Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — Mitch York began his driving career this summer at age 47, and only wants to drive his own horses. And not just because he’s preferential towards them.

“I have no interest in driving anybody else’s horses,” he said. “However, I don’t think anybody else would want me to drive their horses.”

It’s the kind of honest answer one would expect from an ex-law enforcement man. York retired in early 2018 after 25 years as a Pennsylvania State Trooper, and since then has been able to focus solely on his relatively new love — harness racing.

Mitch caught the bug after marrying Erin Brickell, whose father Dave is a longtime trainer and driver in western Pennsylvania.

Mitch York scored the first driving victory of his career with Dream Dancing on June 15 at the Wattsburg Fair. Seth Dowling photo.

“I wasn’t around horses until I met my wife,” he said. “Dave Brickell has been around horses his whole life. Once I started getting around him, I got hooked on it. About six years ago I went to the Harrisburg (Standardbred Horse) Sale with him and he bought a pacing colt named Powerternity. When we got back to the farm, he asked me if I wanted to go halves on it. We paid $6,500, and I was pretty ecstatic and excited about it. That was my first horse.”

Not only was York in the Standardbred business, the business was in his blood after one trip to Harrisburg.

“That was great, I loved it,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to go back.”

Powerternity picked up a few wins and the in-laws teamed up to buy three more the following year. One horse led to another and the duo has remained 100 percent partners in each purchase. Three years ago, York built his own stable and track and currently has all 11 of their horses at his Cranberry barn, which sits 70 miles south of Erie. Brickell makes the 75-minute drive every day to train with his son-in-law, who got his trainer’s license last year.

During all that time the urge to drive had been building within Mitch.

“Probably since about the second year we had horses I’ve wanted to do it,” York said. “I’m a bigger guy. I just wanted to try it, see if it was something I liked. I just wanted to mark it off my bucket list, I guess.”

He raced in five qualifiers this year and won his first one with the 2-year-old filly pacer Dream Dancing.

“That was pretty amazing, just looking beside you and not seeing any other horses,” York said.

It got even more amazing on June 15 at the Wattsburg (PA) Fair, when Mitch drove Dream Dancing for his first victory in a purse race.

“She started out on the rail and didn’t get a real great start,” he recalled. “She started to run right before the gate, so we got away last. At the half, she came out and just went by the field and just kept going. She’s not a real strong starter, so aside from the break right before the gate, that’s pretty much how she likes to race.”

If winning a qualifier was amazing, taking first in an actual race stepped it up another notch.

“It was one of the coolest feelings aside from having kids,” said York, who has four children ages 17 to 22.

That feeling has returned several more times as Mitch has won four races in 18 starts this year on the Pennsylvania Fair circuit. His most recent win came on Thursday (June 27) at the Butler Fair, when he piloted Dream Dancing to a 2:00.4 victory in a PA Fair Stakes race.

“There’s a few races from last week you just replay in your head and wish you could re-race them,” he said. “But all in all, I couldn’t really be happier. I suppose some guys wait a long time for a win.”

York gives Brickell most of the credit for how far he has come, saying, “I wouldn’t even be in this business if it wasn’t for Dave. He’s virtually taught me everything I know. Him; and some of the other guys around the racetrack and stuff.”

It has become somewhat easier to focus on the horses now that Mitch’s trooper duties are not overlapping with stable work. And while things are going well, York is not harboring any grand illusions about his future.

“I absolutely just want to stay at this level; I’m just having fun,” he said, adding with a laugh, “It’s a hobby and thank God I don’t have to make a living at it.”