by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Beth Murdock delivers.

Whether it’s hauling the mail or training racehorses, nothing keeps the 25-year-old Murdock from completing her appointed rounds.

Entering Tuesday, Murdock’s horses had won nine of 20 races this year, all at The Meadows. She ranked second, behind Ron Burke, in the track’s trainer standings as January ended.

Last season, Murdock won 30 races at The Meadows, which tied her for 23rd place in the standings. Her win percentage, which was 20 percent, was good enough to tie for sixth place.

Chris Gooden photo

Beth Murdock is off to a fast start this year, as her horses have won nine of 20 races.

“Building my stable, from one horse to the number of horses I have right now, that’s my biggest thrill,” Murdock said. “I just always wanted a stable of about 10 good racehorses. I’ve pretty much got that going now. I didn’t know how long it would take; I never really thought about it. But it’s definitely progressed pretty rapidly.

“I definitely put in a lot of long, hard hours every day. That is definitely the key.”

Murdock has worked for several years as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, delivering mail in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. As her stable has grown, she has cut back on the number of days she works for the USPS. Now, she delivers mail only on Saturdays.

“That’s usually the day I give (the horses) off,” Murdock said. “I jog them on Sundays.”

As a teenager, Murdock was a standout cross country and track athlete at Trinity High School in Washington, Pennsylvania, even being a state place-winner in the 800 meters.

She followed her mother, Barbara, and father, Buck, into harness racing. Buck Murdock, who passed away in 2005, worked in the coal mines for a while and later started his own business refinishing hardwood floors. At that time, he also began training horses.

“I’ve just been around it all my life. When I went to the post office, I missed it,” said Murdock, who gets assistance with the horses from her mom and sister, Kelley. “I had to buy my own horse. I just like being around them.”

Murdock’s small stable is populated with horses she has pulled from the claiming ranks.

“I just don’t really care for the younger horses,” said Murdock, who has seen her number of starts increase from four in 2005 to 157 last year. “I like to get a horse out of the claiming races and try to improve it. With the claimers, you pretty much have an idea what you have.”

Despite her successes, there is a touch of sadness.

“I just wish my dad was still around to see how far I’ve come along,” Murdock said. “Every time I do well, I wish he was here to see them and how good everything is going.

“I think I’ve done pretty well for a girl my age.”