Brian Sears

2003 Meadowlands 672 72 76 69 $1,969,551

Meadowlands Career 744 76 81 72 $2,114,076

A third generation horseman, Brian Sears migrated to the Meadowlands in April 2003 and was warmly received. His 56 victories placed him in the Top 12 drivers of the January-August meet. He closed out 2003 with an impressive first year bankroll of $1.9 million at the Meadowlands. His biggest victory of the year was the Breeders Crown Three-Year-OId Filly Trot with Stroke Play. The native of South Florida is the son of Jay Sears, a career winner of 1,400 races and grandson of the late Gene Sears, himself a winner of more than 1,000 races. Sears won his first race while still in high school, but was not originally going to be a professional harness driver. At his father’s urging, he attended two years at Auburn University’s pre-veterinary program before turning to driving full-time. Sears began driving at New York’s Vernon Downs in 1990 and was the recipient of the U.S. Harness Writers’ Association’s Rising Star Award in 1991. He made the move to the Meadows in 1994 and met with success almost immediately, finishing second in the driver standings behind veteran Dave Palone at the Pennsylvania oval for nine straight years. Sears had his first $2 million season in 1999 and earned his 4,000th career win on August 29, 2002 at the Meadows. He has placed among the top 20 dash winning drivers in North America every year since 1994.

• $500,000 Breeders Crown 3YO FT Stroke Play

• $150,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Squaw’s Fella

• $85,000 Classic Pacing Series Cheyenne Rei

• $60,640 Tarport Hap Gordon’s Jin MS

• $50,000 Townsend Ackerman Upalazyriver