U.S. Pacing Triple Crown wins: Little Brown Jug (1958, 1973)Cane Pace (1958, 1975) U.S. Trotting Triple Crown wins: Hambletonian Stakes (1955, 1960)Yonkers Trot (1955)Kentucky Futurity(1955, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1973) International wins: Solvallas Internationella Elitlopp (1969)Grand Prix of Bavaria (1970) Joseph Cyril O'Brien (June 25, 1917 – September 29, 1984) was a Harness racing driver, trainer and owner who won the U.S. Trotting Triple Crown in 1955 and would be inducted into both the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame[1] and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame,[2] as well as Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
After finishing school, instead of going to veterinary college as his mother wanted, in the fall of 1935 he chose to go to work as a trainer at the farm of William Latta in River Hebert, Nova Scotia.
In 1947 he led all drivers in North America with 128 wins but the United States Trotting Association did not recognize the 44 races he won in the Maritime Provinces and gave him a National ranking of 7th in the USTA standings.
O'Brien would soon gain national recognition when he drove and trained the Castleton pacer Indian Land to victory in the then rich $50,000 Golden West Pace at Hollywood Park Racetrack.
[9] On May 27, 1973 at Solvalla Racetrack in Sweden, O'Brien produced the first ever sub two-minute mile in the history of European harness racing when he won the second heat of the world-famous Elitloppet with Flower Child.
Among them he trained and drove Triple Crown winner Scott Frost, as well as Armbro Flight to three straight Canadian Harness Horse of the Year honors.
While regularly racing against male trotters, Fresh Yankee broke track and World Records and in 1967 became the fastest trotting mare in history with a time trial clocking of 1:57.1.