by Victoria Howard

Vicki Mattison was not born into the business, but she happily married into it.

Vicki’s husband Jim Mattison’s family was involved. At the age of 12, Jim jogged his first horse for his uncle Clyde and it was over, he was hooked.

Racing mostly at the New England tracks Jim took a hiatus when he got drafted in 1969. When he was released two years later, he moved to Hinsdale, NH, and it didn’t take long before he became the leading driver in 1975. Three years later in 1978 Mattison moved his stable to Saratoga. It was a family affair as brothers Gerry and Brian worked for Jim and they are still involved in harness racing today.

A novice at that time, Vicki said, “My family was not involved with horses and the sport. I didn’t know the first thing about a horse, especially a standardbred.

“I was born in Vermont but moved to Bennington in 1963. I met my future husband Jim there and we married in 1985.”

After Vicki and Jim married, along with Vicki’s two young daughters, they bought a ranch house in Wilton and built a barn and paddocks.

“I learned how to harness and care for a horse at the fairs with a trotter we owned, Gussy’s Filly, named after our dog,” Vicki said. “She raced mainly at the Rutland fair in Vermont.

“One of my most melancholy times in the business was when ‘Gussy’ got claimed. It was my first heartache in the business and having your horse claimed is a pain you can’t describe. I was devastated and cried like a baby. When I first started working in the barn Jim told me ‘Don’t fall in love with the horses.’ Of course, I didn’t listen.

“For those who work with horses know that not falling in love with their horse is impossible for the horse becomes their child. Although that was my first real heartache in the sport, my love for horses grew and grew.”

Vicki said she refused to jog, although Jim persistently tried to get her to do so.

“I wasn’t comfortable sitting behind a horse but loved being in the barn and working with the majestic animal,” she said. “In the beginning I spent five days a week, from 9 to 5, having weekends and holidays off, but that quickly changed.

“I fell in love with the amazing animal and my entire family became involved in the sport. In 1995 we sold the farm and moved our stable to Pompano Park in Florida to race.

“When my daughters grew up, neither of them wanted to pursue a career in the sport so there was no reason to keep the farm. Jim and I moved to Pompano Beach and lived there racing our horses until that melancholy day when the doors were closed in 2022 after nearly 60 years of racing.”

The demise of Pompano Park, one of the greatest harness racetracks — known as the “Winter Capital of Harness Racing” — was sorrowful for thousands of horsemen and racing fans. At one time the top trainers and drivers such as Bill Haughton and Stanley Dancer trained there, and many celebrities were often spotted on the sixth floor such as Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

When the track closed its doors, the horsemen had to pack up and relocate their families and leave what had been their home for many years. The Mattisons were no different, for they not only had to look for a new home for their family, but also a new place to race.

“This business is very demanding, and the horse is not a machine you can turn on and off with a button, but a living creature who has feelings and emotions, too,” Vicki said. “They require constant attention, feeding, grooming, exercising every day, so the barn becomes your home away from home.

“We have had very nice horses throughout the years, but there is one that will forever hold a huge place in our hearts. His name is Panocchio.”

If you have raced at or visited Pompano Park, you have most likely heard of Panocchio, one of the track’s all-time favorite horses. The Mattisons purchased the superstar when he was 2 years old at the Harrisburg sale.

“My husband loved his pedigree and I thought Panocchio was cute and friendly,” Vicki said. “Panocchio has brought us our greatest times and was that ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ horse that horsemen dream of owning. From all the awards that Panocchio received in Saratoga and holding the track record of 1:48.3 at Pompano Park in 2015, which will hold forever, Panocchio will be missed by not only us, but by many fans.

“When Panocchio started to get sore at the end of his racing career and was getting up in age, my husband decided to retire both himself and the horse.”

But the night that Panocchio was retired he disappointed no one and went out with a bang. Closing night at Pompano drew a large crowd with a near-record handle of $1,430,824, the third largest in the track’s history.

The most emotional victory of the evening saw track record holder Panocchio cross the finish line first, his 53rd lifetime win at Pompano Park and his 77th overall. Sitting behind the superstar was another superstar, driver Wally Hennessey. Giving the crowd something to remember, Panocchio won the race as Hennessey stood in the sulky and cheered as he guided the veteran into the winner’s circle for a final time.

“Panocchio, what a joy,” Vicki said, adding with a laugh. “A lot of racing fans called him Pinocchio and the name would have been appropriate for many of his races he won were by a nose. He was bred by Peter Pan Stables so thus he was named.

“He is certainly, my favorite horse and I always said when it was time to retire him, we would retire with him. I’m happy to say today he is living a wonderful life at Michelle Clark’s farm in Athens, PA and is an awesome saddle horse for his best friend Grace. Michelle gave him to Grace for the 4-H shows and the two learned a lot from one another. Grace has ridden him both English and Western pleasure at 4-H shows, and they have won many ribbons at both types of events.”

The Mattisons stop and see Panocchio every year when they drive back to New York.

“He remembers us and knows that we have his favorite treats for him,” Vicki said. “We feel very blessed to have people in his life to love him like we do.

“There is and will never be another Panocchio for us. He has definitely brought us the most memorable times: not only holding the track record at Pompano, but in 2014 at Saratoga he was Horse of the Year, Pacer of the Year, and Aged Pacer of the Year, and in 2015 he was both Pacer of the Year and Aged Pacer of the Year at Saratoga.

“He was a dream come true and we were so blessed to have had him all those years. He is still our baby and always will be, but we are so happy he is enjoying the retirement he deserves.

“Another time I will always cherish is when I received the award for Caretaker of the Year in 2009, thanks to Panocchio.

Today, Vicki said she and Jim are retired and living in Pompano Park in the winter, with summers in Saratoga.

“We have been blessed, and being involved in the harness racing business has definitely fulfilled it,” Vicki said. “I miss the horses and all the friends we have made. The harness racing family is amazing.”