Hightstown, NJ — Harness racing driver Jim Morrill Jr. got career win No. 7,000 on Sunday night (May 13) when he drove Indy Ingot to victory in the 13th race at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Indy Ingot, trained by Joe Pavia Jr., won by one length in 1:54.3.
The 53-year-old Morrill set his career high for wins with 404 in 2012 and career high for purses with $8.21 million in 2009. He ranks No. 21 in harness racing history for purses, with $101.3 million.
Morrill led all drivers with 500 or more starts in driver’s rating in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He finished second in 2007, 2012 and 2016. Among his notable wins are three Breeders Crown finals — with See You At Peelers, Won The West and Yellow Diamond — the 2004 Meadowlands Pace with Holborn Hanover and the 2012 Yonkers Trot with Archangel.
A native of Massachusetts, where he played junior hockey prior to his career in harness racing, Morrill now lives in upstate New York. He ranks fourth in wins at Pocono this year.
Son of the late trainer-driver Jim Morrill Sr., Morrill Jr. began his driving career in 1984.
by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
Additional to article
Ken's story mentioned that Holborn Hanover won the Meadowlands Pace in 2004. Two years later, Holborn would become the first horse to go a world record 1:46.4 in a race, with George Brennan driving him that day.1:46.4 in a race held up (tied three times) as the world record for a race until Always B Miki went 1:46 at Lexington in 2016, which also eclipsed Cambest's T1:46.1.
Jim's fastest time is just a tick slower than the former race record, 1:47, achieved in guiding Won The West to a Breeders Crown victory.
Morrill finished in the North American top half-dozen drivers in UDR every year between 2012-2016.
The USTA changed the "top category" of drivers in the UDR competition from 300+ to 500+ drives in 1982. When Morrill won his first title in 2006, his .521 was the highest figure ever in the "500+" category (only fellow New England Walter Case Jr. had cracked .500 before, .505 in 1998).
Prior to the change to "500+," the last figure in the "top category" to top Morrill's 2006 figure of .521 was C.J. Osborn's .566 in 1979.
Morrill's .521 in the 500+ UDR category was eclipsed only this past season when yet another son of New England, Drew Campbell, posted a .523 figure.
Morrill has won the Pocono UDR title three times — 2009, 2010, and 2012.