From surviving a stroke that nearly killed her at age 23, to a job working for Bruce Springsteen, the trainer/driver has had a remarkable life.

by Victoria Howard

Stacy Chiodo has plenty to be thankful for. At the age of 23, she suffered a major stroke and was given a 50/50 chance of waking up. Her parents were told if she did pull through, she might have severe brain damage. By the grace of God, the resilient and determined young woman beat the odds and made a complete recovery.

Chiodo grew up in Holmdel, NJ, where her family farmed vegetables and her grandfather farmed produce that the family sold on the roadside and in local supermarkets. Her love story for horses began at the age of 5 when she befriended a young girl from school who lived on a thoroughbred farm.

“My friend’s mother, Susan Clausen, taught me how to ride and the important horsemanship skills one needed,” Chiodo said. “Shortly after, my mother bought me my first riding horse and I started showing English in local shows.

“Mom bought herself a thoroughbred racehorse, but unfortunately it was not good enough so she sold the horse to a trainer for barrel racing. I was immediately hooked. A woman named Laurie Molnar had a quarter horse and also trained standardbreds stabled at Crystal Brook Training Center in Colts Neck, NJ. I bought a gelding from Laurie and kept him at the training center. Every day after school I would go ride my horse and eventually Laurie let me jog and train with her.”

While in high school, Chiodo worked at a thoroughbred turn out farm. She qualified for the national finals in the NBHA for barrel racing, and when her boss wouldn’t give her a week off, she handed in her notice.

“Laurie got me a job working for standardbred trainer Ross Croghan cleaning stalls,” Chiodo said. “I cleaned 32 stalls a day, which at the time I thought was great. A few months later Ross showed me four horses and said, ‘These are yours to train.’”

Several years later, Chiodo went to work for trainer Chris Height as a groom.

“I loved my job, but when an opportunity came up to work for Bruce Springsteen — yes, ‘The Boss’ himself — I jumped at it. When I told Chris I was going to work for Bruce, he thought I was joking. Then on March 11, 2000, I suffered a stroke at the age of 23. Although I was given a slim outlook, I defied the odds and woke up. Luckily, Bruce held the job for me and when I was strong enough, I went to work at Springsteen’s farm caring for his spectacular riding horses.”

Although Chiodo loved working for the singing superstar, she missed the action of the racing scene and after a few years, got a job working for trainer Mike Russo.

“That was my first experience working with yearlings,” Chiodo said. “I instantly fell in love with that part; watching the babies grow up and become racehorses. When I decided to go on my own and give it a try, my mother and I went to a sale at Showplace Farm looking to buy a superstar. Everyone has the dream of purchasing a yearling in hopes he will be the next champion. At that time my mother had a budget of $5,000 to help me buy a horse, but after watching the ‘selections’ we had picked out go for much more, our dreams were quickly deflated.

“We waited until the end of the sale hoping we just might get lucky and purchase a baby that fit in our budget. My mother noticed a yearling colt by Blissful Hall, but when they brought the colt out, he had an ugly scar on his leg. I didn’t think it would affect him too much so we decided to take the chance. He started out at $1,000 and the final bid was $4,500 and we got him.”

The colt’s name was NF Trombone Alley.

“I needed help in breaking the colt and thankfully my friend Freddie Carr was happy to oblige,” Chiodo said. “The colt was feisty and rambunctious and one day after bucking like a bronco Freddie said, ‘Whoa, Rodeo Joe,’ and from that day on we called him Joe.

“We decided on registering the name Mighty Joe Young but the name was already taken, so we named him Mighty Young Joe. Joe did not take to pacing easily and I thought it was because I was not experienced enough, but one day the light bulb went off in Joe’s head. When I went back to the barn, I had a smile on my face that could light up a Christmas tree. My mother asked if Joe paced and I answered, ‘One day this horse is going to make me famous.’”

Chiodo drove in her first pari-mutuel race with Joe and won a division of the Reynolds for 2-year-old colts at Pocono Downs.

“He went on to give me many firsts, including ‘the first female to win a leg of the George Morten Levy,’ and ‘fastest female driving record at Harrah’s Chester and Pocono Downs,’ she said. “Little did I know that our $4,500 yearling, [at the age of 11] would make me the first female driver to break 1:50.”

On May 3, 2014, Joe won at The Meadowlands in 1:49.3.

“After we retired him, I tracked down, NF One Rose, Joe’s full-sister, and began breeding her, hoping to get some of the speed and heart that her brother had,” Chiodo said. “Rose is a 100 per cent producer, and to date I have bred and trained all of her offspring, with two of them earning over $150,000 and the fastest being Shezafreaklikeme, who got a mark of 1:50.4. She also made the Breeders Crown at 3, and although she finished last, it was very exciting.

“I have been very lucky, no, I’ve been blessed in life, and in my career. I had the opportunity to drive in Norway in a women’s driving championship, which I won. I have trained three equally fast horses —Mighty Young Joe, Chaser Hanover and Whole Lotta Lou — who have all won in 1:49.3, but my biggest thrill was winning in 1:49.3 at The Meadowlands, making me the first female driver to break 1:50.”

Chiodo appreciates the horsewomen that came before her, especially the one she admires most, Jacquie Ingrassia.

“She signed for my license when I got started and is a great role model for women in the sport,” Chiodo said. “I love to joke with her when she wins a race. I tell her, ‘You are my idol and I want to be just like you when I grow up.’ Being the humble woman that she is, Jacquie just laughs it off.”

“As far as my future plans, I hope to continue driving and training, and still have the dream of breeding and owning the next champion, like everyone else. That’s what keeps the industry alive. I’ve come full circle, for presently I train 13 horses at the Crystal Brook Training Center where I got my start.”