Dean Magee

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Dean Magee scores career win 3,000

Author: Kimberly Rinker

Published on: October 31, 2001

When you are the little brother of the family, it is not always easy keeping up with your siblings. However, that is not the case with the Illinois-based driving brothers Dean and Dave Magee. The 37-year-old Dean, ten years younger than driving champion and older brother Dave Magee, recently scored his 3,000 victory at Balmoral Park in mid-October aboard a longshot pacer.

While Dave Magee has racked up Hall of Fame numbers--well over 8,500 wins and $62 million in purses--Dean has put together a pretty good ledger sheet as well, earning more than $15 million in purses since starting his career in the early 1980s.

"People expected me to be like Dave in that I should drive horses the way he does," Dean said. "I don't feel like I'm a natural the way Dave is. He has an extra feel for a horse that I think is second to none. It's never been a thing where we sat down and talked about driving, but of course, since we're brothers, he'd give me little tips from time to time and insights into the various particulars of certain horses."

"Dave has influenced me in terms of not taking the horses home with you," Dean noted. "He stressed to me a long time ago that and he was absolutely right. If you take the races home, you tend to dwell on negativism. I think if you feel like you're in a slump, you will be. For me, I basically take one race at a time. I think if you have confidence in yourself, then the horses will feel it."

The two-sulky sitting Magees, along with brothers Keith and Kevin, grew up on a 140-acre farm in Green Bay, Wisconsin, owned by their parents Curt and Orreine. While Dean was a toddler, his father worked for Ralston-Purina. Curt later opened up his own feed mill, a business now run by Kevin.

Through the years Magee's father and his uncle Elwood had raced Standardbreds on the Wisconsin county fair circuit, exposing the younger set to the sport. While Dean remained in school, Dave embarked on a driving career of his own. A trip to Quad City Downs in Moline, Illinois, one summer to visit his older brother was the final impetus Dean needed to determine his future.

"I was 12 when I went to see Dave at Quad City Downs for the first time, and I worked for him cleaning stalls and jogging horses," Dean remembered. "In my mind, I just couldn't wait to get through school so I could work with the horses. Driving always appealed to me the most, even from the first time I had ever jogged a horse. I was hooked right from the start."

While in high school, Dean received a fair license, and then while competing at a fair in Norway, Michigan, he stepped up tot he "provisional" status. Upon graduation, he went to work for his uncle on a full-time basis, but soon left to drive at the pari-mutuel tracks for some owner friends.

Dean spent his early career bouncing between Balmoral and Quad City Downs, with short stops at Cantebury Downs and Fairmount Park. He quickly established himself as one of the state's top catch-drivers, with three straight Quad City Downs driving titles as a testament to his talents. It was then that Dean decided to leave the west end of the state and head full time for Chicago area race tracks.

"Chicago offered a bigger market and more money," Dean said. "I felt confident that after racing all those years at Quad City Downs that I was realy for the big leagues in Chicago. I had wanted to get that kind of experience before I attempted to drive with the top drivers at Sportsman's Park and the other Chicago tracks."

Racing in Chicago has now evolved into a year-round circuit of Maywood and Balmoral Park tracks. Dean said he makes a conscious effort to adjust his driving styles between Maywood's half-mile oval and Balmoral's once-around (mile) track. He adds

that the horse influences his choices in a race more than the race track itself.

"Theoretically, you should be a little more agressive at Maywood because it seems like if you're up close there you're apt to do a little better," Dean said. "But then, a horse who races well at Balmoral may not handle Maywood's turns that well, so you'd have to adjust the style to suit your horse."

Dean studies the program every night prior to his races and says he tries to predict how each race might materialize.

"I try to visualize how the start will unfold," Dean noted. "For instance, which horse will be leaving and who might get to the front. I try to get a picture of how well the front-end horse will hang on, and I try to position a horse throughout the race to suit that horse's particular style of racing."

Dean believes that innovations, such as the inner stretch (passing lane) have been positive for the sport.

"The inner stretch has made the two-hole even more enticing," Dean said. "Now you don't have to worry about pulling and you can follow a lot longer, especially on a mile track like Balmoral. If you've got a horse that stops on the front end, generally he'll last a lot longer and maybe get a chance to pass someone."

Over the years, Dean has piloted many top horses, but his favorite was a pacer named Happy Mindale, who competed in Chicago in the early 1990s.

"He was a fast horse who was never sound, but he tried so hard every race," Dean said. "I really admired him for his guts. He was racky-gaited and looked really gimpy on the track, but in a race he just forgot about his problems. He knew how he wanted to race to. He wouldn't keep up early, but loved to race from behind and would purposely try to save himself. He was the biggest money-maker I drove on a permanent basis the first year I came to Chicago."

"I enjoy driving trotters more than pacers, but there's not really enough races for them in Chicago," Dean noted. "I'd like to see a lot more trot races. They say that people don't like to wager on trotters, and it's a shame that here in America we have to rely on the gambling aspect of thing to control our sport. In Europe there's a lot of sponsorship and they only race trotters there, and it seems like an awfull lot of folks bet on trotters, so I don't understand why there aren't more races for them here in the U.S."

"Also in Europe, the rules on whipping are quite different then they are here in the States. I think whipping is extremely over-rated here. I know that I don't whip nearly as much now as I did when I was younger. I think most horses who are giving their all and trying hard, especially in the stretch, resent being whipped."

Dean resides in the Chicago suburbs with wife Kim, daughter Alexis and son Taylor. With no plans for an early retirement, the soft-spoken and ever-modest horseman says he hopes to stay immersed in harness racing for many years to come.

"I really can't see myself doing anything else," Dean concluded. "If I was to retire from driving I think I'd get a farm with some broodmares and maybe train a few colts for myself. I would like to see my kids involved in the sport and learn the business. I was always told when I was growing up that there isn't a great future with the horses, but it's always been something that I've wanted to do. I can thank my parents for allowing me to makme my own decisions about it. Both of my kids are crazy about horses right now, and I'd really like to get them involved in some aspect of the business."


Dean Magee scores career win 3,000

	Author: Kimberly Rinker Published on: October 31, 2001 When you are the little brother of the family, it is not always easy keeping up with your siblings. However, that is not the case with the Illinois-based driving brothers Dean and Dave Magee. The 37-year-old Dean, ten years younger than driving champion and older brother Dave Magee, recently scored his 3,000 victory at Balmoral Park in mid-October aboard a longshot pacer. While Dave Magee has racked up Hall of Fame numbers--well over 8,500 wins and $62 million in purses--Dean has put together a pretty good ledger sheet as well, earning more than $15 million in purses since starting his career in the early 1980s. "People expected me to be like Dave in that I should drive horses the way he does," Dean said. "I don't feel like I'm a natural the way Dave is. He has an extra feel for a horse that I think is second to none. It's never been a thing where we sat down and talked about driving, but of course, since we're brothers, he'd give me little tips from time to time and insights into the various particulars of certain horses." "Dave has influenced me in terms of not taking the horses home with you," Dean noted. "He stressed to me a long time ago that and he was absolutely right. If you take the races home, you tend to dwell on negativism. I think if you feel like you're in a slump, you will be. For me, I basically take one race at a time. I think if you have confidence in yourself, then the horses will feel it." The two-sulky sitting Magees, along with brothers Keith and Kevin, grew up on a 140-acre farm in Green Bay, Wisconsin, owned by their parents Curt and Orreine. While Dean was a toddler, his father worked for Ralston-Purina. Curt later opened up his own feed mill, a business now run by Kevin. Through the years Magee's father and his uncle Elwood had raced Standardbreds on the Wisconsin county fair circuit, exposing the younger set to the sport. While Dean remained in school, Dave embarked on a driving career of his own. A trip to Quad City Downs in Moline, Illinois, one summer to visit his older brother was the final impetus Dean needed to determine his future. "I was 12 when I went to see Dave at Quad City Downs for the first time, and I worked for him cleaning stalls and jogging horses," Dean remembered. "In my mind, I just couldn't wait to get through school so I could work with the horses. Driving always appealed to me the most, even from the first time I had ever jogged a horse. I was hooked right from the start." While in high school, Dean received a fair license, and then while competing at a fair in Norway, Michigan, he stepped up tot he "provisional" status. Upon graduation, he went to work for his uncle on a full-time basis, but soon left to drive at the pari-mutuel tracks for some owner friends. Dean spent his early career bouncing between Balmoral and Quad City Downs, with short stops at Cantebury Downs and Fairmount Park. He quickly established himself as one of the state's top catch-drivers, with three straight Quad City Downs driving titles as a testament to his talents. It was then that Dean decided to leave the west end of the state and head full time for Chicago area race tracks. "Chicago offered a bigger market and more money," Dean said. "I felt confident that after racing all those years at Quad City Downs that I was realy for the big leagues in Chicago. I had wanted to get that kind of experience before I attempted to drive with the top drivers at Sportsman's Park and the other Chicago tracks." Racing in Chicago has now evolved into a year-round circuit of Maywood and Balmoral Park tracks. Dean said he makes a conscious effort to adjust his driving styles between Maywood's half-mile oval and Balmoral's once-around (mile) track. He adds


		that the horse influences his choices in a race more than the race track itself. "Theoretically, you should be a little more agressive at Maywood because it seems like if you're up close there you're apt to do a little better," Dean said. "But then, a horse who races well at Balmoral may not handle Maywood's turns that well, so you'd have to adjust the style to suit your horse." Dean studies the program every night prior to his races and says he tries to predict how each race might materialize. "I try to visualize how the start will unfold," Dean noted. "For instance, which horse will be leaving and who might get to the front. I try to get a picture of how well the front-end horse will hang on, and I try to position a horse throughout the race to suit that horse's particular style of racing." Dean believes that innovations, such as the inner stretch (passing lane) have been positive for the sport. "The inner stretch has made the two-hole even more enticing," Dean said. "Now you don't have to worry about pulling and you can follow a lot longer, especially on a mile track like Balmoral. If you've got a horse that stops on the front end, generally he'll last a lot longer and maybe get a chance to pass someone." Over the years, Dean has piloted many top horses, but his favorite was a pacer named Happy Mindale, who competed in Chicago in the early 1990s. "He was a fast horse who was never sound, but he tried so hard every race," Dean said. "I really admired him for his guts. He was racky-gaited and looked really gimpy on the track, but in a race he just forgot about his problems. He knew how he wanted to race to. He wouldn't keep up early, but loved to race from behind and would purposely try to save himself. He was the biggest money-maker I drove on a permanent basis the first year I came to Chicago." "I enjoy driving trotters more than pacers, but there's not really enough races for them in Chicago," Dean noted. "I'd like to see a lot more trot races. They say that people don't like to wager on trotters, and it's a shame that here in America we have to rely on the gambling aspect of thing to control our sport. In Europe there's a lot of sponsorship and they only race trotters there, and it seems like an awfull lot of folks bet on trotters, so I don't understand why there aren't more races for them here in the U.S." "Also in Europe, the rules on whipping are quite different then they are here in the States. I think whipping is extremely over-rated here. I know that I don't whip nearly as much now as I did when I was younger. I think most horses who are giving their all and trying hard, especially in the stretch, resent being whipped." Dean resides in the Chicago suburbs with wife Kim, daughter Alexis and son Taylor. With no plans for an early retirement, the soft-spoken and ever-modest horseman says he hopes to stay immersed in harness racing for many years to come. "I really can't see myself doing anything else," Dean concluded. "If I was to retire from driving I think I'd get a farm with some broodmares and maybe train a few colts for myself. I would like to see my kids involved in the sport and learn the business. I was always told when I was growing up that there isn't a great future with the horses, but it's always been something that I've wanted to do. I can thank my parents for allowing me to makme my own decisions about it. Both of my kids are crazy about horses right now, and I'd really like to get them involved in some aspect of the business."