The Neponset Valley Daily News • Going the distance • May 23, 2002
Former jockey introduces a new generation to horse racing.

NORWOOD - Unlike Victor Espinoza and his horse, War Emblem, former professional jockey Gene Bresnahan was never in the running to win the Triple Crown, but, as racing fans anxiously await the June 8 Belmont Stakes, the Norwood resident fondly recalls his days in the saddle.

It was on a horse named Slow Motion on which Bresnahan rode in his first official race.

“I was neck-and-neck with the leaders going into the gate,” Bresnahan joked with the same sense of humor that prompts him to ask fellow jockeys if they want him to fill out the “short form” for their taxes. He is an accountant in Norwood.

Bresnahan’s first race is only part of a life story that is littered with irony.

On the back stretch of life, the 63-year-old Bresnahan is only 10 pounds heavier than his racing weight and still possesses all the pep of a man who used to ride 20 to 30 horses a day.

After his ride on Slow Motion, Bresnahan ended up racing horses all over the country from Suffolk Downs to Florida Downs from 1966 to 1971. Bresnahan might still be racing today if fate hadn’t cracked the whip on him when he met his future wife, Joanne, one day at the track.

“She told me she couldn’t live like this,” said Bresnahan. So he quit.

All along, Bresnahan had been doing tax work for many of his colleagues, so he went into the business full time and settled down in Norwood in 1977, where he has lived ever since. Bresnahan took what he learned in racing and has applied it to business, working with clients including jockeys, trainers and other athletes.

“You’ve got to think like they do,” said Bresnahan.

Bresnahan said he misses the track life from time to time - he still thinks he could go to the Brockton Fair races and rent out the winners’ circle for a day, if he got in riding shape - but he only visits tracks now as a guest.

For 13 years, Bresnahan has organized a Day at the Races, which started out as a Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce event and is now a fund-raiser for the Dedham Boys and Girls Club.

Last year Bresnahan and three busloads of people, including many of his clients, traveled to Rockingham for the day.

For $35 a head, Bresnahan said people get the whole trip, including lunch and a tour of the jockeys' room.

Bresnahan said he got involved with the Boys and Girls Club after being asked to be treasurer. Since the club is not big enough to qualify as part of the national Boys and Girls Club umbrella, Bresnahan said it does not receive any funding.

"We're hoping to get it to the point where it will be big enough to become part of the national organization, but it's not there yet," said Bresnahan.

Bresnahan said many of the kids go on the trip as well, which brings him back to his youth.

“ They love visiting the jockeys,” said Bresnahan. “They’re the same size.”

Growing up in Cambridge, Bresnahan didn’t have the childhood background of a typical jockey. The only thing Bresnahan knew how to ride was a Greyhound bus and maybe a Huffy bicycle.

But that didn’t stop him from hopping the fence one day at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, proclaiming to the first person he met that he wanted to be a jockey.

It was here that irony struck again in the form of Junie Bresnahan, one of the more famous trainers in New England. Whether it was the shared last name (no relation) or the fact that young Gene had the perfect build for a jockey, Junie took in the 21-year-old.

Bresnahan learned to ride at a farm in Medford and, eventually, Junie sent Bresnahan down to his farm in South Carolina to help “break” younger horses. He did that for three years before moving onto the racing circuit, which was a different experience entirely.

“It was like going from a sparring partner to a boxer,” said Bresnahan.

Bresnahan never raced in a big time venue like Churchill Downs, but he managed to win his fair share of races and earn decent money.

The closest Bresnahan got to the Kentucky Derby was training a horse at Churchill Downs.
As it turned out, Bresnahan’s horse got spooked by something running behind it.
That something happened to be gold-medal winning boxer Casius Marcellus Clay, who would later make a bigger name for himself under a different moniker, Muhammad Ali.

Bresnahan has many racing stories as he had broken bones and stitches during his racing days.

“People don’t realize that you’re really not touching the horse at all,” said Bresnahan.. “If that horse stumbles, you’re flying off like a bar of soap because you’re wearing silk.”

In addition to his infamous start aboard Slow Motion, Bresnahan said he had many experiences where he would find success by getting into the mind of a horse, knowing where the horse liked to be.

In one instance, Bresnahan was riding a horse called Red Glory, who had an interesting affliction: He was scared of other horses.

“He was always coming out slow, getting behind the other horses,” said Bresnahan.

So Bresnahan opted for a new strategy - get out front early.

Red Glory won going away.

“He was afraid to slow down,” said Bresnahan. “In fact, I had trouble slowing him down after the race.”

Reporter: Brian Falla.
Design: JK Studios

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 2003
GENE BRESNAHAN Guest Speaker for DEDHAM ROTARY CLUB

DEDHAM, MA -- Gene Bresnahan EA, CLU, ChFC of Norwood recently served as the guest speaker for the Dedham Rotary Club dinner.

Mr. Bresnahan, an engaging dinner speaker, is currently the owner of Taxjockey.com of Dedham, Massachusetts. His previous career was as a successful thoroughbred jockey.
It was this racetrack experience that was the focus of his talk.

Mr. Bresnahan has as many racing stories as he had broken bones and stitches during his racing days, but he managed to win his fair share of races and earn decent money.

“People don’t realize that you’re really not touching the horse at all,” said Bresnahan.
“If that horse stumbles, you’re flying off like a bar of soap because you’re wearing silk.”

“I feel that most people can give a sales talk, but my unique background as a thoroughbred jockey taught me special skills about what it takes to win, and this is always a popular topic with my audiences”, said Mr. Bresnahan.

Mr. Bresnahan circulated some of his lightweight racing gear amongst the crowd and added that, “Effort, teamwork, and competitive instincts go a long way in sports, business and in life”.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 2002
GENE BRESNAHAN TO HOST 14th ANNUAL “DAY AT THE RACES” to BENEFIT

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB of DEDHAM DEDHAM, MA -- Gene Bresnahan EA, CLU, ChFC of Norwood has announced plans to host his 14th Annual “DAY AT THE RACES” to be held at Suffolk Downs on Saturday, August 23, 2003. This year, as in years past, net proceeds from this event will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Dedham.

Former winning jockey Gene Bresnahan’s annual “DAY AT THE RACES” outing is open to the first 200 guests that register. The cost for this full-day event is only $37.00 per person which includes transportation, admission into Suffolk Downs, a buffet luncheon, with a great view of the action, private betting windows, a racing program and more.

“Our exciting “DAY AT THE RACES” is now a local tradition that our clients and friends really look forward to”, Bresnahan said. “My previous experience as a thoroughbred jockey taught me that it takes effort and teamwork to succeed. With this event we combine both of these principles in a fun way, while at the same time helping some great kids!” said Bresnahan, owner of Taxjockey.com Financial Services of Dedham.

For more information on this event or to sign up for “Day at the Races”, please call Gene Bresnahan at 781-326-6411 or visit www.taxjockey.com. Space is limited, so don’t hesitate! “SEE YOU IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE”.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 2000
GENE BRESNAHAN RECEIVES BEST OF MASS AWARD FROM STATE

DEDHAM, MA -- Gene Bresnahan EA, CLU, ChFC, RIA of Norwood has recently received the Best of Mass Award from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
“BEST OF MASS” is awarded for “Achieving Excellence in Electronic Filing” . The criteria include error-free filing, fast refunds, proof of filing, convenient payment options, as well as direct deposit capabilities.

“Best of Mass” is really an honor, when you consider the large number of tax preparers across the Commonwealth” , said Gene Bresnahan, owner of taxjockey.com of Dedham. “As an enrolled agent, certified financial consultant, and registered investment advisor, I’m able to combine traditional skills in bookkeeping and accounting with today’s latest technology, to assist individuals and businesses with all of their tax issues.”

Mr. Bresnahan was quick to thank his staff saying, “It is also a compliment to my great team that we are able to offer such excellent service to our clients”. He added that, “My previous experience as a thoroughbred jockey taught me that it takes effort and teamwork to succeed – which relates to the business world, as well.”

For more information, please contact Gene Bresnahan at 781-326-6411.

Tax Time Doesn’t Have to be Complicated

Excerpted from the Daily Transcript's, Savvy Shopper Column
“Doing your own taxes can cost you a lot more than the $75 or even $150 that you might pay a tax preparer, because you can miss deductions”, said Gene Bresnahan, EA, CLU, ChFC, a tax specialist and owner of taxjockey.com in Dedham. If your income comes from multiple sources or is more complex, you need to enter the world of tax specialists. A tax preparer in a booth doing “Taxes While U-Wait” is not a wise choice even in desperation. In choosing an accountant, find one who makes taxes a permanent, rather than a seasonal business. If you are running a complicated business venture or investing, you might need the help of a certified public accountant (CPA). However, there is another specialist capable of handling preparation and tax planning with varying levels of complexity. The Enrolled Agent (EA) is licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS in case of audits, appeals and negotiations. EA’s have been granted enrollment by the Treasury Department and have passed a detailed two-day exam. Gene Bresnahan, an Enrolled Agent, suggests that a taxpayer should be able to present the previous year’s tax return to a potential tax preparer and receive a free consultation about the cost of preparing the current return. The preparer will then give the taxpayer a simplified form to organize income and deductions. You don’t need to tote a shopping bag full or receipts and canceled checks stubs to your tax preparer. Totals will usually do. According to Bresnahan, “Any tax adviser should be able to save you many times his or her fee”. Besides the decor and equipment of a tax preparer, Bresnahan’s office sports momentos of his decade long career as a professional jockey. Statues of horses, pictures of Bresnahan in racing silks, and clippings of winning race results recall the years he rode thousands of horses on numerous East coast racetracks. It’s not surprising that he offers a tax tip to those who love to bet. “Don’t throw away those losing tickets!” he warns. “Record all those losing bets, so they can be written off against your future hits.” This applies to winners in dog and horse racing, bingo and the state lottery. Tax time does not have to seem like a trip through a confounding quagmire. The help is out there. You just need to shop for the tax preparer who is right for your situation.