For John Hogan, who established a career milestone of 4,500 wins as a driver on Friday when he crossed under the wire at Rockingham Park with Southwind Night, the last was every bit as memorable as the first
.
"With that horse, win number 4,500 felt as good as my first win," said Hogan, who has been driving standardbreds for 50 years. "I've had that horse for eight years and he's my favourite of all my horses."
Hogan is a second generation harness horsemen who grew up on the racetrack under the tutelage of his father, the renowned Jimmy Hogan, and he was inducted in the New England Harness Writers Hall of Fame in 2008. Along with the 4,500 wins in the bike and $12,302,559 in purses earned, he also has 767 victories as trainer and another $3,044,041 in earnings.
"I grew up doing it all on the track and I started racing on the ice on frozen Beaver Lake in Derry, New Hampshire when I was 10 years old," Hogan said. "I got my first fair license when is I was 15 and my first pari-mutuel license when I was 16."
Despite his longevity, the business of racing has never gotten stale. Hogan's eyes still light up when he talks about his horses.
"I love racing," said Hogan, who first came to Rockingham when harness meets were added to the program in 1958 and he was just 13. "It's even better now that I'm older. I approach things a lot differently now and I have a much greater appreciation for the horses. I know what I'm doing now and why I'm doing it, instead of just going through the steps of the day to get to the races."
Still, over the years Hogan hasn't changed his style when he's got the reins in his capable hands and is in the heat of a race.
"I like to race in front," he said. "And that's how I won with that horse yesterday."
When it comes to winning, it looks like Hogan will be out in front for some time to come.
(Rockingham Park)