Dick Stillings reaches $30 million

Driver Dick Stillings surpassed the $30 million mark in career purses when he drove Primo Spur to victory in the seventh race Tuesday at The Meadows.

“I didn’t even realize how much money I had earned until Roger Huston announced something about it the other day,” said Stillings, who began 2008 in 76th place on the all-time purse earnings list. “It’s been a great career for me, thinking about all the fun I’ve had, enjoying my life and being able to race great horses that helped me earn that money. Give them most of the credit along with the trainers, my help, my brother and everybody. They all had a hand in it.”

Stillings, 64, began working with horses while attending high school in his native Mount Vernon, Ohio. He became a full-time driver at The Meadows in the early 1970s and enjoyed national acclaim as part of “Team Spur” along with his brother, trainer Charles “Buddy” Stillings, and owner Roy Davis.

The team’s Barberry Spur was the freshman colt pacer of the year in 1985 and won the Adios at three with Stillings at the helm. In 1987, Stillings drove Jaguar Spur to victory in the Little Brown Jug.

“That first win in the Adios, I thought I could never top that,” Stillings said. “Then winning the Little Brown Jug in Ohio where I grew up was great. Still, the Adios win was my favorite.”

Stillings trains more horses these days—he conditions Primo Spur for Davis—and is preparing for the day when he trains exclusively.

“I still drive because I love it,” he said, “but there’ll be a time in a year or so when I’ll just train horses. I’d like to have a stable of probably 10 horses.”

He spends much of his free time golfing with such partners as Dave Palone.

“Thank goodness he drives horses better than he golfs,” Palone said. “I can’t tell you how many times I had to carry him on my back.

“All joking aside, if there’s one horseman who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, it’s Dickie Stillings. I’ve watched him for many years, and he’s the greatest all-around horseman I know. He’s a legend in my eyes.”

Legend or not, Stillings allows that he should have spent some of his share of the $30 million on golf lessons.

"Then maybe I could beat Palone,” he said. (The Meadows)

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