by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Driver-trainer Daryl Bier enjoyed the best year of his career in 2010 and he got this season off to a strong start when he drove Alcarine to victory in the $58,000 Super Bowl final on Jan. 27 at Meadowlands Racetrack.

Lisa photo

Alcarine was a 1:55.1 winner in the Super Bowl final on Jan. 27.

Alcarine, a 4-year-old mare that had a win and second-place finish earlier in the series, won at odds of 17-1 in 1:55.1.

Last season, the 44-year-old Bier won $1.21 million as a driver — his first million-dollar season — and saw horses he trained bank a career-best $612,523. Entering Thursday, the Smyrna, Delaware resident had won 1,551 races as a driver and earned $9.88 million in purses.

Helping lift Bier to new heights last year were Roy Orbisong, Starsel and Wambam Sam.

All the success on the racetrack, though, is only part of the story. Bier overcame drug and alcohol problems in the late 1990s and said he has been clean and sober for 13 years. He talks openly about the past. “That’s who I am,” he said. He also tries to keep others from falling into the same pitfalls. “It only takes one day to turn your life around,” he added.

Bier recently took time to talk to Harness Racing Communications’ Ken Weingartner.

HRC: First of all, congratulations on the win in the Super Bowl.
DB: Thank you. That was my first major stakes win at the Meadowlands. It’s just such a thrill winning there. In my eyes, it’s still the greatest place on earth as far as harness racing goes. I couldn’t believe what she paid.

HRC: I thought she had a chance in the final, but I was concerned about the post (nine).
DB: Nobody thought she could leave. I just elected not to leave with her because she had breaking issues; I could see behind the gate that she might get overanxious. I really elected not to leave with her until the final.

HRC: Well, it worked out very well.
DB: It was a ball. It was so much fun.

HRC: What are your plans with her?
DB: She’s going to race at Dover. There’s a class for her, nonwinners of $65,000 life, she just squeaks in. Then we’ll probably go to winners over and maybe the open. I’ve got Starsel in the open so I’m hoping she can go in the winners over and Starsel in the open. They’re also looking to put her in some stakes if they can find something for her, something down the road. She’s really starting to turn around now.

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Daryl Bier

HRC: Last year, you had your first million-dollar year as a driver.
DB: Actually, the best year of my life was 2010. Getting out of Pompano (in 2008) was by far the best move of my life. It was a wonderful place and the people are great, but it was by far the best move to move to Dover.

HRC: What was the key to your success last year?
DB: I have two partners, Charlie Dombeck and Glenn Del Russo. We’ve been buying very good horses. I’ve been taking pieces of them; I became a partner rather than just training horses for people. I think it’s really given me that drive to excel. I’m probably the worst owner there is. I want to win every time we’re out there.

Having my wife at the barn is probably the biggest key to my success. My wife, Jenny, is probably the best caretaker ever. I’ve never seen anyone take care of a horse as good as her.

HRC: It’s always good to give credit to your wife.
DB: She oversees the whole operation. We have a small operation, 12 animals. We have a lot of nice horses right now and we just purchased Higher And Higher; we gave $150,000 for her. We started small and as we’ve done better and better we’ve upgraded stock and trying to get to that next level. We bred one of our best mares, Dream-A-While, to Somebeachsomewhere and she’s due to drop any day now. We’re just looking for the best that harness racing has to offer. That’s where we want to be.

HRC: Where did you grow up and what was your background in racing?
DB: I grew up in Jessup, Pennsylvania. I started driving at Brandywine. I was the Rookie of the Year there. That was the last year of Brandywine, 1989-90. Then I was basically a gypsy. I was here, there and everywhere. Everything changed when I got married. I quit drinking, I quit doing drugs. In 1997 I was a mess. I married my wife in 1998. We had our son (Sebastian) in 1999. I’ve been clean and sober for 13 years. All we do is work hard and it gets better every day.

HRC: How many kids do you have?
DB: I have three. My son Sebastian is 11, my daughter Emily is 10 and my youngest boy Matthew is 7.

HRC: So that was sort of the turning point for you?
DB: Getting clean and sober and meeting my wife made all the difference.

HRC: Was that just part of maturity as well?
DB: I probably would have died at the rate I was going. I don’t know if it was a spiritual thing, if God saved me, but I ended up in Broward County jail and had to do two months there. I looked in the mirror one day there and I realized I was better than what I was doing to myself. With a little help from my mom and dad, I went back home and got clean. It just got better from there. People say to me now that if I had the horses with your money I’d do good too. It didn’t happen like that. It was such baby steps now. This is 13 years later.

HRC: It always looks easy at the end.
DB: People don’t understand. You can’t just wait for opportunities. You have to work hard and earn them. That’s the thing that kind of irritates me. People think that someone just gave you something. You work for it. People will say John Campbell is only good because he gets his choice of the drives. Are you crazy? That man earned everything he has. But that’s a different subject.

HRC: Does this all make it more gratifying. Do you enjoy success more now?
DB: It was like a new experience for me. I never lived life like it was supposed to be lived. Right now the thing that gives me joy is my wife and my children and being a good dad and a good provider. And, basically, being a good example. I feel very blessed. I believe in God. It just seems to be getting better all the time.

HRC: What’s been your biggest thrill to date?
DB: In 2001 when I won the Isle of Capri (with Sadies Dreamboat). That was one of the biggest thrills for me as far as racing horses. But my children have got my heart. People ask me why I don’t drive more or do other things and it’s because I really want to spend time with them. I don’t want to be going all over the place. I still have time for that; I’m only 44.

HRC: They’re only young once.
DB: I like to go to my son’s wrestling and both my boys are in mixed martial arts. They just light up when they see you walk in to watch them. They like when you’re interested in what they’re interested in.

HRC: Have you set any goals for the stable this year?
DB: Last year we had a goal of a half-million (dollars). This year I want to hit 750 (thousand). We’re going to try to get into more major stakes because they’re a lot of fun. Then down the road I’m hoping Dream-A-While’s baby is something special. But we want to race in some big money races.