Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Tetrick in Town

October 1, 2007

Tim Tetrick will be piloting horses at Balmoral on Tuesday night.

“I decided to come home to drive in the big trot race,” said Tetrick, 25.

Tetrick will steer Gloria Wyoming in Tuesday's $120,000 Lady Lincoln Land Stake at Balmoral. The 2-year-old filly has post six in the featured fifth event for Illinois-bred trotting distaffs.

“The owners are from Fairfield, Il., near my hometown,” Tetrick said. “And the trainer—Ken Collier—is an old family friend. He asked me to drive this filly, and I thought it would be a good chance to come home for a day.”

Tetrick, a native of Geff, Il., leads all harness drivers in North America in both wins (890) and earnings ($13,573,370).

“I'm really working on getting that record,” Tetrick said, referring to the all time record of the most wins in one season set by Walter Case, Jr. of 1,076 in 1998. Only Tony Morgan—another former leading Chicago reinsman—has come close when he piloted 1,007 winners in 2006.

If his current roll continues, Tetrick looks sure to snare both the wins and earning titles, a feat unequaled since 1991 when driver Jack Moiseyev led in both categories.

Tetrick already became the youngest driver to win a pair of million dollar events, when he drove Southwind Lynx to victory in the Art Rooeny Pace at Yonkers on June 2, and the Meadowlands Pace on July 14 with that same horse.

He is also the youngest driver to win over 3,000 races.

“This is just what I always dreamed about doing,” Tetrick said. “It just happened a lot sooner than I envisioned.”

Tetrick moved from Chicago in the fall of 2006, and recently bought a house in New Jersey, so he could be close to the many East Coast racing venues.

“It's a long way from home, to be sure,” Tetrick said. “But as a catch driver, you have to go where the money is, and right now, it's out East.”