Haughton, "Billy" (William R.)
Harness Racing
b. Nov. 2, 1923, Gloversville, NY
d. July 15, 1986
No harness driver was better than Haughton in the big races. He was one of only three drivers to win the Hambletonian four times; the only driver to win the Little Brown Jug five times; and the only one to win the Messenger Stakes seven times.
After racing on fairground tracks in upstate New York for several years, Haughton finished tenth in the nation in heats won and winnings in 1949. He led in heats won for six straight years, 1953-58, and was the leading money-winner twelve times, 1952-59, 1963, 1965, 1967, and 1968.
Haughton trained primarily for other owners until the early 1960s, when he began developing his own stable. His Rum Customer won the trotting triple crown in 1968 and Green Speed was named harness horse of the year in 1977. Haughton drove Meadow Paige to a world record 1:55 2/5 in a time trial at Lexington in 1967. Among his other top horses were Belle Action, Galophone, Speedy Count, and Carlisle.
Haughton's oldest son, Peter, was a top driver who died in an auto accident in early 1980. Another son, Tom, was the winning driver in the 1982 Hambletonian. Haughton died of head injuries suffered in an accident at Yonkers Raceway.