After winning a race several years ago at Goshen Historic Track as a “student,” Kimberly Gilman-Daios hopes to notch a victory at the upstate New York oval as a “teacher.”
Gilman-Daios won the U.S. Trotting Association Driving School exhibition race at Historic Track in 2012, with assistance from professional driver Gareth Dowse. Gilman-Daios attended the USTA Driving School because she wanted to get licensed as a trainer and driver, which she did soon after completing the program.
On Friday, Gilman-Daios returns to Historic Track with Steuben Magic Ride, who competes in the first of two divisions of the New York Excelsior Series B for three-year-old male pacers. Gilman-Daios owns and trains the gelding.
“I’m looking forward to getting back there,” Gilman-Daios said. “I love Goshen. That was like the best time of my life. It was a learning experience, definitely. I was in Ray Schnittker’s barn and he does a really good job with his horses. Some of the things that he does I was able to take back with me and use on my own.”
Friday’s eight-race card, which begins at 1:00 p.m., kicks off the Grand Circuit meet at Historic Track. There will be four days of racing at the track and Sunday’s festivities include Hall of Fame inductions at the adjacent Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.
Steuben Magic Ride heads to his race Friday looking for his first win, but the pacer has posted two second-place finishes and two thirds in five career races. Four of his starts came last year, when Gilman-Daios drove the horse herself on the New York fair circuit.
“He’s still learning to race this year,” Gilman-Daios said. “I wanted to win with him last year in the worst way, but he wasn’t ready yet. He wasn’t a fighter. But this year he’s a tiger.”
Gilman-Daios got married last fall and gets help from husband Greg when he has time.
“He wasn’t into the horses before, but he married into it so he has no choice,” Gilman-Daios said, laughing. “He works full time for a company, but he’s been giving me a hand at the barn when he can.”
Gilman-Daios’ family has been involved in harness racing for generations. She lived in New Hampshire when she attended the Driving School, but has moved to Vernon, N.Y., where she has a four-horse stable. She owns three of the horses and also trains a horse for another 2012 Driving School graduate, Sophie Engerran.
“So far so good,” said Gilman-Daios, who worked for a utilities company prior to deciding to focus on training horses. “Before I was at a retirement stage I wanted to have a stable and do this as a job. At the time (of the Driving School) it wasn’t the right time because I had a career. Now I’ve made the time to do it. I enjoy it, I really do.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.