Mark Ford (harness racing)

Last updated
Mark Ford
Occupation Harness racing trainer
Born (1970-10-12) October 12, 1970 (age 47)
Ronceverte, West Virginia, United States
Major racing wins
North America Cup (2000)
Meadowlands Pace (2000)
Breeders Crown 3YO Colt & Gelding Pace (2000)
Tattersalls Pace (2000)
Art Rooney Pace (2000)
Adios Pace (2008)
Racing awards
Dan Patch Trainer of the Year Award (2000)
Significant horses
Gallo Blue Chip, Whosurboy, Turnpike Token, Armbro Animate, Self Professed, Shadow Play On The Attack

Mark Ford (born October 12, 1970, in Ronceverte, West Virginia) is a trainer of Standardbred horses in the sport of harness racing. He is best known as the trainer of Gallo Blue Chip, 2000 Harness Horse of the Year and the then richest pacer of all time. That year, Mark Ford was voted the Dan Patch Trainer of the Year Award along with co-winner Jimmy Takter. [1] Mark Ford also trained Shadow Play in his major United States races for his Canadian trainer and co-owner Dr. Ian Moore. Ford won the 2008 Adios Pace at Pocono Downs. [2]

Horse trainer person training horses for racing, riding, show or work

A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals’ physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for events, which may include contests and other riding purposes. The level of education and the yearly salary they can earn for this profession may differ depending on where the person is employed.

Standardbred American breed of horse

The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodlines to 18th-century England. They are solid, well-built horses with good dispositions. In addition to harness racing, the Standardbred is used for a variety of equestrian activities — including horse shows and pleasure riding — particularly in the midwestern and eastern United States, and southern Ontario.

Harness racing form of horse racing

Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait. They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, occupied by a driver, although in Europe, jockeys riding directly on saddled trotters is also conducted.

In 2016, Mark Ford was elected President of the Standardbred Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ). [3]

Related Research Articles

Strike Out, (1969–1998) was a Standardbred North American Harness racing champion.

Bret Hanover

Bret Hanover was an outstanding American Standardbred racehorse. He was one of only nine pacers to win harness racing's Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers and won 62 of 68 starts. He was the first horse to be voted United States Harness Horse of the Year three times and remains the only pacer to have received that honor.

Albatross (1968–1998) was a bay Standardbred horse by Meadow Skipper. He was voted United States Harness Horse of the Year in 1971 and 1972. Albatross won 59 of 71 starts, including the Cane Pace and Messenger Stakes in 1971, earned $1,201,477. It was, however, as a sire that he really made his mark. Albatross's 2,546 sons and daughters won $130,700,280.

The Cane Pace is a harness horse race for standardbred pacers run annually since 1955. The race was first run as the William H. Cane Futurity in 1955 at Yonkers Raceway in New York. In 1956 the race joined with the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes to become the first leg in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.

Adios (horse) race horse

Adios was a champion harness racing sire. The son of Hal Dale and the mare Adioo Volo, the horse named Adios was born on January 3, 1940, at Two Gaits Farm, in Carmel, Indiana. Trained and driven by Frank Ervin and for a while owned by Harry Warner of Warner Bros. film studio, Adios was a multiple world champion during his racing career. His pacing record at the Shelbyville, Indiana, fair stood for 43 years. Despite his racing success, he is most famous for his offspring, which included Adios Harry.

Somebeachsomewhere (2005-2018) was a Standardbred who tied the world record for a mile at The Red Mile with a time of 1:46.4 and earned $3,221,299. In 2008, he had the highest earnings by a pacer in a single season of $2,448,003.

Shadow Play is a world-record-holding standardbred racehorse. He was sired by The Panderosa, out of Matts Filly, a Matts Scooter mare. The colt was purchased as a yearling for $16,000, and is owned by Dr Ian Moore of Charlottetown, PEI, R G McGroup LTD of Bathurst, NB, and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Serge Savard of Saint-Bruno, Quebec.

Raymond W. "Ray" Schnittker is a driver, trainer and owner of Standardbred harness racing horses who is also a Director of the United States Trotting Association His successful horses includes Hambletonian Stakes winner Deweycheatumnhowe.

The Adios Pace is a horse race for three-year-old Standardbred colts and geldings run annually since 1967 at a distance of one mile at Meadows Racetrack in North Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Bolt The Duer is a bay Standardbred racehorse who set or equaled two World Records for one mile.

Ralph Hanover was a Standardbred colt who in 1983 became the seventh horse to capture the U.S. Pacing Triple Crown. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, as a yearling he was purchased for $58,000 by trainer Stewart Firlotte at the 1981 Standardbred Horse Sale Company's Harrisburg, Pennsylvania auction.

Armbro Dallas (1982-2001) was a standardbred millionaire and world record setting racehorse who competed in harness racing in Canada and the United States. He was trained, driven and co-owned by Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame inductee, Ron Waples, Armbro Dallas is best remembered for beating Nihilator and Forest Skipper in the 1985 running of the Pilgrim Pace at Garden State Park Racetrack in New Jersey. Both Nihilator in 1985 and Forest Skipper in 1986 went on to win Harness Horse of the Year honors.

The Breeders 2YO Colt & Gelding Pace is a harness racing event for two-year-old Standardbred male pacers. It is one part of the Breeders Crown annual series of twelve races for both Standardbred pacers and trotters. First run in 1985, it is contested over a distance of one mile. Race organizers have awarded the event to various racetracks across North America. The 2017 race will be held at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana, United States.

The Breeders Crown 2YO Filly Pace is a harness racing event for two-year-old Standardbred fillies pacers. It is one part of the Breeders Crown annual series of twelve races for both Standardbred trotters and trotters. First run in 1985, it is contested over a distance of one mile. Race organizers have awarded the event to various racetracks across North America. The 2017 race will be held at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana, United States.

The Breeders 2YO Filly Trot is a harness racing event for two-year-old Standardbred female trotters. It is one part of the Breeders Crown annual series of twelve races for both Standardbred trotters and pacers. First run in 1985, it is contested over a distance of one mile. Race organizers have awarded the event to various racetracks across North America. The 2017 race will be held at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana, United States.

The Woodrow Wilson Pace was a harness racing major event for two-year-old Standardbred pacers run from 1977 through 2012 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Tar Heel was an American Harness Racing Hall of Fame Standardbred racehorse. Given the State of North Carolina nickname "Tar Heel", he was bred by William Reynolds at his Tanglewood Farm near Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace is harness racing stakes race for older Standardbred pacers run annually since 2007 at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Joseph Cyril "Joe" O'Brien was a Harness racing driver, trainer and owner who won the U.S. Trotting Triple Crown in 1955 and would be inducted into both the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, as well as Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Noted for his quiet dignity and diplomacy, he is considered one of the greatest harness horsemen in history.

References