by Ayers Ratliff, Northfield Park Publicity Department
Northfield, OH — Frank Harris scored the 500th win of his driving career with Lady Rev in Northfield Park’s seventh race on Wednesday evening (September 21).
They boldly loomed from far back to pass Lucca’s Revenge in the stretch by 1-1/4 lengths. Lady Rev’s 1:59.2 win marks a new lifetime best for the 4-year-old trotting mare.
Harris always knew he was going to be a driver.
“That’s what my dad always told me I was going to do,” recalled Harris. “From the time I was little, that’s what he’d always say, ‘You’re going to be a driver.’”
Harris started working for Harold Story when he was 15 years old. Story trained world-class horses such as Animal House and Walter Adonno.
“I got to take care of Walter Adonno,” Harris stated. “Harold taught me more than anyone. He taught patience; he was all about patience.”
Harris began his driving career in 1982 at Saratoga Harness in New York. He then moved to several different tracks before landing at Northfield Park in the winter of 2000, where he has been ever since.
While at Northfield, he scored the fastest win of his career, 1:54, aboard the pacing mare Centsaver, which was owned by his wife Stacey. Harris’ drives have amassed nearly $1.5 million in purse earnings and he credits Cam’s Jewel as being the best horse he has ever driven on a consistent basis.
Having been involved with harness racing all his life, Harris does a lot more than just catch drive at Northfield Park. He works very hard and has turned the sport into a family affair. With his wife Stacey, along with their children, Molly and Morgan, he trains a stable of seven horses. The Harris clan is responsible for the nightly cleaning of the stalls in the ship-in barn, and Frank also serves as one of Northfield Park’s paddock blacksmiths.