Happy Birthday to Bruce Nickells the senior member of the Hall of Fame
by Bob Heyden
Happy 97th Birthday (on Saturday, July 5) to Bruce Nickells, the oldest living member in the Hall of Fame and currently a resident of Anderson, IN. I sat down with Nickells for a wide ranging chat in no particular order and everything on the table.
What can you tell me about winning the 1989 Hambletonian Oaks with Park Avenue Kathy?
“I was the one who got along with her the best; kept her trotting. The week before I went five trips with her, all from 2:15 to 2:18. She was ready. In the race off, I decided to change to aluminum shoes. Dr. Seeber told me to do it if I thought it was the right thing to do.”
Let’s talk about a couple of horses. What about Kentucky?
“He was easy to drive. If you hit him, he would take up some, so I would just rub his tail with the whip and he’d take off. That race where Stanley [Dancer] and Albatross set the record [1:54.3 in 1972], I thought I could beat him that night in Chicago. I think if I had a little more experience at that stage it would have helped me a lot. Or if I had John Campbell back then.”
What about Batman?
“He had splints early but overcame that. He won five stakes at 3. Those two were the best two I had then.”
Didn’t Batman and Kentucky cost a combined 27G as yearlings and made 900G lifetime together?
“Yes, and back then [in the early 1970s] that was a really big number.”
In 1983 you were asked to help out Lana Lobell with yearling prep. What was that like?
“It was not that difficult. I oversaw all the shoeing. Most were ready. Originally it was just for that year but Dr. Seeber early on locked me into another year.”
Is it true that you once rode your motorcycle from Princeton, IL, to Phoenix, AZ?
“Yes, in 1949 [1,632 miles].
A good trainer will…?
“A good trainer will spot a good one — someone sharp, somebody who knows their stuff — in two minutes. You know.”
Did you help train Strike Out between his 2- and 3-year-old seasons?
“Yes. I had him late at 2 and won the Florida Breeders with him. He had high speed. I fiddled with him some. I then helped him get ready at 3 and won his first start before giving him back to Keith Waples. He’d win the Jug that year.
“The biggest issue trainers have today is lack of communication with owners.”
Favorite race track ever?
“I guess it would have to be The Meadowlands. It’s the best surface for the horses to get over.”
Edgar Leonard?
“I learned more from Edgar Leonard than anyone. Mostly by just watching.”
Aren’t you a champion of the little guy?
“Yes. A lot of good people in this industry never get recognized.”
As an old-fashioned trainer, what is the most important thing today?
“Manners. They are so important in a horse.”
Am I correct that you favor an age limit on driving?
“Yes. Some drivers have no business being out there. I think 67 or 70 is about right.”
You won a Jug heat in 1964 with Combat Time the same year you debuted in the Hambletonian with Scribe Rodney. But you were not used to top horses at that point of your career. Is that right?
“Oh, for sure! When I opened my public stable in 1953, I was getting lesser stock. It wasn’t easy. I was just out of the Army too [1950-52]. It took a while.”
Follow My Star was the first female pacer to $1.5 million, and Miss Easy the first to pass her at $1.777 million. You had them both.
“Follow My Star was easy to train but always had trouble with her feet. She overcame that. Miss Easy would train ‘even’ miles out in the middle of the track. Not fast miles. She had some trouble with turns, you never saw her on a half-mile track. She had a good attitude. I still to this day don’t know why she made a break in the [1991] Meadowlands Pace elimination.”
Back to some horses. Conquered Quest?
“Classy mare. Good one. Easy to get along with.”
Bruces Lady?
“Well above average and had a way to just make money. Not a top mare though.
Marcasite?
“Again-better than average. Nice classy mare.”
Immortality?
“I had her early and she was a standout.”
From 1985-95 you basically had a stranglehold on the Sweetheart and Breeders Crowns for pacing fillies.
“Don’t forget Brooke [daughter] and Bryce [granddaughter].”
SOME OF NICKELLS’ CONTEMPORARIES WEIGHED IN
Bruce Riegle: “Tough horseman, to be 97 years old and be in the horse business. Bruce had a lot of great horses, many fillies. And a great man!”
Rick Kane: “While most people associate Bruce with two of the sport’s most outstanding fillies, Miss Easy and Follow My Star, I remember a couple of tough free-for-all campaigners, Batman and Kentucky, from an earlier period in his career.”
Linda Toscano: “I adore Bruce. Whenever I can I make sure to stop by and see him. When I was starting out, I had a filly Mean And Green who was locked on one line. Bruce helped me tremendously. I’m not sure why he picked me out.”
Connie Hochstetler: “Happy Birthday to the ultimate gentleman and horseman.”
Kim Hankins: “Bruce was close friends with my parents and myself for many years. At one time the Nickells brothers, Wayne, Bruce, and Reese, all worked for my father in Springfield, IL. Bruce gave me horses to train when I was down to only a few. That helped bring me back to a bigger stable.”
Steve Wolf: “I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and knowing Bruce since the early 1980s. What a gentleman, good storyteller, and superb horseman. His ability to develop world champion pacing fillies was uncanny. I saw him race and secure divisional titles with Follow My Star, Central Park West, Miss Easy, and Hazelton Kay. He was the first to stable at Sunshine Meadows in South Florida when it opened. It was a must to stop by and see Brooke and his amazing granddaughter Bryce.”
