In Memory Of Grandpa

This Saturday, In Over My Head will be racing in the Invitational at Balmroal Park against the best in horses in Chicago. We are very excited about what should be a great race.  Greg, Danny and I are planning a trip to Chicago to watch it live. Having that said, we will be doing so with some heavy hearts.


Yesterday, we laid to rest my Grandfather, Wayne Carey. Quite simply, he is the reason we are involved in harness racing. He began racing horses in the early 1960s and his list of local, regional and even national stars is beyond impressive for a guy who got started in the rural town of Mineral Point, WI. Princess Maud, Scotch Straight, Carry Mann, Ironworks, Race On Carey, Thrifty Kirk and the great Speedy Rodney were just some of the great horses owned by Grandpa. But that was just the start of it. He also was an amateur driver (twice winning the amateur driver race at The Red Mile in Lexington) and breeder. The stories from the old days never, ever got old. We could sit and listen to stories about Speedy Rodney’s world record miles for hours and hours. The more ‘everyday’ stories were just as fun. One I remember particularly was of Scotch Straight, who raced in Chicago in the early 1960s and at one time, won 7 straight races. During that run, when he would turn for home and look like the eventual winner, the announcer would belt out, “How do you like your Scotch…Straight???”. I’ve heard it so many times I feel like I was actually there.

Beyond all of the horse racing accolades, he was the greatest Grandfather a grandson could ever ask for. You don’t just have to take my word for it. Kirk, Kyle, Chris, Kim, Jenny and Danny would tell you the exact same thing. We were so lucky to have him in our lives. In Over My Head is in tough on Saturday night, so to expect a win would be rather foolish…but if he does, it will be fun have a winner’s circle picture full of three generations of racing. Danny and I on the young side, Greg in the middle and you won’t see the last one in the picture, but I can guaranty that Mr. Wayne Carey will be there with us. Although his passing has been very difficult to come to grips with, at least now he can be at the track with us again.