Filion, Herve
Harness racing
b. Feb. 1, 1940, Angers, Quebec
Filion didn't win many of harness racing's big events because he preferred to drive in as many races as possible, but he compiled an incredible record during his 37-year career.
Only a handful of drivers have ever won more than 400 races in a year. Filion was the first to do it, with 407 in 1968, and he's done it 14 times since then. Filion has led in heats won 13 times, from 1968 through 1974, from 1976 through 1978, and from 1980 through 1982 (he tied with Carmine Abbatiello in 1981), and he was the leading money winner from 1970 through 1974 and in 1976.
Based on the Universal Driver Rating system, Filion won the driver of the year award from the Harness Tracks of America 10 times since the award was instituted in 1968. He won from 1969 through 1974, in 1976, 1981, and 1989, and he and Abbatiello tied for the award in 1978.
In a 1990 interview with Sports Illustrated, Filion made driving sound very easy: "I sit down on the job. I let the horse do the work. I guide him. If the horse gets beat, it's not my fault. If he wins, it's not my fault."
Filion was indicted with several others in late 1995 on a charge of conspiracy to fix races. The charges were finally dropped in October of 2000 in exchange for Filion's guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of tax evasion.
When his career was interrupted by the legal problems, Filion was the all-time leader in races won with 14,783 and ranked third in money won with more than $85 million.
In 2001, Filion's application for a license was turned down by the New York Racing and Wagering Board. However, while he was appealing that ruling, he was granted licenses to race in Delaware and Pennsylvania. He officially returned to the sport at Harrington Raceway in Delaware on June 23, 2002, announcing, "My goal is to reach 15,000 wins." He reached that goal at Dover Downs, also in Delaware, in late September of 2003.