‘And they’re off!’ From the sulky seat, riders get taste of Meadows racing
Katherine Mansfield
Show the Will trots around the Meadows Racetrack Tuesday afternoon, offering those riding along a unique view of the casino. Horses circle the track clockwise when working out, and race the track counter-clockwise.
After finishing two trotting laps around the Meadows Racetrack, Show the Will steps off the track and heads back to the paddocks. The standard horse will show his stuff when he races Thursday.
Katherine Mansfield
Two horses go full speed ahead during a practice race at the Meadows Tuesday afternoon. While horses and drivers practiced, the media was invited to ride along in a sulky pulled by Show the Will, who cooled down from his morning laps.
"It never gets old," said Mike Wilder, who has been racing horses for 32 years. The veteran driver, who has more than 8,800 career wins, never tires of this view and said even now, every race is a rush.
Katherine Mansfield
Driver Mike Wilder, right, hitches Show the Will to a sulky Tuesday afternoon for a media ride-along. Wilder always gives credit to the horses, which are the real harness racing athletes.
During a race, horses reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, which, with horses on your left and right and behind you, can feel like 60, said Mike Wilder, a 32-year driver. Competition requires quick thinking, and leaves little time to soak in views like this one, of the Meadows Racetrack, photographed Tuesday.
Hooves hit dirt, clip-clopping an easy rhythm, and early summer sunshine wasn无毛视频檛 so hot with the breeze in my face.
I was sitting in the sulky with Mike Wilder, a career harness racing driver, as racehorse Show the Will trotted us effortlessly around and around the Meadows Racetrack.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e raced horses, driven, for 32 years,无毛视频� said Wilder, who has more than 8,800 career wins. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 pretty used to it, but it never gets old. I无毛视频檓 glad this is my occupation.无毛视频�
Like many drivers (which differ from jockeys in that jockeys ride on thoroughbreds and drivers ride behind standard horses, in sulkies), Wilder comes from a racing family. Originally from Ohio, love brought him to Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he and his wife own a 16-acre farm in Washington.
Wilder has 20 horses of his own and, during racing season, drives about 10 to 12 races a day.
He无毛视频檚 busy, but his job is laid back compared to the work racehorses put in before each start.
无毛视频淭hey say, you know, that guy无毛视频檚 a good driver. We have to do our job, but at the end of the day, they无毛视频檙e the actual athletes,无毛视频� Wilder said, gesturing to Show the Will, whose dark coloring was striking against his blue harness. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e the ones racing. They无毛视频檙e the ones putting in the time. They无毛视频檙e exerting themselves. I无毛视频檝e been around them my whole life; this is how I无毛视频檝e made my living. I 无毛视频� give them more credit than myself. I love them.无毛视频�
Wilder enjoys caring for his horses 无毛视频� professional caretakers focus on four or five horses, showering them with attention, ensuring the athletes are properly fed, exercised, bathed and brushed and, when necessary, treated by an on-call veterinarian 无毛视频� but it无毛视频檚 the thrill of the race that无毛视频檚 kept him in the sulky for more than three decades.
无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檝e got to be thinking all the time. The race is one mile in a minute and 55 seconds, on average, but some go faster. You don无毛视频檛 have much time to think. It无毛视频檚 just reaction, knowing your competition, number one, and reaction time,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淓verybody wants to win. If it无毛视频檚 10 horses in a race, the other nine guys want to win just as bad as you. It无毛视频檚 a big competition, there无毛视频檚 a lot of strategy. It无毛视频檚 like a chess match: Where can I put myself in this 10-horse race to be the best when we hit the finish line? It无毛视频檚 pretty neat.无毛视频�
As we rode, a surprisingly smooth ride, I might add, around the racetrack, sun shining, Hollywood Casino at the Meadows to our left and the sky ahead so beautiful and blue I felt like I was in a movie, Wilder explained that this was not a race-day simulation.
无毛视频淲hat we无毛视频檙e doing now 无毛视频� is jogging,无毛视频� he said.
Just then, two horses paced past, drivers leaning way back in their sulkies, leaving a trail of dirt in their wake.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e working their horses for time right now,无毛视频� Wilder said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e exercising.无毛视频�
Exercise is important for horses and drivers; in the winter, Wilder does CrossFit so that when his racing season starts, usually in April, he无毛视频檚 fit and ready to go when the announcer roars, 无毛视频淎nd they无毛视频檙e off!无毛视频�
无毛视频淲e go about 30 to 35 miles an hour. That doesn无毛视频檛 sound like that much, but when you无毛视频檝e got the horse behind you, his nose is right here,无毛视频� Wilder patted his shoulder, 无毛视频渁nd you无毛视频檝e got a horse here and here,无毛视频� he motioned to both sides of the sulky, 无毛视频渋t feels like you无毛视频檙e going about 60. There无毛视频檚 dirt flying. It无毛视频檚 pretty intense. It无毛视频檚 quite a rush.无毛视频�
Wilder hopes that events like Tuesday afternoon无毛视频檚 media ride-along attract a larger fanbase to the races, including a younger generation of horse race enthusiasts.
无毛视频淚 think the important thing is just to kind of see how we prepare these athletes, just get to see how good they look, the care they get, what it takes to get them there, and bring a fanbase. That无毛视频檚 everything. That无毛视频檚 what keeps our industry rolling,无毛视频� he said.
Tasha McCormick, director of marketing for the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, agreed.
无毛视频淐OVID kind of curtailed a lot of stuff, so we无毛视频檙e just trying now to get back in the swing of things,无毛视频� said McCormick.
The Meadows kicks off its Friday Night Racing series May 26 with the annual Food Truck Festival and live harness racing, which starts at 5:10 p.m.
Friday night races continue through mid-September, and are free and open to the public. Races begin at 5:10 p.m., and folks 18 and older are invited to place bets.
Additional races are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons at The Meadows racetrack.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 all about the fanbase,无毛视频� Wilder reiterated, inviting people to the Friday night series and other races. 无毛视频淵ou need the younger, the hyped-up crowd.无毛视频�
For more on the summer racing series, or The Meadows live racing schedule, visit https://meadowsharnessracing.com/friday-racing/.