While most eight-year-old kids were playing video games, back in 2008, Zackary Gray was jogging horses and pretending to be a harness driver. He no longer has to pretend.
Now 21, Gray has been on a roll at his home track of Cumberland, where the second generation horseman is tied for fifth in the trainers’ standings and has an impressive .348 UTRS rating along with a win percentage of 28.5.
The fact that this is Gray’s first year of flying solo is perhaps most impressive.
“I always wanted to go out on my own,” noted the Maine native. “The timing seemed right with Cumberland opening and the opportunities to race in Maine continuing to grow.”
Gray grew up on the backstretch of Scarborough working with his dad, Bobby Gray. He also credits local horseman John Nason with teaching him about training and shoeing when he was younger.
In 2016, when ‘Zack’ was just 15 his family moved to Saratoga because his father was offered a position with the stables of Heidi Rohr and Jimmy Nickerson.
“I learned a lot from Jimmy [Nickerson] and also from James McAssey over the six years that I was in New York,” recalled Gray. "Aside from Saratoga, we also raced at Yonkers, Meadowlands, Tioga and Vernon. Anywhere they went, I was eager to go along and work."
It was in New York that Gray started to drive a little, but it was clear that he preferred training. It seems only fitting that he would return to Maine once the prospect of increased harness racing dates were evident.
Above all, Gray credits his late father Bobby with much of his current success. Bobby Gray passed away in 2018, but not before leaving an indelible mark upon his son Zack…a desire to race horses for a living.
Not to be deterred, that same year Gray bought a horse named Cool Jack from OnGait.com. He was familiar with the horse, which was previously owned in Maine by Aaron Hall.
“We put in a bid and got him,” noted Gray. “It was [Cool Jack that] got everything started.”
A nine-year-old son of Camluck, Cool Jack has more than $200,000 in lifetime earnings and has been in and out Gray’s care since 2018, having had more than 10 different ownerships over the years. Now he is owned by Sheryl Gray, Zach’s mother.
Gray has a total of four horses in his barn at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, all of which that have won at least one race so far this year. His recent success did not come as surprise to his peers.
“We have watched him grow up in this business,” noted fellow local trainer Ryan Berry. “He has changed so much and has really matured into a hard-working man. His father Bob would be very proud of him.”
Now with six wins and three seconds in 21 starts at Cumberland, some have asked, ‘Is there a new Sherriff in town?’
Only time will tell. This weekend, Gray has two in-to-go on Friday and both are being driven by Dan Deslandes: Racing For Rick in race six and Dustlanemissmilly in race eight. On Saturday, Gray brings a new horse into his Cumberland stable, Pembroke Hat Trick. He gets ‘first time’ Deslandes in the opener. Both racing programs feature 10 races.
Post time for the spring/summer meet is 4 p.m. on both Fridays and Saturdays, with the extended pari-mutuel meeting racing each weekend through July 23.
The final race on both Friday and Saturday features a 20-cent Hi-Five (Pentafecta), with a low takeout of 16 per cent.
First Tracks Cumberland is also pleased to present, in concert with the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association (MHHA), a Stakes Preview for three-year-old Maine-bred pacers. Featuring a ‘Colt Carnival’ for colts and geldings, on Saturday, June 4 and a ‘Filly Festival’ on Saturday, June 11, each division carries a $5,000 purse for Maine eligibles. The overnight prep races are co-sponsored by the MHHA and Blue Seal Feeds.
In addition, in preparation for stakes season, Cumberland will offer starting car schooling on the first two Fridays in June (3 & 10), as well as non-wagering baby races on the following two Fridays (June 17 & 24), with opportunities for the youngsters to ‘learn and earn’ their way into the upcoming Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)