Cumberland, ME — While most 8-year-old kids were playing video games, 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 Raceway, where the second-generation horseman is tied for fifth in the trainers’ standings with a .348 UTRS rating and 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 Downs 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 Jaymes McAssey over the six years that I was in New York. Aside from Saratoga, we also raced at Yonkers, Meadowlands, Tioga and Vernon. Anywhere they went, I was eager to go along and work,” recalled Gray.

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 Zack Gray would return to Maine once the prospect of increased harness racing dates were evident.

Above all, Zack Gray credits his late father with much of his current success. Bobby Gray passed away in 2018, but not before leaving an indelible mark upon his son: a desire to race horses for a living.

Twenty-one-year-old Zack Gray is living his dream of racing harness horses. Stephanie Gray photo.

Not to be deterred, that same year, Gray bought a horse named Cool Jack from onGait.com. He was familiar with the horse, whom fellow Maine horseman Aaron Hall previously owned.

“We put in a bid and got him,” noted Gray. “[Cool Jack] got everything started.”

An 8-year-old son of Camluck, Cool Jack is approaching $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 have won at least one race so far this year. His recent success did not come as a 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 second-place finishes in 21 starts at Cumberland, some have asked, ‘Is there a new sheriff in town?’

Only time will tell. This weekend, Zack Gray has two in to go on Friday and both are being driven by Dan Deslandes: Racing For Rick (race six) and Dustlanemissmolly (race eight). On Saturday ,Gray brings a new horse into his Cumberland stable, Pembroke Hat Trick (race one), whom Deslandes will also drive. 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 offering racing each weekend through July 23.

The final race on both Friday and Saturday features the 20-cent Hi-5 (pentafecta), with a low takeout of 16 percent.

First Tracks Cumberland is also pleased to present, in concert with the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association, a stakes preview for 3-year-old Maine-bred pacers. Featuring a ‘Colt Carnival’ for colts and geldings, on June 4 and a ‘Filly Festival’ on June 11, each division carries a $5,000 purse. 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 (June 3 and 10), as well as non-wagering 2-year-old races on the following two Fridays (June 17 and 24), with opportunities for the youngsters to ‘learn and earn’ their way into the upcoming Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes.