‘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鈥檛 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.
鈥淚鈥檝e raced horses, driven, for 32 years,鈥� said Wilder, who has more than 8,800 career wins. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty used to it, but it never gets old. I鈥檓 glad this is my occupation.鈥�
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鈥檚 busy, but his job is laid back compared to the work racehorses put in before each start.
鈥淭hey say, you know, that guy鈥檚 a good driver. We have to do our job, but at the end of the day, they鈥檙e the actual athletes,鈥� Wilder said, gesturing to Show the Will, whose dark coloring was striking against his blue harness. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the ones racing. They鈥檙e the ones putting in the time. They鈥檙e exerting themselves. I鈥檝e been around them my whole life; this is how I鈥檝e made my living. I 鈥� give them more credit than myself. I love them.鈥�
Wilder enjoys caring for his horses 鈥� 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 鈥� but it鈥檚 the thrill of the race that鈥檚 kept him in the sulky for more than three decades.
鈥淵ou鈥檝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鈥檛 have much time to think. It鈥檚 just reaction, knowing your competition, number one, and reaction time,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody wants to win. If it鈥檚 10 horses in a race, the other nine guys want to win just as bad as you. It鈥檚 a big competition, there鈥檚 a lot of strategy. It鈥檚 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鈥檚 pretty neat.鈥�
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.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing now 鈥� is jogging,鈥� he said.
Just then, two horses paced past, drivers leaning way back in their sulkies, leaving a trail of dirt in their wake.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e working their horses for time right now,鈥� Wilder said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e exercising.鈥�
Exercise is important for horses and drivers; in the winter, Wilder does CrossFit so that when his racing season starts, usually in April, he鈥檚 fit and ready to go when the announcer roars, 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e off!鈥�
鈥淲e go about 30 to 35 miles an hour. That doesn鈥檛 sound like that much, but when you鈥檝e got the horse behind you, his nose is right here,鈥� Wilder patted his shoulder, 鈥渁nd you鈥檝e got a horse here and here,鈥� he motioned to both sides of the sulky, 鈥渋t feels like you鈥檙e going about 60. There鈥檚 dirt flying. It鈥檚 pretty intense. It鈥檚 quite a rush.鈥�
Wilder hopes that events like Tuesday afternoon鈥檚 media ride-along attract a larger fanbase to the races, including a younger generation of horse race enthusiasts.
鈥淚 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鈥檚 everything. That鈥檚 what keeps our industry rolling,鈥� he said.
Tasha McCormick, director of marketing for the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, agreed.
鈥淐OVID kind of curtailed a lot of stuff, so we鈥檙e just trying now to get back in the swing of things,鈥� 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about the fanbase,鈥� Wilder reiterated, inviting people to the Friday night series and other races. 鈥淵ou need the younger, the hyped-up crowd.鈥�
For more on the summer racing series, or The Meadows live racing schedule, visit https://meadowsharnessracing.com/friday-racing/.