William Arthur O'Donnell (born May 4, 1948 in

Springhill, Nova Scotia Springhill is a community located in central Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The community was founded as "Springhill Mines." Coal mining led to economic growth, with its incorporation as a town in 1889. The mines in the Springhill coal ...

, Canada) is a prominent harness racing driver. O'Donnell's parents, Etta and Henry, were both heavily involved in the local racing circuit. After graduating from high school, he became second trainer for Jim Doherty, and moved to

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

, where in 1979 he set the all-time record for most wins (269) at a single track in a single season. Later he went to the Meadowlands in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

on the

Grand Circuit The Grand Circuit, also known as the "Big Wheel", is a group of harness racing stakes races run at various race tracks around the United States. Run on one-mile tracks, it is "the oldest continuing horse-racing series in the United States." Th ...

. O'Donnell was given the nickname the "Magic Man" for being able to drive a horse seemingly past its limitations. In 1982 and 1984 he was voted the

Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year The Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year is an American harness racing award for drivers of Standardbred racehorses. Created in 1968, it is awarded annually.

award. In 1984 he also set a yearly earnings record of over $9 million. In a race in 1984 with Nihilator, O'Donnell was the first to post a sub-1:50 race mile in the $2,161,000

Woodrow Wilson Pace The Woodrow Wilson Pace was a harness racing major event for two-year-old Standardbred pacers run from 1977 through 2012 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey. First run in 1977 for a purse of $280,000, by 1980 the purse wa ...

, the richest race ever contested to that point." It was the first time that William O'Donnell had ever driven the son of

Niatross Niatross (1977–1999) was an American champion standardbred race horse that many believe was the greatest harness horse of all time. Background The son of Albatross out of the mare Niagara Dream, Niatross was foaled on March 30, 1977. He wa ...

. Bill O'Donnell won the driving title, his third in four years. The next year, he became harness racing's first driver to eclipse $10 million in earnings in a single year. O'Donnell has 5,742 lifetime victories as a driver with just under $100 million earned by the horses he has guided. A native of Springhill, Nova Scotia, he was the leading driver at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, for many years and established a number of records with respect to wins and earnings. In 2001, O'Donnell moved back to Canada, settling in

Acton, Ontario Acton (population 9,377 in 2021) is a community located in the town of Halton Hills, in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. At the northern end of the Region, it is on the outer edge of the Greater Toronto Area and is one of two of the primary po ...

, to focus more on training horses. Since then, he has also become involved in the politics of racing, giving much of his time and considerable expertise to several horsemen's groups. He currently serves as President of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association, which has the racing contract with the largest track operator in Canada,

Woodbine Entertainment Group Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), known as the Ontario Jockey Club from 1881 to 2001, is the operator of two horse racing tracks, a casino and off-track betting stations in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. It also owns and operates ...

. In addition, he serves as the representative for Standardbred horse people on the board of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association as well as a Vice-President of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society. He has four children, Faith, Christopher, Megan, and Sean.Standardbred Canada article
/ref> Bill O'Donnell has been inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

(1992), the

Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame was established in 1964, to honor outstanding athletes, teams and sport builders in the Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The facilities are located at the World Trade and Convention Centre in the provi ...

, the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The H ...

(1986), and the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY (1991).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odonnell, Bill Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Canadian harness racing drivers Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees American harness racers United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees Canadian people of Irish descent Sportspeople from Nova Scotia People from Cumberland County, Nova Scotia Living people 1948 births