by Chris Lomon

Winning isn’t difficult for Rian Sherman, but in certain instances, how it ends up playing out definitely is.

His driving and training career is still in its early stages, but there seems to be, at least on occasion, a particular trend that leads him to the winner’s circle.

Two of those victories are perfect examples of Sherman’s penchant for crossing the wire on top in dramatic fashion.

The Iowa horseman’s first career win, one that also checked off his initial training triumph as well, didn’t get off to a good start.

In fact, any hope of victory appeared lost before the race officially got underway.

Sherman, in rein to Toots On Top, the 2-year-old trotter he also owns and trains, made a few bad steps seconds before the start, putting them behind the eight-ball in the non-betting race at West Liberty, a half-mile oval in the city of the same name in Muscatine County, IA.

“My first driving win felt better than any of the wins my filly had when I was the owner,” he said. “She was pretty wound up behind the gate and broke stride a little bit. But she kept plugging away and came back to win. So, being as far back as I was and to stay with it and get the win, it was a big thrill. It was pretty close at the wire, maybe a half-length. We had to get by another horse to get there.”

It was equally rewarding considering it delivered his first training triumph as well.

“That was nice too,” he said. “To get it all done in one race was pretty special. My wife came with me for the winner’s circle photo. She was pretty giddy about the win.”

As they were after Toots On Top recently won a $10,536 Iowa-sired 2-year-old trotting fillies race at What Cheer.

And, in keeping with the pattern, the victory didn’t come easily.

Toots On Top was sent to the front early and was on top at the half before Mary Sophia took command. Toots On Top was sixth lengths behind the leader at the stretch call but struck front again and then had to contend with a late-closing rush from DP Annies Girl.

The pair hit the wire with little separating them.

“It was a really tight race from the start to the end,” Sherman said. “I came off the gate in the lead, got passed around the half, and then coming down the stretch, it was really tight at the end. It ended up being us in front. I didn’t know if I had won it. When the race was over, the other driver and I were looking at each other and said, ‘Was that you or me?’ Neither one of us knew.”

How he got to that point came after a different racing experience.

The decision to train and drive standardbreds was borne out of Sherman’s enjoyment of owning pacers and trotters.

A production manager at a local factory, Sherman’s attachment to the sport, and its stars eventually prompted him to add some other roles into his racing repertoire.

“My wife and I have always had show horses and I enjoyed driving them and showing them, and one day, I told her I was going to buy a racehorse, and here I am today,” Sherman said. “She was always very supportive of it. This is really my second year in racing, but this is my first year of driving and training.”

Although he’s had less than 10 starts to date, Sherman has fared well, winning two races with a second and a third on his stat sheet.

The soft-spoken horseman, who works 10 to 12 hours a day at his full-time job, isn’t getting carried away with his early success.

“I’ve driven my own except for the first race,” he said. “I wanted to give the horse to someone with a little more experience to drive the filly in her first race. But I’m just trying to learn as much as I can, to ask questions, to continue to get better at all of this.”

Sherman, who lives on a farm in Marengo, IA, is certainly enjoying the ride.

As to where it will take him, he’s not quite sure at the moment.

“I’d like to have as many horses as I can for as much time as I have,” he said. “I have the bug now, for sure. Until I get some more experience, I’m going to stay in Iowa. All the horse people here in Iowa are very helpful to me and help me whenever they can. I’d like to gain that experience and branch out to Minnesota. If we get to that point, we can start looking at other opportunities. I just want to keep learning as I go along.”

He maintains an uncomplicated outlook in terms of his driving and training roles.

“I don’t expect anything, but when the good things do come, it’s a thrill,” Sherman said. “When they don’t come, it’s not a disappointment, I just love the sport and the horses, and I like being at the racetrack and competing. I go out there every time and give my best.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge Sherman has experienced in his racing life is finding time for outside interests.

Those long days at the factory and busy weekends racing, coupled with taking care of the horses, doesn’t leave much time for leisurely pursuits.

“I like to go hunting when I can, but there isn’t a lot of time,” he said. “I have my job at the factory and then the farm we have here. It can be demanding and there are times when you are tired, but I just like the horses and I’ve really enjoyed the chance to drive and train now. I’m glad I made the decision to give it a shot. It’s been even better than I imagined.”

All Sherman needs now is a drama-free victory, perhaps an open-length, wire-to-wire score.

“I’ll take a win any way it comes. At the end of the day, as long as you get there first is all that matters.”