced Hal Tryax, the sire of million dollar winner Cardigan Bay. The USTA credits Russell with 1,243 wins and earnings of $279,497, but those records only begin in 1939 and many believe he had twice that many wins and earnings. Sanders Russell was inducted into the Living Hall of Fame in 1970.

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