Thomas S. Berry

Thomas S. Berry (1882 – July 21, 1962), commonly known as Tom Berry, was an English-born harness racing driver and horse trainer.

Early life Thomas Sylvester Berry was in born in 1882 in London, England. His father was a British Army officer.

After stowing away on a vessel headed for the United States, he arrived in Charlestown, Massachusetts and started working at a livery stable. He began as a horse groom, but his small frame led him quickly into work as a jockey for running horses. He started riding as a jockey when he was 12.

Career He shifted his attention to harness horses, seeking owners to drive for, and soon raced behind a high-wheeled sulky. At age 17, he drove in his first harness race at a fair in Lowell, Massachusetts, winning the 2:45 class event in 2:27. Over the years, he became well known at the Flemington Fair as his horses won numerous races. In September 1926, Berry signed a contract as head trainer and driver of Pennsylvania's Hanover Shoe Farms. He also assisted John H. Dickerson, then the general manager of the stables and breeding establishment.

During the first Hambletonian Stakes in 1926 at Syracuse, New York, he finished fifth.

Berry made Seminole Park in Florida his winter training base, and during his first winter there he trained the trotting filly Hanover's Bertha. He developed Hanover's Bertha into a record-setting trotter, driving her to a world-record 2:02 mile for a two-year-old filly in 1929. In 1930, she captured the Matron Stake, Review Futurity, Champion Stallion Stake, Hambletonian Stakes, and the Kentucky Futurity.

Later career He returned to operating a public stable in 1935 and led the Grand Circuit in victories that season. His Excellency gave him a string of major wins, including the Trotting Derby and Goldsmith Maid Aged Trot in 1942, repeat victories in the Maud S. Stake Aged Trot and Nancy Hanks Aged Trot in 1942 and 1943, and the 1943 Transylvania Trot. He made his final appearance in the Hambletonian in 1954. His second win in the Kentucky Futurity came in 1953 when he drove Kimberly Kid to victory.

He drove until he was 79 years old.

Personal life He became a resident of Lexington, Kentucky in 1934.

Death Thomas Berry died on July 21, 1962, in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. He had suffered a stroke while visiting Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio, in connection with the sale of a horse and was admitted to the St. Joseph Hospital on July 4, 1962.

Legacy He was elected into the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1964.