by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — It didn’t take long for Stephen Bateson to get his first matinee win as a driver, so he figured once he got his fair license, his first “official” victory wasn’t too far behind.

Things didn’t quite go according to plan, however, as he was winless in his first 57 starts. But the Rudolph, Ohio resident was close a few times, and so was his horse, Happy Go Manny.

It finally happened for both on July 9 when the 46-year-old Bateson drove 4-year-old trotter Happy Go Manny to victory at the Logan County Fair in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

“I got my first matinee win pretty quickly. I never thought getting my first win would be that long of a process,” he said. “A couple years ago I had eight seconds in 22 starts.

“This year I got the win with a horse I broke and trained. He was probably one of the highest earning maidens never to win a race. He won $29,000 but never won a race, just a qualifier. So his first lifetime win and my first win were one in the same.”

Despite his long dry spell, which began when he returned to racing in 2008, Bateson would not let his frustration get the best of him.

“At some points I got a little frustrated, wondering why I can’t win,” he said. “For the most part I drove horses I trained or who were in my barn. Some of the drives I had were on other people’s horses; they had some issues, they weren’t top caliber horses. I was driving to get experience for myself and the horse.

“But some horses, maybe if I were a little better or more experienced, they might have won. I didn’t enjoy not winning but never felt like giving up. I enjoyed it enough to take my medicine and keep coming back. If I had been in my twenties and got my license I would have been more aggressive. Being in my forties I was smart enough to know this was not going to be my profession.”

His actual profession is sales manager for an agricultural distribution company, but he was involved with racing horses at an early age.

Although his family never had horses, Bateson grew up next to late Ohio Harness Horsemen’s President Forrest Warner and his wife Winifred.

“They had broodmares and racehorses and I always liked the racing at the fairs,” Bateson said.

He met a guy named D.L. Whitacre, a friend of his grandfather’s, and the two became friends.

“He was a character, to say the least,” Stephen said.

Through the Warners’ and Whitacre’s influence, Bateson bought his first horse in 1986 with his high school graduation money before heading off to Ohio State University.

After moving to Michigan and getting married, Bateson got out of the business in 1993. He re-located to Indiana before returning to Ohio in 2004.

“I did miss it,” he said. “I lived in West Lafayette and when Indiana got pari-mutuel racing at Hoosier Park, I went down and watched. I missed it but when you’re that far away from people you know and trained with, I was too far away to get involved.

“By the time I got back to Ohio I was completely out of it. Coincidentally, my wife’s grandfather had a horse he wanted me to train. I had never gotten a fair license; I wasn’t ready to train.”

He got ready by gaining his trainer’s license in 2008. One of the first horses he trained had issues with the drivers and would break frequently. He was encouraged by a friend to get his qualifying and fair licenses so he could drive them. He did so and “I kind of discovered I enjoyed it.”

Bateson re-united with Mark Headworth, who he met through Whitacre, and the two became partners with several horses.

Fully re-immersed in the business, Bateson now owns two horses, Happy Go Manny and Happy Go Jamie (with Headworth). And happy was the word of the hour when Bateson finally got that first win.

“I actually went right to the front, another horse that left inside of me made a break in the first turn, and I ran away from him,” Bateson said. “They didn’t do the best job charting, it showed me on top by 25 at the half and by 20 at the three-quarter pole, but it showed me winning by a nose.

“In actuality we won by 15 or 16. It was second and third that were by a nose. Looking at the results it looks like the horse gave it up at the end, but he won very comfortably.”

And while he was thrilled with his victory, there was one slight bit of emptiness.

“It was pretty satisfying and I thought about it when I came around the last turn,” Bateson said. “I had a little regret because my wife and three boys weren’t there. I had caught flack from my older boy (12-year-old Case) who thought I would never win a race. He wasn’t there to see it, but I got a photo to prove it to him.”

Ironically, Case ikes another Ohio driver named Greg Bateson, who some people think is related to Stephen.

“I’ve known him for a long time,” Stephen said. “We could be related but it probably dates back to Christopher Columbus’ time.

“My oldest has always been a fan of Greg,” Stephen added with a laugh. “He’s always been chummy with Greg. I’d ask him who his favorite driver was and it was certainly not me!”

Undeterred, Bateson, who has eight wins as a trainer, continues to get behind the sulky and shows no signs of slowing up.

“I will continue to drive until one of my sons, if they stay enthused about it and get old enough and what I think is competent enough to step behind a horse, can step in,” he said. “Until then I will continue.”

And he hopes that next win won’t take as long as the first; although he is enjoying the ride either way.