When Owen Eiler Jr. was a kid, he accompanied his father on trips to Liberty Bell Raceway and imagined himself sitting behind a racehorse
. Soon after graduating from high school and beginning a career with the Philadelphia Police Department, Eiler got involved in harness racing as an owner, but the desire to take a more active role simmered within him for more than two decades.
Last year, the 48-year-old Eiler got his trainer’s license and began training the small stable of horses he owned. In December, he got his first win when David Miller drove trotter Madimpulse Hanover to victory at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack. Two weeks ago, Eiler sat in the sulky in a race for the first time. He drove homebred trotter Owens Philly Girl in a qualifier at Chester, which began its nine-month season on March 18. Owens Philly Girl finished fifth.
“I love the game,” said Eiler, a Philadelphia native who is a corporal in the police department. “I can’t get enough of it. If it wasn’t for my job, I’d be fulltime training horses. It’s a great sport.”
Eiler raced his horses at Meadowlands Racetrack since January while waiting for Chester to reopen. He won an $11,000 race there with pacer Driven To Succeed and also had one second- and one third-place finish from among 14 starts.
Making time for the horses can be a challenge, particularly because Eiler trains them at West Grove Downs in Jennersville, an hour west of the city. His sons, Owen III and Brian, help him.
“I figured I was paying training bills since 1985 and last year I raced in five different states and had seven different trainers, so why not try it myself,” Eiler said. “My career with the police department is winding down and I love it. My sons help me and we’re just trying to make a few dollars and have fun with it.
“As long as I can make money and it works out for me and my kids I’m going to do it full time at least for my own horses.”
Eiler does not pretend to know better than any trainer and is always looking to learn.
“I’m not shy. If I want to know something, I’ll ask somebody,” he said. “They may think I’m stupid, but it’s the only way to learn.”
Eiler, who has four horses in training at the moment, says juggling his two jobs is worth it.
“The horses are such great animals and working with them is such a pleasure,” Eiler said. “When you win, it’s even more of a high. It’s just the greatest feeling in the world being in the winner’s circle.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit ustrotting.com.