by Chris Lomon

When the time came for Michaela Hemmes to pick out her standardbred racing colors, the horsewoman from Saylorsburg, PA, didn’t have to mull things over for very long.

“My uncle, Douglas, he was one of my biggest inspirations and he still is,” Hemmes said. “I might get teary sharing this. He was a wonderful man. He was a dreamer and always supported my dreams and everything I ever did.

“He was a cyclist. His favorite cycling suit was black and gold. He ripped it one day and I sewed it for him. He was so excited. He showed everyone that I sewed it for him. I was 12 and I remember it being so special for him. It rocked his world. He had always been my biggest supporter and unfortunately, he passed away. So, I figured it would be a nice, little tribute to him, something he always wanted to see me do.”

He would, no doubt, be proud of his niece.

Hemmes, in her second year of training, wasn’t part of the harness racing scene until 2018, when she saw an interesting posting on social media.

A quick glance at the job description piqued her curiosity.

“I was working in an optometrist’s office,” Hemmes said. “I was an optical manager and I got bored with it, the office work. I had riding horses when I was younger and I grew up with horses, but I got away from it when I became an adult. I saw a post on Facebook from Juliana Edwards, who was looking to hire a groom for [trainer] Carmine Fusco. I went and interviewed and Carmine hired me and got me in the business that way. That was in 2018.”

Last year, in her rookie campaign, Hemmes went 4-4-5 from 33 starts, accompanied by just over $29,000 in purse earnings.

The 24-year-old, who wasn’t expecting much from her first year, ended up with far better results than she had anticipated.

“I had a blast my first year,” Hemmes said. “I got a nice horse named Keepamericagreat, a son of Shadow Play, who was sent to me. He was the first horse who I trained and brought to the races. I had trained others back before, but never brought them to the races.

“It took a little bit to get him right, but he gave me an awesome lifetime mark and first training win, which came at Tioga last Sep. 5, on Labor Day, which was fitting with the horse being named Keepamericagreat.”

The bay, bred and owned by Lomangino Standardbreds of New Jersey, was sent on his way at 34-1.

“I was sweating it to the wire,” Hemmes said. “There were some really nice horses in the race and I thought, ‘There is no way we are going to win this.’ I was looking at the screen and someone said, ‘You’re winning!’ Sure, as anything, we were able to win it.”

A raucous reception awaited Hemmes and her horse when they made their way to get their photo taken.

Members of the welcome wagon offered up their own version of a serenade.

“When I was in the winner’s circle — I remember it so well — and there was a group of guys having a blast,” Hemmes said. “The horse went off at 34-1 and I figure they must have bet him because they were chanting, ‘USA! USA!’ and having a great time.

“I had a couple of other nice horses, but he was the cream of the crop that first year. He was the first horse I had at The Meadowlands. I had another nice one for a while, Dreamfair Helena. She ended up taking her lifetime mark at Monticello. She was a fabulous horse for me too.”

Hemmes is currently working on a few additions to her racing repertoire, which includes a possible purchase and the pursuit of a life in the race bike.

“My biggest goal… actually, I have three big goals,” Hemmes said. “One is to win at The Meadowlands and I’d like to get my license to drive. I’m working on that. I always thought, ‘Why not?’ There are plenty of women who drive, but not as many in the U.S.

“I took a little break from training because the winter was pretty tough. My next step is to buy one just for myself. I’m just taking my time, watching everyone race and keeping my eyes open.”

Even if the adage of hindsight being 20/20 is true, she has no regrets about the big career change she made five years ago.

“It’s a lot harder than it looks, for one,” Hemmes said. “And I realized I could do it, which is a pretty nice feeling. I honestly didn’t think I was going to do that well, so I felt that if I could put my mind to it, I could do it. It was a surprise, but definitely a nice surprise. I didn’t think I was going to win in my first year and I did. I do a lot of paddocking and shipping right now. I’m just rocking with it.”

And when she’s not, you’ll find the trainer getting the most out of the great outdoors.

Time spent on the couch is at a minimum.

“Surprisingly, even though I work outdoors all the time, I love being outside,” Hemmes said. “I love to kayak, hike: anything that gets me outdoors and active. Getting out in nature is so nice and relaxing. But I love my job. Even with all the ups and downs, I still have a smile on my face every day.”

All of which is why Hemmes is happy to stay the course, something her uncle would no doubt be proud to see.

Win or lose, every day at the barn, she shared, is as good as black and gold.

“A lot of people have told me to stick with it,” she said. “Yes, this business can be hard, but if I can stick with it and be good to my horses, I know they will be good to me. I love them. I adore them.”