Reinsman On The Move

Stephane Bouchard hopes to feel at home in Saratoga Springs. The 46-year-old Bouchard spent time last weekend moving his family from Goshen, New York to Saratoga, where he has been driving regularly this season.

Bouchard lived eight years in the Goshen area while winning driving titles at Monticello and Yonkers raceways.

Bouchard is fourth in the driver standings at Saratoga Casino and Raceway, where his 73 victories trail Joe Bongiorno by one and Bruce Aldrich Jr. by 16. Billy Dobson tops the standings with 124 wins.

“I’m not busy enough at Yonkers,” Bouchard said. “There’s a new group of drivers there and I’m not getting as much work. We see it happen; nothing is wrong. A new guy, a younger guy, comes up; it’s the name of the game. There is a lot of competition.

“I’ve been driving steadily at Saratoga and to commute there two hours each way, after a while it gets old. We decided to move.”

Bouchard was the leading driver at Yonkers for five consecutive years, from 2003-07, and led all drivers in North America in wins in 2003, with 656. He has 7,819 career victories, which rank No. 25 in history, and nearly $70 million in purses. He was Harness Tracks of America’s Driver of the Year in 2001.

Last year, Bouchard made 1,781 starts, his fewest since 1999. This season, Bouchard has 660 starts and 85 wins.

Bouchard won a total of 297 races at Saratoga in 2012 and 2011. In addition to driving, he plans to train a stable of five or six horses. Prior to this year, his last start as a trainer came in 1999.

“I wish I had done better at Yonkers the last couple years, but I’m excited about racing at Saratoga,” Bouchard said. “I drove there in the past and I liked the place. I feel comfortable with the people and thought I could get work there. It’s tough for my family to move – it’s not just me. But I’m looking forward to it.”