Del has a quarter mile track at his five-acre home in Beecher, and in addition to his driving duties, trains his own four horses, including the top mare Kennan's Mama, who has earned nearly $200,000 for Del and partners Richard Orelik and Ken Parchem.
"The day after my surgery she won in 1:51.4 at Balmoral for Andy (Miller)," Del said. "That really took the pressure off of me. It just seemed like everything fell right into place. The horses that I train are my bread and butter, and my driving money is an added bonus for me."
Del is quickly closing in on win number 1,000 and to date has piloted the victors of over $7.1 million. He's conditioned 145 winners to just over $1.1 million in purses as well.
"This whole ordeal really helped me to appreciate my family and friends even more than I already do," Del added. "It puts a lot of things in perspective. A lot of folks around the track think I'm a hero, but I'm not. I know that any of my family members would have done the same for me if the situation were reversed."
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