from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Four months ago, Mike Gorshe moved his stable from Michigan to New Jersey and so far, it has been a fruitful decision.

Gorshe has finished first or second with eight of 18 starters, an impressive 44 percent, this season at the Meadowlands. He will try to build on that trend with five horses entered on the Saturday night card.

“I’m certainly happy right now because we’re doing well, but it makes me want to push even harder, as hard as I can,” Gorshe said. “I want to get some stakes colts. The money is good, but you earn every bit of it. The challenge doesn’t change.”

Gorshe grew up in Fowlerville, Michigan, where he received an education in the racing business from his stepfather, legendary horseman Gordon Norris.

“Gord had me training horses when I was nine,” he said. “He was a kingpin there. He’s 75 now and still active in Florida. I keep in touch with him quite a bit. He’s a master horseman. He was always good with cheaper claimers. He taught me a lot about a horse’s legs: ‘You can’t miss a day of training.’ ‘Don’t let sore horses sit in a stall and seize up.’ ‘You stay on top of them and keep working them.’ Also, he taught me that it’s a tough game that can knock you down, and you bounce back by working harder.”

Gorshe moved to New Jersey with his wife, Kim, and stepson, Michael, last November. They have a small stable based at East Lynne Farm in Flemington. Gorshe also has a pair of teenage sons in Michigan who visit him often.

“We were holding our own, but the money in Michigan wasn’t as good as here,” he explained. “We tried racing over the border into Canada at Windsor, but that was getting tougher. I always had a couple of stake colts and raced at Hazel Park. It kept us busy. I came out here last November and we did pretty well right away in some late closers at Chester Downs (in Pennsylvania). I would have come out here earlier, but I made a commitment to stay for the Colt Stakes, and I raced a nice mare named ICU Bubby Helen ($100,760).

“This has definitely been a feeling out process,” he continued. “This is a permanent move for us. Right now we’re in an apartment and we’re moving into a house in Lambertville.”

Gorshe’s five entrants on Saturday night are: CR Gunsmoke (race four), Northern Edge (race five), All Hall (race six), Swami Sayz (race nine) and Rob P (race 11).

Swami Sayz was a $40,000 claim on February 29 that has turned out well for Gorshe. He has won both of his starts for his new trainer and is in for a $56,000 tag on Saturday night.

“Swami Sayz was a nice claim,” he said. “We’re two-for-two with him. He got a week off and we’re just trying to keep him healthy. I had watched Swami Sayz for a few weeks and I noticed he was just stopping at the end of his miles. He had a couple of nice trips with no pop. The day we claimed him he finished ninth and scoped sick. We just started treating him, learned a few secrets about him and changed some things. We’ve always got our eye out to claim one.”

Gorshe brought CR Gunsmoke, currently racing in the $30,000 claiming ranks, from Michigan with him. The 8-year-old gelding has picked up a check in six of his eight starts this season, including two wins. Carmine Fusco claimed CR Gunsmoke from Gorshe for $25,000 on February 10, but Gorshe claimed him back the following week.

“CR Gunsmoke won in 1:53.1 for us on March 15,” he noted. “We got him in Michigan for just $12,500 and we’ve made about $100,000 with him.”

Gorshe is also campaigning Faithfully for Michigan-based trainer Kelly Goodwin. Faithfully won in 1:53.4 on March 7 but finished seventh last week against much tougher company that included KG Delight and Ideal Weather. She will receive this week off.

“Faithfully is a tough mare just like her sire Keystone Raider, and Michigan horsemen I suppose,” he said. “This mare doesn’t like men. My wife does all the work on her and I train her. When she came out here I switched a couple of things on her and she won a series consolation at Chester in a lifetime best of 1:52.4. We’ve tinkered with her hopples and bridle.”