April 15, 2008
By Kimberly Rinker

Over years the indiscriminate use of steroids in racehorses worldwide has been the subject of speculation and controversy—overshadowed by the constant attention given to professional human athletes in the media on this subject. It is well known that most elite sport participants (football, baseball, basketball, Olympic contenders, etc.) have at their disposal a wide array of supplements, both legal and illegal.

Performance enhancing drugs such as steroids and human growth hormones have been outlawed in all professional human sports in the United States, but are still allowed in horse racing. Trainers use steroids and hormones as a matter of course to prolong a racehorse’s career, and the question remains, what effects do these drugs have on the horse’s career after racing, and what effect does this have—if any—on the betting public?

Medication in itself is often an issue of controversy among horsemen and racetrack management and often is perceived as “the evil or dirty side of horse racing” to some fans. Steroids are legal medications that are used without regulations. Some horsemen like them, some do not, while others in the business consider them unethical forms of treatment.

Ultimately, steroids can have both a positive and negative effect, on one hand helping to improve a horse’s health through a stimulated appetite, increased weight gain, and the healing of injured joints, and on the other hand, causing temporary reproductive problems in the breeding shed for both sexes.

As well, rumors abound as to whether some breeders and consignors use steroids to muscle-up yearlings for sale at public auction. Some trainers will openly admit to putting their youngsters on a steroid program throughout their 2 and 3-year-old seasons. Questions continue to be asked, but in the long run, what happens to the horse who is on steroids long-term?

The History
Steroids were first developed in the early 1930s, when scientists discovered that they could increase the muscle mass of laboratory animals with their use. Later that decade scientists perfected steroids to treat hypogonadism, a condition which does not allow the body to produce a sufficient amount of testosterone for normal growth and sexual function on its own.

By World War II Nazi doctors were administering steroids to soldiers in order to toughen them up for combat. Later, it was found that soldiers returning from combat who were suffering from malnutrition and anemia revived much more quickly when given steroids. After the war, steroids could be found in many hospitals in both Europe and North America, and their use quickly spilled over into the sporting world. Testosterone was one the first to be used by athletes of the Eastern block nations in the early 1950s.

Dr. John Ziegler, MD was one of the first to begin developing steroids for use in athletes in this country, particularly for football players, as the health dangers were first thought to be minimal. By the mid-1960s steroid use in football players was commonplace, and soon, the use spilled over into the racehorse and dog racing industry, and in the meat production industry. In 1974 the problem among human athletes had become so pronounced that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prohibited the use of steroids in Olympic competition and training. As a result, the illegal trade for steroids followed shortly and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today there are more than 100 different types of steroids available in North America to be used via a prescription. Steroids obtained illegally are typically developed on the Black Market and then smuggled into this country.

In the Athens Olympic games, a high number of horses tested positive for prohibited substances—and many were steroids. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) had announced that they would have to “revisit our entire medication policy,” as a result of the apparent abuse of prohibited substances at those Olympic games.

What They Are & What They Do
Steroids are produced legally for medical use on nearly every continent around the globe. They are used to regulate the endocrine system—the part of the body that controls cellular activity throughout an animal’s system. The endocrine system is what produces hormones. These hormones go directly into the bloodstream and target specific problem areas.

Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are released by the adrenal glands, which include an inner (medulla) and outer (cortex) portion. Corticosteroids help to regulate protein and carbohydrate metabolism and produce several steroidial hormones, as well as playing a critical role in the body’s mineral and water balance. As well, some of these corticosteroids produce properties helpful in the reduction of pain and inflammation as a result of stress related injuries. Joint lameness is the leading cause of pain in racehorses.

The intra-articular use of corticosteroids first began in 1955 for the treatment of joint disorders in the equine athlete. This group of steroids includes dexamethasone, prednisone and cortisone. Often, prolonged use of corticosteroids results in a tissue-wasting effect, which is then relieved by anabolic therapy.
One of the first corticosteroids used was cortisol, produced naturally in the adrenal glands of all animals. The adrenals are a pair of small glands lying in front of each kidney, and each produces three types of steroids: mineral-corticoids (responsible for maintaining the levels of sodium & potassium in the body), sex steroids (anabolic steroids) and Glucocorticoids (responsible for glucose metabolism).

Anabolic Steroids (anabolic-androgenic steroids)
These are “male sex hormone” steroids, similar to the male sex hormone testosterone, and have a pronounced stimulatory effect on constructive metabolism. They are used to promote muscle growth and can improve the condition of anemic animals and can positively affect performance and weight gain, and are often used as an appetite stimulant. In humans these steroids are used on routinely on chemotherapy patients.

Applications in Racehorses
Studies have proven that horses treated over an extended period will grow dependent upon anabolic steroids for functions that their bodies would perform were they not treated with the drug. When the administration of steroids is suddenly stopped, the horse’s endocrine system is not prepared to handle the sudden loss of treatment.

For example, a horse treated with ACTH for a lengthy period will have the natural production of ACTH provided by the pituitary gland decrease and eventually stop. This in turn causes the adrenal cortex gland to shrink and stop functioning, which also causes natural steroid production to halt as well.

Overall, the horse’s system is completely confused by the overabundance of artificially administered substances to the body, and the horse will often develop a kind of addiction to the steroids. Other side effects on the endocrine system include hyperglycemia, osteoporosis, increased coagulation of the blood stream, depression, electrolyte imbalance and death.

Certainly, these same side effects do not apply to corticosteroids that are used to inject joints in racehorses. Dr. Scott Hopper, DVM, of Lexington’s Rood & Riddle Equine Clinic says that he utilizes various steroids routinely on horses that he treats, and that the type of steroid injected into the joint depends on the joint.

“For low motion joints such as pasterns, I’ll use depo,” Hopper said. “For high motion joints, such as upper hocks, I’ll use a combination of vetalog, predef and a hyaluronic acid. Using steroids inarticulately is common practice and for some racehorses, this is what keeps them in action. We also make sure that the horses we service are good candidates for whatever type of medication we’re going to inject.”

Hopper said the type of clients he services are very different from the typical racetrack veterinarian, whose trainers often routinely use steroids on raceway horse’s joints week-in and week-out for maintenance.

“With corticosteroids, my experience has shown that these don’t produce overnight results,” Hopper noted. “It takes some time for them to work, and to get the full benefit of them. It doesn’t happen overnight. Those folks who are injecting the same joint week after week are, in my opinion, kind of throwing their money away. At our practice we are looking to get the best response possible, and therefore I always tell my clients that time is their best ally.

“Of course there are the cases for overnight horses where, if a vet is able to isolate a problem joint, that they would then inject that joint on a routine basis. However, I feel that a favorable response to that injection would be to see that the treatment last for 60 days at least.”

Dr. Tony Petrowitz, DVM, a graduate of Iowa State and a practitioner at Chicago-area racetracks, says he favors using a combination of ingredients on his client’s horses.

“Most often, we mix depo, dex (dexamethasone), Vetalog or Predef along with a hyaluronic acid for a joint injection,” Petrowitz noted. “This combination will last a little longer and is good at taking inflamation out of a joint. It’s a little kinder treatment than straight depo.”

“In contrast, Betamethasone is a little quicker acting medication, but we don’t use it as much because it’s much costlier than the other injectable corticosteroids,” Petrowitz added.

In the mid-1990s Dr. Dave Frisbie, a 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, studied the effects of various types of steroids used for intra-articular injections. His project on Vetalog and Depo-Medrol found that sample horses who were administered these corticosteroids in a normal joint received effects on a remote joints containing chip fractures. Further, the study suggested that detrimental effects from the use of corticosteroids in joints may have been overstated.

Chicago-based conditioner Dave McCaffrey says he doesn’t believe that steroid use is the end-all to success when it comes to training pacers and trotters.

“Using steroids is a horse to horse decision, and ultimately, it’s a steroid to steroid decision,” Dave noted. “If I were to claim a horse that has won two or three races in a row it could be hard to tell if that horse had been given steroids, although certain steroids tend to give themselves away. Some trainers call it “roid rage.” For instance, if you see a gelding that’s acting crazy and trying to breed everything in sight, then you can be pretty sure that he’s been given a steroid of some type.

“Just like baseball players who are floundering in the minor leagues, you can’t take a horse that’s doing poorly and expect to improve a horse five seconds by using a steroid on him,” Dave added. “Of course you hear that certain trainers are using this or that steroid on everything—especially if they’re winning a lot of races. The ultimate 64,000 question is: ‘do steroids help horses to go faster?’ The side effects of steroids can make a horse go faster, but the drug by itself does not. In other words, if you’re stronger, with more muscle mass than the next fellow, it stands to reason that you’ll perform better.”

Robin Schadt, trainer of Odds On Racing of Crete, Illinois agrees with McCaffrey.

“Steroids are fine when they aren’t abused,” Robin said. “It’s another legal tool that we, as trainers, have at our disposal. It benefits some horses when used diligently and responsibly. For instance, Winstrol definitely helps certain finicky female horses and sulky make horses. Sometimes we’ll use Regimate and chorionic on mares to keep them from cycling.”

Dirk Simpson, a noted Illinois colt trainer based at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield, says he uses steroids on some of his youngsters, but that cost limits his use of the medication.

“Four to six out of ten of my horses will be on Winstrol,” Dirk noted. “It adds muscle mass and helps to bulk them up. The dosage is low and I do it in the spring for six to eight weeks and whenever I think they need it. The economics of this business just doesn’t allow for much more of it that that in Illinois.”

Balmoral-based conditioner Jim Eaton has other ideas.

“I never really thought that steroids helped a horse that much,” Eaton said. “I’ll use Winstrol because it helps a horse that is skinny to put on weight through being an appetite stimulant, and will tend to make fillies a little more aggressive. I’ve never given any steroids to 2-year-olds—I just don’t believe it’s necessary.”

Effects on the Breeding Industry
Thomas Tobin, M.V.B, Ph.d, is a reowned toxicologist and author of Drugs and the Performance Horse—a familiar book found on many horsemen’s shelves. Tobin stressed that giving anabolic steroids to young horses could improve their growth and muscular frame that would put undo stress on immature bones and tendons in the racehorse.

Breeder and veterinarian Diana Wilson, of Wilson Standardbreds, works on 80+ broodmares at her east-central Illinois breeding facility.

“It’s obvious, when you palpate mares, to tell the ones that have been on a ‘healthy’ steroid program,” Wilson, DVM said. “Most of them have tiny ovaries. The mares who have been given a lot of steroids and hormones will tease other mares and often times start mounting them. This will go on for a few months until the drugs pass out of their systems.”

Stallions who have been treated with steroids will often experience a significant loss of testicular size. Dr. Terry Blanchard, a recognized authority on stallion fertility who practices at the Hill N Dale thoroughbred farm in Lexington, Kentucky, says that unless the history of a stallion is known, it can be hard to pinpoint steroids as the problem with the horse’s testicular size.

“As a vet of a breeding farm, if we’re looking at a stallion prospect, it’s important for us to know his medical history,” Blanchard said. “If we know that he’s been treated regularly with anabolic steroids, then the odds are in that stallion’s favor as a prospect.”

“It’s important to note, however, that any athlete that is fit and is stressed in athletic competition on a consistent basis will most likely see a reduction in testicular size. He doesn’t necessarily need to have been given steroids,” he added. “For example, in the thoroughbred industry, most of our bigger races, like the Breeders Cup, are in the fall. If we’re planning on breeding a stallion in February following the end of their racing career in the fall, it’s pretty typical that any steroids he’s been given will have washed out of his system by that time.”

“The trouble you run into is with the insurance companies,” Blanchard said. “The insurance companies are reluctant to insure stallions with diminished testicular size—the theory being that ‘size determines the output.’ Often, a stallion’s testicles will return to their normal size once the steroids have washed out of their system. Also, some stallions with average sized testicles will produce little sperm, while those with smaller testicles will produce a great amount of sperm. However, if you give steroids for enough time, the sperm production does decrease. But the research has suggested that most of those effects are reversible.”

Blanchard says that research on yearlings in Sweden has shown that there were no lasting effects on these youngsters treated with steroids. Likewise, research at Colorado State and the University of Missouri revealed that testicular size returned to normal after a few months, and in some cases only a matter of weeks when steroids were no longer administered.

Common Anabolic Steroids
ACTH (Adreno-corticotrophic Hormone)
ACTH stimulates the production of cortical hormones in the adrenal cortex, causing them to produce hormones at an increased rate.

Androstenedione
Pro-hormone drug that gives a short-term increase in testosterone; producing immense testosterone effects. This was one of the first hormones to become popular in the human sports industry.

Beta-blockers
Lowers blood pressure by slowing the output of blood from the heart. Popular Beta-blockers include Avapro and Coreg.

Boldenone (Equipoise)
Commonly used on racehorses and first used in the 1970s. Studies have shown that mares
raced on Equipoise for a long period of time had problems once when they became broodmares, with many not getting in foal their first year. Conversely, geldings and colts that raced on this drug for a long period of time were known to develop arthritic problems such as osselets quicker than horses on which no steroids were used.

Depo-Testosterone (Testosterone Cypionate)
Depo-testosterone is used to replace testosterone levels in horses who have been gelded. It belongs to the group of medications known as Androgens (male hormones).

EPO (Erythropoietin)
A hormonal substance formed in the kidney that stimulates red blood cell growth, increasing the body’s ability to store and use oxygen. Genetically engineered, it is known to increase endurance in horses and humans.

HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
Occurs naturally in the body. It is also genetically engineered and used to treat children with dwarfism, and often used to increase muscle mass in both horses and humans.

Nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin)
Produces rapid muscle and bone growth, and for a long time has been the drug of choice among human bodybuilders and strength athletes of its quick response. It also decreases body-fat levels and will help aid in joint problems (arthritis). It is also popular because it tends to have less side effects (like increased body hair growth) than other anabolic steroids. Moderate administration of Deca-durabolin has been show to lower estrogen levels.

Stanozolol (Winstrol-V)
Stanozolol is a synthetic derivative of the male hormone testosterone. This particular steroid has a pronounced anabolic effect with fewer masculinizing side effects than other synthetic testosterones. Stanozolol increases the retention of nitrogen and minerals and reverses tissue-depleting processes. Its anabolic effect include an improvement in appetite, weight gain and a general overall well-being.

Common Corticosteroids Steroids
Betamethasone (Betasone)
Betamethasone is used to treat many different conditions in humans & animals. It is used to treat endocrine (hormonal) disorders when the body does not produce enough of its own steroids. It is also used to treat many immune and allergic disorders, such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, asthma, and Crohn’s disease in people. It is used in horses primarily for joint injections and is a quick acting, anti-inflammatory. Most often it is used for acute and traumatic lameness in the carpal and fetlock joints.

Depo-Medrol, Cortisate-20 (Methylated Prednisolone)
Depo-Medrol is a popular anti-inflammatory glucocortico-steroid used primarily for intramuscular and intra-articular (joint) injections. It is useful in treating overall arthritis and trauma to joints.

Dexamethasone (Azium)
Azium is a powdered form of dexamethasone, which has shown through clinical research to have many potent hormonal and metabolic effects greater than either prednisolone or cortisone.

Predef 2X
As the only corticosteroid approved by the FDA for use in dairy cattle, Predef 2X is typically mixed with a hyaluronic acid for intra-articular joint injections.

Solu-Delta-Cortef
Useful in alleviating lameness from arthritic conditions. Treats bursitis, carpitis, tendinitis and myositis.

Vetalog (Triamcinolone)
Vetalog is a synthetic, highly potent glucocorticoid, anti-inflammatory and antihistaminic.

For More Information on this subject:
Forbes, G. 1985 The Effect of Anabolic Steroids on Lean Body Mass

Brander, G.C., D.M. Pugh. 1977. Veterinary Applied Pharmacology & Therapeutic
Third Edition.

March 27, 2008

Driver Brent Holland has called the Windy City racing circuit home since 1991. The 36-year-old Wilmington, Ohio native scored his best season ever in 2007, amassing $2,764,882 in earnings from 2,246 starters who recorded 378 wins, 322 seconds and 253 thirds.

And Holland isn’t slowing down either. To date in 2008, he’s had 464 starts, with a 66-66-54 record and $338,476 in purse earnings. He currently sits second ($160,381) in the Maywood Park driver standings and sixth at Balmoral ($178,095). Lifetime, he’s racked up 3,344 victories and $25,384,560 from the winner’s he driven.

Holland grew up in central Ohio, next to neighbors who owned and trained Standardbreds.

“The Hagemeyers were our next door neighbors and friends,” Holland recalled. “I used to go over there on Saturdays as a kid and help them with their horses.”

Holland is the only member of his family with interests in the equines. His father is a farmer, his mother a housewife, and his older brother Trent, 37, helps with the family’s 50-acre farm.

Holland went to work for Buckeye horseman Bill Daley during his high school years, and received his matinee license in 1987. He graduated to Provisional driver status in 1989 and in 1990 was granted an “A” license during the Scioto Downs spring meeting.

“I’m allergic to horses and leather,” Holland said. “So it’s important for me to stay covered up and not touch a horse’s skin too much. I don’t give horses baths if I can help it now. I mainly stick to jogging, training and driving.”

Holland won his first big stakes, piloting the pacer Dancer’s Ideal for trainer Bobby Grimsely in 1990, to victories in the Orange & Blue and the Cardinal that year. After some thought, the young driver decided to give his talents a try at the Chicago venues. He was just 20.

“I wanted to get out of Ohio,” Holland said. “Driving in Chicago appealed to me more than racing at Lebanon. The problem was, I didn’t know that many people in Chicago. A friend told me that Bob Farrington was looking for help at his farm that was southwest of Maywood. So I called Bob and he said I could come up and go to work for him.”

That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with many Windy City trainers, drivers and owners. He’s been a mainstay in Chicago every since.

“I hope to continue to be successful here as a catch driver,” Holland noted. “The right trainer can really help a driver–that’s what really got me started here–when Bob put me down on his stock, because he had them classified properly.

“I enjoy driving horses in Chicago, because they have a better class of horses than a lot of places, and we’ve got a lot more of them,” Holland offered. “The majority of horsemen, the drivers in particular, keep their business on the racetrack. You can be friends after you get off the bike and leave the track and that’s important. Often times back at Lebanon you had to be ready for a fight once you stepped out of the sulky. The drivers here are very professional–they leave their races on the track.”

Holland said he was inspired to drive by Herb Coven, Jr. and by Hall of Famer and Meadowlands superstar John Campbell.

“When I was little I used to watch Herb all the time from the sidelines,” Holland said. “I learned a lot from him by just watching him and how he handled a horse. Then I started watching John Campbell on the television from The Meadowlands. What struck me about John is that he seldom used the whip.

“That tells you a lot about a driver,” Holland added. “Most of these horses give you all they got, and that’s all you can ask for.”

  

Friday, March 21, 2008

Driver Pat Berry scored his 2,000 career victory this past week at Freehold Raceway in New Jersey.

The 32-year-old Illinois native, who began his driving career in 1994, enjoyed a career best season in 2007 with 508 wins and earnings of $4,701,648.

The mild-mannered and affable horseman has always been a favorite of this writer, for his easy-going demeanor and subtle nature. He’s easy to spot in the driver’s room, as besides his bright blue and orange colors, he’s usually got a big grin on his face.

A graduate of Harvard High School, Pat took some college courses but says he “just wanted to work with horses.” That desire sprang from Pat’s genetics—his grandfather is Illinois horseman Clarence Jacobs, father of his uncle Randy Jacobs who has been a successful Illinois reinsman for three decades.

Pat’s driving career began in 1995 when he steered the pacer Evere to a 2:00.1 victory at Balmoral Park as a “P” driver. During the next few years Pat averaged 150 drivers per season in Chicago and decided he needed a change. He ventured to Dover Downs in 1999, 2000 and 2001—the first years he exceeded $100,000 in purses from his catch-drives. A few years later, he went East permanently.

In 2002 Pat drove 66 winners to $499,575, and the following season amassed $1.6 million with 236 trips to the winner’s circle. In 2004 his charges earned $2.6 million from 339 winners, and in 2005 he steered 325 winners to the tune of $3.1 million. 2006 saw him pilot 303 winners to $2.1 million in purses.

His career totals as of today find him with 2,004 wins and $16,368,037 million in earnings.

“I study the program every night before my drives to see who I’m in against but I really listen to the trainer,” Pat said. “I’ll drive the horse the way that trainer wants the horse driven because he works with the horse all week long and has to take him home once I hand the lines back to him. I think it’s important to take care of people’s horses they way they’d like them to be handled in a race.”

Currently, Pat ranks sixth in North America with 118 winners and $770,836 from Jan. 1 through March 21, 2008.

“In Chicago, the drivers are very aggressive,” Pat noted. “In Chicago our horses are used to being parked and endure more rough miles on a consistent basis.”

Pat says he admires top drivers such as Mike Wilder, Dick Stillings, Dave Palone, Tony Morgan and Ron Marsh.

“Before I ever drove I admired Ronnie Marsh,” Pat recalled. “He was out of racing for seven years and came back into it like he’s never been gone. He really knows the horse he’s driving. If the horse is so-so, Ron will ride the wood and if the horse is really good, you can bet he’ll give him a shot.

“Palone and Morgan are both top guys at each place and both always seem to be in a good spot to win a race. They always have their choices of the best horses, which doesn’t hurt either.

“Dick Stillings is a very patient driver—he’s kind of like Dave Magee in his style of driving, while Mike Wilder is an aggressive driver who always has his horse in a good position.”

On his own driving abilities Pat says: “I always try to drive the way people want me to, and I always say thank you. That person with the couple of $4,000 claimers could have the next world champion. As a catch-driver you’re providing a service, and it is important to always be professional and polite.”

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March 4, 2008

The bad weather blues–that’s what many of the racing folks in Chicago are experiencing right now. According to a recent NPR (National Public Radio) report, the Windy City has experienced the fifth worst winter in history, since the Prairie State began keeping such records.

The countless near-blizzards, hazard driving conditions, sloppy barn areas and slippery racetracks have all put a damper on this winter’s Windy City racing scene. Balmoral has been forced to cancel four of its racing cards–a very rare occurence. On other nights, races have been delayed or a few events contested before the remained of the card has been called.

This speaks volumes on the fact that horsemen and racetrack crews are at the complete mercy of Mother Nature.

Consider that snow is much worse on a racetrack surface than rain. Track crews are constantly scraping excess snow off the track, and each time they do, they take a little bit of racetrack with them.

The track crews add salt to the water in the wintertime when the temperature dips below 22 degrees Farenheit, to keep the dust down, but another heavy snowfall requires another removel of snow, and again, a bit of the track goes with it. If there’s too much salt on the track surface, and the temperatures rise above 28 degrees Farenheit, the track will begin to thaw, and can cause horses to slip. The line between a great surface and one that is potentially dangerous is indeed a fine line.

Trainers do what they can to help their horses: they add borium to their shoes, and some add breathing masks to help defer the cold air from shocking a horse’s air passages while racing and training.

But what about the drivers? While I don’t know if they all get the blues at this time of year, most certainly, they get the chills.

These brave souls have to deal with tremendous headwinds and blinding snow when turning for home or entering the backstretch for the first (or only) time–depending if they’re racing on a half or one mile oval. Meeting Mother Nature’s ugly force when steering a 1,200-pound racehorse can only be described as bone chilling.

But do drivers change their race strategies when facing such conditions? Hall of Famer and Chicago mainstay Dave Magee said being on or near the front end is important when facing strong wind conditions.

“You want to be on the front end or near the front in a strong headwind,” noted Magee, a 53-year-old Wisconsin native. “It’s harder for horses to pass you with a strong headwind, so you take advantage to draw off a little bit down the backstretch in order to hopefully gain some lengths in the stretch.”

Fellow driver Mike Oosting agrees with Magee.

“You try to be on or near the lead with a headwind coming at you in the stretch,” the 45-year-old Michigan native said. “Usually the second and last quarters are going to be very slow. It’s too hard to pass another horse going into the wind for a lot of horses. Their attitudes just can’t handle that, and it takes a really strong horse to overcome that disadvantage. You have to live with the horse that you’ve been given to drive, and some of them just don’t like that strong of a wind hitting them in the face.”

Ohio native Tony Morgan, 49, who used to be a Chicago regular and now competes over East Coast ovals had this to say:

““I try to get into a groove that works at the beginning of the night during a bad weather situation and stick with it,” Morgan stated. “Sometimes it seems that being on the front end, or being first up is the right way to go and at other times, that theory just doesn’t fly. I tend to air horses out a lot more over a half-mile track than I will at a bigger track, such as Balmoral or The Meadowlands.

“Strategy is very important generally with a strong wind,” Morgan continued. “You just have to be the first driver to figure out what’s going to work best on a super windy night, and go with it. You can kind of get away with it for the first couple of races, until everyone else figures out where the best place to be on the race track is. It’s a lot easier early on in the evening than it is later in the night when it becomes a very biased race track.”

Other reinsmen had varied opinions.

“I take a strong headwind into consideration when driving,” said 2007 Driver of the Year Tim Tetrick, 26. “It depends a lot on the horse, however. Some horses stop as soon as that wind hits them in the face—it’s like punching them in their forehead. Others just seem to grind right into the wind more and more.”

“If I have a front-end horse I still try to be up close in the two-hole,” notes Illinois native Pat Berry, 30. “I might try a little harder to get up near the front with a horse who has some gate speed but you usually races covered up. I’d still rather be covered up than on top—that is, getting a two-hole trip.”

“I think a strong headwind affects each horse differently so you have to consider the horse you’re driving in a particular race,” said Dale Hiteman, 49, an Ohio native and longtime Chicago driver now racing at Pompano Park in Florida. “But no matter what, I always prefer to be near the front turning for home.”

“On a half mile track you can’t adjust anything too much—even in regards to a strong headwind,” noted Andy Miller, 36, an Illinois native racing at The Meadowlands. “You’re always better if you’re up close with a strong wind though. But the class of the horse still overrides the wind.”

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‘Ain’t They Pretty’

Numa Snyder is Pennsylvania’s ultimate racing fan

By Kimberly Rinker

Numa Snyder grew up with a passion for two things—music and horses. Though he has never owned a horse, Snyder’s lifelong fascination with and love of harness racing transformed into a dedication that has been rivaled only by his musical talents.

Born in Lehighton, Pa., in 1920, Snyder was first introduced to harness racing when his father took him to the local county fair.

“I remember my dad holding my hand as we watched the races at the Lehighton fairgrounds, and I can still hear him saying-as a field of trotters came off the turn—‘Gol’darn, ain’t they pretty!’” Snyder recalled with enthusiasm.

Snyder never forgot those summer days he spent at the fairs with his father, even as he grew up, studied classical violin and piano, and obtained a Master’s degree in music from Penn State University. During his college days, he’d often sneak out in between classes to run to the nearest half-mile fair oval.

“My dad wasn’t a trained musician, but he played the violin a little bit when I was a kid, so it seemed natural for me to pick it up and pursue it,” Snyder said. “I was 8 years old when I started taking lessons. The more I played it, the more I liked it.”

Even after he married and had two sons, began serving as first-chair violinist for the Allentown and Scranton, Pa., symphonies, and was teaching music at the local schools, his passion for harness racing never waned. In the summers, while he was playing piano at Pocono resort towns, his thoughts often turned to the local trot races.

“I would go to the fair just to see the harness racing. I just always enjoyed it so much,” Snyder said. “There seems to be such a discipline to the harness racing sport that you don’t find with the galloping horses. Harness horses are trained to trot or pace, not just to gallop. The beauty of the discipline—the swaying motion of the pacer—is what is especially beautiful to me. I just admire the ability of the horse to do that, and I also admire the ability of the person who trains the horse to do that.”

Typically, Snyder could be found sitting in the grandstand of a dusty Pennsylvania fairground oval on a humid summer day, pen and notebook in hand. Many horsemen assumed Snyder was there covering the races for a local newspaper.

But Snyder wasn’t working for any news outlet. Instead, between teaching and performing classical music, he was charting the races and compiling trainer, driver and horse statistics in a detailed fashion that would rival any well-trained raceway program director. He was doing this years before the USTA began compiling these statistics.

Ralph Jones, former deputy executive secretary for the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission, first spotted Snyder at the Lycoming County Fair in the mid-1970s.

“Nobody seemed to know who this guy was or what he was doing,” Jones recalled. “We first thought he was a reporter, because he would sit up in the grandstands at all of these fairs and take notes. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me and I went up and talked to him.”

Jones struck up a friendship with Snyder that continues today.

“Next thing I know, I’m going to dinner with Ralph and his wife Ginger, and we’re talking and talking and talking about racing,” Snyder said. “We talked nonstop about harness racing, and we still do. I think Ralph would be interested in anyone who was interested in harness racing—he’s just that passionate about the sport.”

Snyder soon turned his attention to the barn area, becoming friends with owners, drivers and trainers. He couldn’t get enough information and inquired of all he met—from caretakers to the photo finish people.

“Numa struck up a lot of good friendships all over the backsides of these tracks, and everybody knows who he is now,” Jones said. “He’s really well liked, and is part of the harness racing family in Pennsylvania.”

“The people I met who were involved in harness racing—the owners, trainers and drivers—were more than gracious in helping me to learn about the sport,” Snyder added. “After the fairs began printing the lines of the horses in their programs, I really didn’t need to keep my own stats anymore. Everything I wanted was already in the program. When I’d go to the races, I’d focus on a particular horse, instead of watching all of the horses in a particular race. I enjoy studying one horse throughout a race.

 ”I feel like I know enough about the races to really enjoy them, even though they’re much different today than they were years ago. I was around when the horses would go three heats, and often times, they’d have three, four or even five recalls for the horses to start together. There were no starting gates in those days, and it was up to the starter to get them all lined up properly.”

The 87-year-old Snyder still visits a limited number of fairs each summer, including Gratz, Bloomsburg and Honesdale.

“I’m not as mobile as I used to be, so I tend to stick closer to home now,” Snyder said with a chuckle. “I haven’t lost interest in racing, and I still enjoy visiting with all of the horse people, and they seem to still enjoy seeing me.”

Now retired from teaching and performing, Snyder hosts his own radio show, live from Stroudsburg, every Sunday from noon until 7 p.m. on WESS. His program consists of two segments—the first three hours is dedicated to big band nostalgia, and is entitled “Down Memory Lane.” The second segment, “Concert and Classical,” offers listeners four hours of classical compositions.

“I had the advantage of playing with adults performers when I was a kid,” Snyder said. “I had a lot of opportunities that other kids didn’t have back in those days. Radio was a big deal back then, and musicians were highly regarded. Listening to the radio was just part of what we did—it was our life.

“I went to college to study music, but I really wanted to have my own big band. There came a time when I had to make a decision whether to teach or be a musician, and I decided to teach. Having my own radio program now, where I can introduce people to various kinds of music, kind of takes me back to those earlier days.”

Though Snyder’s passion for music and his radio program are evident in his voice, his focus soon returns to harness racing once again.

“There were certain drivers over the years that I just loved to watch,” Snyder said. “Guys such as Roger Hammer—who’s very aggressive—he’s an interesting study. Sam Beegle drove to win, but he also took care of the horse, and wasn’t really hard on one.

“I especially like horses that come from behind, as opposed to horses that lead all the way around. It makes for a much more interesting race.”
And still, after a life that has been as rich and full as Snyder’s, there’s one quote that comes to mind as he watches a field of trotters turn for home at Bloomsburg:

“Gol’ darn, ain’t they pretty!”

 -30-

*This feature was originally published in Hoof Beats, August 2007

Illinois-Bred Survives Bout with West Nile Virus

By Kimberly A. Rinker

Horsewoman Carol Longo is adamant when it comes to vaccinating her horses for the deadly West Nile vaccine—and with good reason. One of Carol’s favorite Standardbreds, the pacer Carl’s Big Mac, survived a near-fatal bout with West Nile and is now miraculously back racing.

Carol and husband trainer-driver Gerald Longo share a 25-acre farm located only three minutes from Balmoral Park in Crete, Illinois. Their farm includes a half-mile training track, an 18-stall barn, their home and various outbuildings.

The Longos originally acquired Carl’s Big Mac—an Illinois-bred son of Armbro MacKintosh out of the Genghis Khan mare Khanair—from Hampton, Minnesota owners Carl and Frances Robeson in 2001.

“The Robesons contacted us to see if we’d race Carl for them here,” Carol said. “Carl immediately became my favorite, he’s got personality plus.”

The medium sized pacer has earned $86,662 lifetime—with $62,506 and a mark of 1:50.3 earned while in Carol’s care. That first season he was third in the 2001 Dan Patch consolation on Super Night.

The Longos had every intention of racing Carl’s Big Mac the following year again in the Dan Patch on Super Night. That day, September 14, 2002, the then five-year-old gelding didn’t eat his lunch and Carol became concerned.

“He was in to go in the Dan Patch consolation that night,” Carol recalled. “He had been fine that morning, but I noticed he hadn’t cleaned up his feed tub for lunch, so I took his temperature, and it was pushing 104. Of course we had to scratch him from the race. We continued to monitor his temperature and gave him some Banamine.”

Carol went up to her house for about an hour to have some supper and returned later to check on the horse.

“When I came back he was down in the stall,” Carol said. “And I mean down. He had no heartbeat, no breath, nothing. I started jumping up and down on his rib cage and I still got no response. Then I started shaking his halter and he finally opened his eyes and looked up at me as if to say, ‘gee lady, can’t a guy even die around here in peace?’”

Carol finally was able to get the stricken pacer to stand and began walking him. She continued walking him until 3 a.m. when he collapsed again in the middle of a big paddock.

“We called Dr.Larry Leininger early the next morning and he came to the farm and told us he thought the horse had West Nile Virus. Carl’s temperature at that time was 106. The vet gave him a DMSO jug but the horse never got up.”

Dr. Leininger—a veterinarian based in Crown Point, Indiana—came routinely every day, morning and evening for the next 18 days, but still the horse never got up. His temperature hovered right around 106 degrees and a blood test confirmed that Carl’s Big Mac did indeed have West Nile Virus.

“We had to turn him over every three hours,” Carol said. “At times he would kind of sit up and ask for his dinner too. That’s one thing about Carl—throughout this ordeal his appetite never waned.”

“I treated the horse with DMSO, Banamine and some Genocine,” Dr. Leininger noted. “Carl’s Big Mac had the most severe case of West Nile disease I had ever observed in a Standardbred. I’d seen mild to moderate symptoms in other breeds of horses, but this horse was just a real trooper. It’s amazing that’s he’s made it back to the races. At the time I thought he’d be lucky just to be a nice pasture horse.”

“Nobody slept in the house at all,” Carol said. “My nephew Joey built a tent over the horse while he was in the paddock, and we had put eight inches of shavings on the ground with coolers over those. Despite all we did to make him comfortable and to give him a nice soft surface to lay on, he still got severe bed sores. His elbows were roughed up, and he had tears on his stifles and little scrapes here and there. His temperature stayed up the whole time, and all the while the vet treated him with masses of antibiotics to fight off pneumonia.”

Finally, after 18 days, Carl’s Big Mac’s temperature came down to 103 degrees.

“We really felt that he needed to stand at that point, and there were lots of horsemen that came over and helped with him,” Carol said. “Balmoral sent over their big scooper and we were able to move him into our big barn arena, that is 104 by 96 feet. Charlie Wolf sent over a sling that they use for downed cows and we were able to lift Carl up using a tractor. It took eight people to get the horse on his feet, but he made it through the use of this harness.”

“He stood up for five minutes, but was very weak and had to lay back down after that,” Carol said.

The Longos and friends and family repeated this process for the next three months, and it wasn’t until December 15 that Carol returned to the comfort of her own bed for the first time since Super Night in mid-September.

“I had slept in the barn with this horse every night since he had gotten sick,” Carol said. “This horse is such an intelligent animal, and there was no way that I was going to leave him out there all alone. I wanted him to know that we were all pulling for him.”

Little by little, the amount of time that Carl’s Big Mac was able to stand was increased and by March of 2003 he began jogging again.

“I took things very slow with him,” Carol recalled. “We just took baby steps in everything we did. By September of 2003 he began training again, wearing the hobbles. And this Spring he qualified at Balmoral with Brent Holland.”

The April 14 qualifier at the Crete oval was an emotional moment for all who had been connected or close to Carl’s Big Mac, as he paced to a 1:59.2 clocking.

“Just to see him out there really tugged at my heart,” Carol said. “There weren’t too many dry eyes around us. We were all crying and laughing at the same time. To know what this horse had been through and to see him out there on the track again was just too much.”

“He really is an amazing animal,” Dr. Leininger added. “The biggest problem is not with the disease as much as it is that the horse was down for such a long time. The muscle tone just goes, and the horse’s coordination goes right along with it. There have been some West Nile horses who have continued to be good eaters throughout their bouts with the disease, but they had no will to get up or even try to stand or want to do anything the way this horse did. I don’t believe that there’s ever been another case of horse having this severe a case of West Nile Virus and surviving. Let alone to come back and be a competitive race horse.”

Carl’s Big Mack returned to the races on July 18 at Hawthorne, and while he failed to grab a check, paced in 1:55.4 with Andy Miller at the lines.

“Andy told me that he was just tickled pink with the horse’s performance,” Carol said. “He’s the type of horse that needs to get raced into shape, so we were quite happy with his effort in his first start back.”

“The horse is very fortunate to have such a strong support team and people who love him,” Dr. Leininger concluded. “His owners couldn’t have been more terrific. They were very patient, and very supportive of all of his lengthy treatments. In this day and age where racing is such a business, they deserve a lot of credit for seeing the horse through this.”

-30-

*This story was originally published in the Aug.11, 2004 edition of Horsemen & Fair World Magazine*

        

Feb. 28, 2008

Tim Tetrick–Illinois’ favorite son–has come home. 

For two nights, at least.  Tetrick was in town this evening at lovely Maywood Park to meet fans, sign autographs and give away 1,000 bobblehead dolls. 

These yellow and green-clad dolls appeared to be a fan favorite, and are slated to be given out again on Saturday night, March 1, at Balmoral Park in Crete, Ill., the big sister  to Maywood’s half-mile oval.  Located just 35 miles south of Chicago, alongside highway 394, is where you’ll find the one-mile sprawl, located out in the wilds of the Prairie State, just about a 40-minute drive south of the Windy City, depending on the traffic.

The somewhat shy yet affable Tetrick offered this to fans:  “It’s great to be back home,” he said. “I was very lucky to have a great year in 2007, and I’m really flattered by all the folks who’ve come out here tonight.  I have to drive some horses Friday night at The Meadowlands (in New Jersey), but then I’ll be back to see you all again on Saturday, at Balmoral.”

 Tetrick, just 26, is known in global harness racing circles as the Prairie State’s Boy Wonder.  In 2007, this Geff, Ill. native set the racing world on fire, breaking records in both driving wins and earnings.

The sandy-haired lad won an average of 3.25 races per daily at 18 tracks from New York to Illinois and finished up 2007 with an all-time record of 1,188 wins and $18,342,367 in purse earnings.  He boasted a UDR of .388 last season as the leading driver at Chester, Pocono and Dover Downs, and was the youngest driver ever to score 3,000 wins (at Harrington on May 28).

Tetrick also became the youngest driver ever to win not one, but two, million dollar races–both with Southwind Lynx–the Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers on June 2 and The Meadowlands Pace on July 14.  He also set the record for the most wins in a single month, when he steered 121 winners to first place prizes in November.

Tim was spotlighted in Sports Illustrated, USA Today and New York Times features in 2007, bringing attention and accolades to himself and to harness racing.

Despite his success, Tim hasn’t changed. He grew up around the dusty bullring ovals of the Illinois county fair circuit, following his parents, Tom and Mary Alice Tetrick as they raced trotters and pacers during the hot summers.  

Tim wasn’t pampered and he didn’t have it easy–he carried water buckets, mucked stalls and bathed horses–just like other kids who grew up in harness racing families.  Early on, Tim’s folks established a strong work ethic and dedication to the Standardbred that has stuck with him, and that has carried him to some of the highest accomplishments bestowed upon a lucky few in harness racing.

Our sport could certainly use more young drivers like Tim Tetrick.  On a chilly and snowy Chicago night, he sat amicably signing autographs and handing out bobblehead dolls–miniature likenesses of himself that danced in the hands of fans and gamblers. 

More proof that when harness racing has heroes, the fans will come.

Feb. 21, 2008 

I’ve been involved in harness racing since 1981, when I was a publicity intern with the United States Trotting Association while still a journalism major at The Ohio State University.  By the way, back then we just called it Ohio State–now, some more formal years later, it’s politically correct to use “The” as the start of the title.  But that’s not the crux of this story. 

Here’s what is.

Why do we little guys–the people with the one, two, three and four-horse stables–stay in the harness racing business year after year,  competing against bigger stables that can afford higher-quality stock and seem to think nothing of entering the winner’s circle multiple times on a nightly basis?

For sure it can’t be the money.  There’s simply not enough around anymore in the form of purses–especially in Chicago–to make it cost effective for the small owner.  Even the owner-trainer who does everything themselves–does well to simply break even.  In most cases, these folks have another full-time job–such as a truck driver, a bricklayer, or even a freelance journalist–to support their horse in harness habit.

Some reasons are obvious.  The thrill of victory–to be sure, is one, and also, the realization that together, you and your equine partner have achieved the tough goal of besting a field of eight or more rivals to reach the wire first.  Not an easy task when you consider that all of your competitors are out there trying to accomplish that same goal.

 After 27 years in the business as a journalist and as a owner-trainer and in my younger years, as a driver, harness racing provides me with an unparalled thrill.  And, it gives me a purpose. 

When a horse I own or train wins, the thrill is unequalled and hasn’t ceased even by the next morning. That next morning when–despite a drizzling rain and wind that would make the Wicked Witch of the West leave her broom at home, I show up with a box of Dunkin Donuts and multiple coffees for my barn buddies in recognition of my “big” win the night before.

I was wondering if some of the other “small guys” in racing felt the same way as I did–so on a chilly Thursday Chicago night at Maywood Park, I questioned a few of these “small guys” of our sport.

Some trainers had shipped over four hours to race at the Windy City’s only half-mile oval–some from southern Illinois and others from Wisconsin–to compete in the last race on the evening’s 12-race card–a $4,000 claiming event with a purse of $3,550–that would ultimately go to the gate at nearly 11:15 pm,CT. 

Some of these people wouldn’t be able to leave Maywood until well after midnight–especially the winner and the “special” horse selected randomly for post-race drug testing.  Many wouldn’t be pulling into their driveways or county fair tracks until way past 4 am.   And some would be doing this without having made a dime.

 One grizzlied old-timer said that “this is what I do, it’s what my father did and what his father did.”  I asked him if he got that thrill when his horse won.  “Not really,” he replied. “It’s nice, but otherwise, I just wouldn’t know what else to do with my time.  I guess racing is a habit for me.”

One young female trainer from the Badger State with somewhat non-competitive pacers said enthusiastically that she “just loves the horses and wants to be in racing for the rest of her life.”  I asked her–with her two very young children sitting obediently nearby–what drives her to be here on a frigid night, to compete from the eight-hole, when she could be enjoying a nice evening in a warm house.  “It’s the whole thing,” she said. “It’s that I’m able to be involved in this sport, and that I might have a chance to win something.”

A young man from Indiana who rarely does well but shows up doggedly week after week with his family–a wife and three young sons in tow–said that racing is “in my blood.  I don’t know another way of life.”

Another: “there’s always that chance you’ll end up with a good one,” and “it’s just I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Basically, all of these people were saying the same thing.  If the jargon was different, their message was not:  Purpose. 

Harness racing–for many, this writer included–provides a purpose that otherwise might be missing from our lives.  As well,  it also offers we little people of the sport the slight chance that someday perhaps, we might too, just end up with “a good one.”

Welcome to Harness Racing Insider!

From here we’ll try to keep harness racing fans up-to-date with the latest happenings and goings on from the world of harness racing.  We’ll share some of our favorite stories, both past and present, and present viewpoints and notations from a variety of guest journalists from the North American harness racing community.  

This site is for anyone who loves harness racing, Standardbreds and all equine athletes and companion animals!  Enjoy!