During his career, he won over $28 million and 3,781 races and was called by the United States Trotting Association "perhaps the best-known personality in the sport".
Dancer was born in West Windsor Township, New Jersey on July 25, 1927, and grew up on a farm in the New Egypt section of Plumsted Township, New Jersey, living in the area for almost his entire life on a 160-acre (0.65 km2) farm with a half-mile training track before moving to Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1999.
"[1] In a six-horse field at the 1961 International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway, Dancer drove Su Mac Lad, finishing in a time of 2:34.4 in driving rain and a sloppy track in front of 28,105 racing fans, with the French horse Kracovie in second by what The New York Times called "the smallest of noses" with American horse Tie Silk in third.
He won the Triple Crown three times, with trotters Nevele Pride in 1968 and Super Bowl in 1972, and with pacer Most Happy Fella in 1970.
He trained / drove the harness horse of the year seven times, with trotters Su Mac Lad in 1962 and Nevele Pride in 1967 through 1969, and with pacers Albatross in 1971 and 1972 and Keystone Ore in 1976.
[4] He was survived by his wife Jody, whom he married in 1985; two sons (one of whom was New Jersey Assemblyman and former Plumsted mayor Ronald Stanley Dancer), two daughters, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.