Behind the Gate ‘W 
     
    
   
   
    
     the action and many like to lean ()\'C1' the 
     
     fence cheering as the horses and driyers 
     
     come within a few feet of them. He also 
     
     belieyed that there was more strategy and 
     
     ability required from the driyer on a 
     
     smaller track. l‘nfortunately. many of the 
     
     half milers are disappearing and new 
     
     tracks tend to be of larger distances built 
     
     for speed. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Like most horsemen. ilody llennessey 
     
     enjoyed the challenge and competition 
     
     inyolyed in a horse race. "\Vhen i make a 
     
     decision to commit myself during a race. 
     
     I can't take it back. It is a split second 
     
     decision when to moye a horse during a 
     
     race." The successful driyer seemed to 
     
     knoyy when and where to make decisions 
     
    
   
   
    
     during a race. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Iixcessiye use of the whip on the hi‘irse 
     
     by some driyers \\'as something he detest~ 
     
     ed. He emphasized. "I don‘t like the 
     
     slashing and the banging of the animal 
     
     and i see a lot of it. if a horse is strugi 
     
     gling. there is a reason for it and exces~ 
     
     siye \yhipping does no good. ’l'he more 
     
     you hit him the more he is going to stop.” 
     
     it is no coincidence that the most suc— 
     
     cessful driyers in this sport are the ones 
     
     that are the most discreet in their use of 
     
     the whip. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Jody Hennessey 
     
    
   
   
    
     This successful trainer driyer greyy tip 
     
     around horses and they were yery good 
     
     to him. lie was fortunate to be associat— 
     
     ed \\'ith a lot of nice horses. He had a lot 
     
     of fun and success racing horses. lie 
     
     worked hard on his horses and they 
     
     re\\'arded him for the long hours of toil 
     
     with success on the track. He realized 
     
     that you can't just train a horse and put 
     
     him back in the barn because he requires 
     
     endless care and imiintenance. He made 
     
     the analogy. "A horse is like a car and it 
     
     breaks down if you don‘t look after it." 
     
    
   
   
    
     It seems like only yesterday that Winners 
     
     Accolade was the undisputed dominant 
     
     horse on the free for—all circuit. lody 
     
     liennessey remembered him well and 
     
     stated. “My biggest moment in this game 
     
     was when (ieorge Canning asked me to 
     
     driye \l'l'mlel's.Ilcco/(ale. It made me feel 
     
     really good because there \\'as a number 
     
     of good driyers ayailable and l was 
     
     asked." Incidentally. this horse \\on his 
     
     last four lifetime starts and _lody 
     
     liennessey \\'as the driyer for each start 
     
     ./\nother big moment for _lody was when 
     
     Milton l)o\\‘ney asked him to driye 
     
     (Iliris/oplier (I Dozvn in the prestigious 
     
     Gold (Zup and Saucer. This also made 
     
    
   
   
    
     him feel pretty good. 
     
    
   
   
    
     “M V bigges/ momen/ in Ibis game zvas zvben George Canning 
     
     asleed me lo drive Winners Accolade. 1/ made Hie/eel really good 
     
     because [here zvas a number o/‘good drivers available 
     
    
   
   
    
     and I was asked. " 
     
    
   
   
    
     149