When Grand River Raceway presented awards to the top performers of 2010 on May 2, one man had just flown all the way from New York City to claim his trophy

. Charles Merker, 66, is a pediatric eye doctor on 72nd Street in NYC. He accepted the award for Top Owner on behalf of The Merks Stable, an enterprise he owns along with his sons, Kevin, 35 and Larry, 39.

But how did a doctor from The Big Apple end up in the winner’s circle in Elora? His foray into the world of harness racing began in 1992 when he decided “to do something interesting”. As he drove by Yonkers Raceway, it occurred to him that owning racehorses might be the cure for his thirst for excitement. He stopped at the race office and said he’d like to buy a horse.

“The guy in the office saw my MD license plates on my car, so he said 'Doc, are you sure you wanna get a horse?' and I said 'yeah!'”

His first venture to claim a horse led him to Canada and he has been racing horses in Ontario ever since. Merker has had the good fortune to work with excellent trainers along the way. Since 1996, he has worked exclusively with successful trainer Joe Pereira, who also scored the Top Trainer award at GRR. Pereira currently trains 27 racehorses at Victory Lane Farms in Flamborough, nine of which race for The Merks Stable.

Last season, a speedy eight-year-old gelding named Ill Call U Back was one of their best performers. He rang up nine wins and four second-place finishes at Grand River Raceway. He earned the award for Top Condition Pacer, which Merker and Pereira happily accepted on his behalf.

“Joe persuaded me to buy Ill Call U Back and he was right,” said Merker. “He really tries every single race so he’s a lot of fun to watch.”

In total, horses from the Merks Stable notched 44 wins and banked over $380,000 last year. Merker never misses a race, even though he doesn’t usually get to watch them in person. “I see every race either on satellite or on the internet. I know what’s going on with each of my horses every day because Joe and I talk at least twice a day. I’m actively involved and that makes it all the more fun.”

Merker’s main advice for prospective horse owners is to find a trustworthy trainer. He says it’s his great relationship with Pereira that has made owning horses possible. “He’s like my third son. If I didn’t have Joe I wouldn’t be racing horses. It’s a lot of fun and we’ll keep doing it as long as we can be successful enough to sustain this little enterprise.”

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Hilary Eastmure)