Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Driver Jeff Gregory is nearly a month in to a four month recovery for a broken hip incurred in a January 14 racing accident at Freehold Raceway. Disability insurance that he bought through a policy open to all USTA trainer/driver members will begin payments to him on the 31st day following the injury, easing Gregory’s mind while his bones heal.

Gregory has had the policy through the VanGundy agency (vhill@vangundy.com 309-452-1156), since it was made available a few years ago. “I’ve had it since it was first offered,” says Gregory. “I have renewed it at least three times.” The policy, which costs as little as $96/year, provides payments of $300-$500 a week to those who are hurt in any kind of accident, on or off the racetrack, and disabled for more than 30 days. The payments can continue for up to two years and included in the plan is an accidental death benefit of up to $250,000. Gregory was a strong backer of the program, even before he was injured, “I tell people in the paddock about this insurance, they agree with me, they say how great it sounds and nobody signs up,” marvels Gregory. “It’s so simple, there’s only ten questions to fill out. They don’t expect anything bad to happen to them. It’s [an accident] inevitable, especially what I’m doing [catch driving]. The odds are against you after awhile.”

Gregory, who had to have screws surgically implanted to re-connect his hip bones, says, “I’m in no pain, I haven’t taken a pain pill for ten days. I’ve only got about a two-inch cut where they went in, which is all healed up. I’ve been walking around on these crutches, that’s enough to keep my upper body in shape. Chris Ryder (NJ-based trainer) gave me some books to read, I haven’t read a book since I was in school, but I’m reading them and watching the Racing Network on TV. I was, in a way, lucky, that this happened in New Jersey because by law, they have to have worker’s comp, so all the doctor bills are covered.”

Gregory expressed his gratitude for those who have remembered him as he faces at least three more months of recovery. “I must have 100 cards, the phone rings all the time and I think I got 15 fruit baskets,” he says. “Some of them are from people that I haven’t seen since 1990. I’ve driven horses for people all over and it’s really nice to know they remember me. I appreciate it.”