Stanley Dancer Net Worth: Horses, Charity & Investments

The only horseman to ever win Triple Crowns in horse racing, Stanley Dancer, has a net worth of $30million. 

Stanley Dancer is a professional racer from the USA considered one of the best harness racing drivers.

Similarly, he was the driver of 23 Triple Crown winners in all and had an illustrious career. In addition, he won more than 3000 harness races in his professional career.

Thus, he was even dubbed “the most well-known celebrity in the sport” by the United States Trotting Association.

Likewise, he was sharp with the way he navigated around the scene investing in training horses. Despite the economic background, Stanley Dancer rejuvenated his net worth.

Stanley was known for being a reckless driver fueled by adrenaline. Nevertheless, Dancer, a legendary harness racing horse, has left an indelible mark on the sport.

Therefore, Stanley is one of the most respected figures in sports history. Also, here are some quick facts about the player before we head any further into the details.

Quick Facts

Stanley Dancer | Net Worth and Income

Stanley Dancer made this tremendous net worth of $30 million from his racing career. Similarly, his investments in horses paid off big time too.

As a professional athlete, he won everything the game had to offer. His most notable tournaments with huge purse money would be International Trot 1961 and 1963. He secured first in both these tournaments.

He is the first trainer to campaign a horse to $1 million in a career per source. This feat was achieved in 1968 when he rode Cardigan Bay.

Similarly, he won nearly $28 million and 3,781 races during his career. Hence it is clear that Stanley made a fortune from his professional career only.

Likewise, he was the first athlete to ride and train three triple crown horses. In addition, he had developed himself as a trainer and made a name for his horses to be winners.

Furthermore, he won the harness horse of the year seven times. He achieved this feat with trotters, Su Mac Lad, in 1962 and Nevele Pride from 1967 to 1969. Then he switched to win it with Albatross and Keystone Ore in 1971 and 1976.

With a combination of all his professional winnings and trained horses finish at glory, it is bound that Stanley made millions. Hence, his net worth at present is estimated to be around $28 million after accounting for inflation and time.

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Stanley Dancer | Horses and House

Houses

Stanley grew up in an age when the world economy was weak. However, after making a fortune from harness racing, he slowly channeled his net worth into an array of homes.

As per The New York Times, Dancer spent most of his life on a 160-acre farm with a half-mile training track near New Egypt. This was the place where he grew up and wrote his legacy in the field of harness racing.

He organized the stable and kept track of each horse’s progress during his childhood. The house had a farm, and the Dancer family would yield potatoes, tomatoes, and cows.

This property was located in the section of Plumsted Township, New Jersey. The New Egypt Historical Society has recognized this estate as a property of conservational value throughout.

In 1999, Stanley finally decided to move to his property in Pompano Beach. This was the residence he had used to take shelter when winter season came around.

Horses

Horse racing has come a long way, and Stanley Dancer was one of the driving force behind it. While other athletes buy exotic horses from their net worth, Stanley was different.

Stanley loved to train and harness his horses. Hence, his portfolio is full of championship-winning horses.

The ultra-famous horse named “Candor” from 1948 is one of his early horses. He paid around $250 for it back then from his wife’s college savings.

Similarly, Stanley owned, trained, and drove four of the five Hambletonian’s to victory.  Nevele Pride (1968), Super Bowl (1972), Bonefish (1975), and Duenna (1983) were these winner horses.

As mentioned before, Stanley was the only horseman to have trained and ridden three Triple Crown champions. In 1968 and 1972, he did so with the trotters Nevele Pride and Super Bowl. Then, in 1970, he did so with the pacer Most Happy Fella.

Likewise, through 1961 and 1962, he owned and trained Henry T. Adios and Lehigh Hanover and won the Little Brown Jug champions. 

Furthermore, Albatross, a world-record-holding horse owned by Dancer, set a record for the quickest Standardbred. The horse came first, clocking in at 1:54.4 on a mile track.

Additionally, Cardigan Bay, Silent Majority, and Su Mac Lad are the famous horses owned and trained by him.

Stanley Dancer | Lifestyle

Stanley Dancer rose from the barns of New Jersey to being one of the famous harness professionals of the world.

Thus, Stanley loves spending his net worth, especially on things related to his profession.

Stanley never had other hobbies in his life except for horses. He once stated that his entire existence revolves around it in an interview. In his spare time, too, he prefers to spend as much time with his horses as possible.

Similarly, despite his small stature, he was usually one of the most aggressive racers on the track. Sadly, his compulsive desire for thrills and adventure led to numerous injuries throughout his career.

As of present, he is left by his wife, two sons, Ronnie of New Egypt and Stanley Richard of Pompano Beach. Similarly, he has two daughters, Susan Moyher of Naples and Shaldonna Chaisson of Pompano Beach. 

Stanley Dancer | Charity

Stanley Dancer had one of the most challenging childhood. Yet, he rose from every challenge and conquered the harness racing stage. Hence, his family tried being an active face when it came to giving back to the community.

Recently, Ronald Dancer ran in his late father’s colors in the 2014 Legislators Pace. He competed against three other legislators. He was the son of Stanley Dancer and a former driver-trainer too.

As per US Trotting News, Ronald Dancer revealed his current job as a politician and his previous one as a horseman.

Similarly, there was a one-mile competition between the first and second races. The winner’s charity earned $1,000, while the other three contenders’ charities received $500 each.

Thus, it is clear that Stanley Dancer has channeled his net worth to humanitarian and community benefit purposes too.

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Stanley Dancer | Movies, Investments, and Book Publications

Movies and Media

Stanley Dancer was an icon when it came to the harness racing scene. In fact, he made the sport reach level of viewership never attained before.

Stanley belonged to a time when television broadcasting wasn’t mainstream. However, fans from all over the United States came to watch him.

Nonetheless, Stanley became the first racer to win $1 million. During this time, he had ridden New Zealand’s Cardigan Bay to victory in 1968.

Consequently, his fame shot up to the sky as he became a favorite public figure. Eventually, he got invited for a segment in “The Ed Sullivan Show” with his horse. Stanley and his horse Cardigan Bay both featured in the Sunday show together.  

Similarly, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave Dancer a toast in the White House. Johnson believed that inspiring a generation into a new sport was an achievement of its own.

As of the present, there is a memorial race dedicated to remembering him each year. It is designated for Three-Year-Old Colt Trotters with an estimated purse of $280,000.

This memorial is broadcasted all over the world and, as of present, remains of the few notable events in the calendar year. One can watch the highlights of these memorial races on YouTube too.

Investments

Stanley Dancer wasn’t educated as other investors in the game. Instead, he was an 8th-grade dropout who followed his passion for harness racing.

Throughout, Stanley had learned the ways and methods of horses and how to make them winners. Consequently, after finishing his career as a horse rider, he started investing in horses.

This decision became one of his best as he earned most of his net worth through horse training.

Dancer trained the winning horse “Egyptian Candor.” Del Cameron drove the horse to the finish line in the 1965 four-horse Hambletonian.

He never looked back since as he invested fully in making a winning horse portfolio. His horses were on a league of their own as most of them went on to win the championship, as mentioned before.

When the world economy was booming, Stanley saw an opportunity in one of the most obscure sport. And, his investments were a significant success adding to the net worth of Stanley Dancer.

Book Publications

Stanley Dancer was looked upon as an inspirational figure when it came to harness racing. However, he belonged to a time when prints and posters were considered more precious.

Consequently, there have been several prints and illustrated posters dedicated to him. One of the most valuable pieces would be the Sports Illustrated magazine.

Stanley is featured on the cover page, and rarer editions include his signature on the front page.

Nonetheless, Stanley was also featured in a book. The title of the book was ” People in Harness Racing.” His story was published alongside Stig H. Johansson, Lloyd Duffy, and Soren Nordin.

Bill O’Donnell, Free Holmes, John Hayes, and Herve Filion were other notable harness racers in this book.

Furthermore, Stanley has a dedicated section in the Library of Congress. These include contact sheets, lookbooks, and rare photographs of him racing in his prime.

The passive income and royalties from these publications, posters, and others all contributed to the net worth of Stanley Dancer.

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Stanley Dancer | Career

He drove 23 triple crown winners and trained three of them personally during his career. He is the only horseman in history to have trained and driven three horses to the Triple Crown.

For his first race, Stanley borrowed silks and drove a horse he had purchased for $75 with money he had earned. Hence, it is clear his start in this profession wasn’t easy.

Yet, by 1945, he began driving horses at Freehold Raceway, and the following year, he won his first race. He never looked back ever since.

Similarly, he began his stable with a trotter he purchased with $250 from his wife’s savings. That horse named Candor earned him a lot of prize money throughout the next three years.

Likewise, in a six-horse competition at Roosevelt Raceway in 1961, he piloted Su Mac Lad (name of the horse) to victory.

Stanley recorded a time of 2:34.4 in the rain and a sloppy track in front of 28,105 racing fans. Su Mac Lad became the first American horse to win the championship.

Furthermore, Stanley Dancer was a successful horse trainer and breeder. He trained the winning horse “Egyptian Candor,” which Del Cameron drove in the 1965 four-horse Hambletonian.

One of his best horses, Super Bowl, won the 1972 Kentucky Derby in record speeds of 1:57.2 and 1:56.2, breaking five world records.

3 Facts About Stanley Dancer

Stanley Dancer was one lucky man. Throughout, he got out alive from four auto accidents, a helicopter crash, and a plane crash. None of them proved fatal to him.

He borrowed $200 from his parents to buy his first horse named Candor.

The adrenaline of horse racing ran throughout his family. Thus, his brothers, Harold and Vernon, were renowned horse drivers too.

FAQs

Did Stanley Dancer survive a heart attack too?

Yes, not just one. Stanley had two heart attacks during his time as a professional harness racer.

Out of all the horses he owned, which was his favorite?

Dancer’s Crown, the horse he named after himself, may have been his favorite.