Don't Get In This Stallion's Way
There have been 26 winners of the Woodrow Wilson, one of racing's premier events for 2-year-old pacers, since the race was introduced in 1977 at The Meadowlands. In that time, 24 of them retired after no more than four seasons.
The fact is that good horses who win big races as are often sought after in the breeding shed, and few return to the track for a 4-, 5- or 6-year-old season.
The exception to such a rule was clearly Dontgetinmyway.
A well-bred son of Abercrombie, Dontgetinmyway romped to a two-length victory in the 1994 Wilson, pacing in 1:53.4 to give John Campbell his third win in the event.
As a 3-year-old he competed against the best his division had to offer, including world champion Jenna's Beach Boy and David's Pass.
But long after those and countless other horses had headed off to retirement-the compact pacer with the big heart was still tearing up tracks across the Midwest, bringing home over $100,000 in four separate seasons after his 2-year-old campaign.
Dontgetonmyway was honored and officially retired at the 2002 Holland Fair in Holland, Mich., with his owners, trainers and countless fans present. The announcer read a synopsis of his nine-year racing career, and presented Lee and Linda DeVisser, who had owned the pacer since midway through his sophomore campaign, with a blanket and his shoes in a send-off befitting the winner of $1,413,550 lifetime.
"It was a great surprise to us," Lee Devisser said. "It was so fitting for 'Don't' to go out this way. I think the reason he was able to compete, and compete so well for so many years, is that his confirmation is nearly faultless. Also, he was the one horse of mine that has received the smallest amount of veterinary work over the years. He is really remarkable in that respect."
Having been steered in his career by such noteworthy reinsmen as John Campbell, Doug Brown, Peter Wrenn, Jack Moiseyev, Paul MacDonell and Dale Hiteman, and trained by conditioners like Bill Robinson and Joe Holloway-Dontgetinmyway has been teamed with trainer Joe Seekman, 38, and his wife Tina, 36, since the summer of 1996. Their 37-acre farm in Centerville, Mich., is home to 35 horses, including horses in training, broodmares and babies-but the king of this court has been Dontgetinmyway.
The DeVissers have owned harness horses for over 20 years, campaigning such greats as Jenna's Beach Boy, She's A Great Lady, Lady Macbeach, Florida Jewel and Michigan 2002 Headliner of the Year Three Olives.
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