by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — It took some time for it to sink in, but now that he has comprehended it, Shawn Gray grasped sitting atop the 2011 rankings of all drivers in North America with his .440 UDR is really no small feat.

“At first it really wasn’t that important, because the last couple years I think I finished second and then I did it,” explained the 38-year-old West Gardiner, Maine, resident. “But now over the last month or so it really has become important to me. I was thinking about it the other day while I was cleaning out a stall and it may never happen again in my life, so I guess it’s something to be proud of. I wish I had more wins and more money made, but I did the best I could for where I was and it does mean a little bit.”

Gray, whose family always participated in the sport throughout his formative years, first received his licenses to guide and condition horses when he entered his twenties. As with most people that first enter their chosen profession, he started off rather slow and only earned a little over $1,000 from 13 drives in 1993. Two years later, he was in the bike for 164 races, captured 18 of those contests and earned more than $24,000.

That was also his first year training his own stable (39-7-4-3, $18,553) and with some perseverance Gray’s statistics have improved nearly every year since he entered harness racing full-time and culminated in his .440 UDR in 2011, the best among all drivers with 500 or more starts.

Michael Newman photo

Shawn Gray is currently plying his trade at Buffalo Raceway after many successful campaigns in Maine.

Last year’s statistics were nothing out of the ordinary for Gray. Since 1998, he has never had a UDR lower than .307 and in his last three seasons of racing, he has been over .400 (2009-.420, 2010-.415 and 2011-.440) while competing solely within the confines of The Pine Tree State.

For this year’s New Year’s resolution, Gray decided to venture outside of those familiar boundaries and crossed multiple state lines to try his luck in The Empire State at Buffalo Raceway. In 23 starts as a pilot, he has amassed a record of 7-5-4 and purse money of $30,292, while the 10 head that accompanied him have started six times with three victories and one second place finish, banking $13,481.

“They (the purses) aren’t terrible in Maine, but they just don’t race enough,” he said. “They shut down racing for 3-1/2 months and it’s tough. I have B horses and this is a B track, so it seems like they will fit in well up here. This (the move to the New York circuit) is something my wife and I talked about and it’s tough because I’m kind of a homebody. I miss home like heck and I miss my wife because she is still home, but it’s getting easier.

“I only knew one guy out here, but this is a nice place and everybody has been really nice,” Gray continued. “I’m at a great farm and I’m picking up drives. Maybe if things go well we will relocate but that’s a ways down the road.”

While Maine’s 2011 Driver of the Year is certainly honored by the accolades his ability in the sulky has awarded him, he is also extremely satisfied with what his stable has garnered over the racing ovals. While he concentrates on steering them, his wife Alicia, who was among the top trainers in the land percentage-wise last year with a strike rate of 42.9 percent (76 winners in 177 starts) and posted a UTR of .603, is an integral component contributing to his success.

“Last year we had a real good year out of the barn and the last three or four have been right up there,” Gray said. “My wife was born into the business too and she was training our horses. She’s very hands on, but I have to thank the owners for their horses. Everything just happened to work out.”

Gray acknowledges his life can be quite frenetic as he cares for his string and drives for other parties.

“In Maine it’s not too bad because I have a little more help,” he said. “I just have one guy with me now and good help is real hard to find. I’m kind of picky when it comes to how my horses are paddocked and some other stuff, so I get a little nervy to make sure everything is all right, especially if I have to drive other horses. It’s a little hectic right now at times for sure.”

Although he’s gathering attention from the national press, Gray’s goals remain the same as they did when he first inaugurated his career.

“I just wanted to be successful and try to make a living,” he said. “That’s what I set out to do. I’m not looking to get rich. I just wanted to make a nice living and be good at what I’m doing.

“It looked like there was a real good shot at getting a casino in Southern Maine, but it didn’t happen,” he continued. “The thing I think about all the time is that nothing good ever happens in Maine when it comes to harness racing. I’m not sure why. It’s just a fact and Maine is not the only state. There are problems in Ohio, problems in Illinois. There are problems everywhere and I really feel for those guys because I know what they are going through. Either you have to move or maybe hang in there and see what happens.”