Keeping a level head has Logan Lanpher on the path to a small but successful stable

by Chris Lomon

Logan Lanpher remembers the moment as if it were yesterday.

The ninth race at Bangor Raceway on Sept. 15, 2023, drew seven hopefuls, including River Runs Deep, a veteran pacer trained by Lanpher and owned by his father, Russell.

There were encouraging signs — a near miss last time out, 7-5 favoritism on the tote board on this night, and a wealth of back class — that gave the bay gelding’s connections sufficient reason to feel good about their chances.

Now, it was up to River Runs Deep and driver Walter Case, Jr., to get the job done.

The pair powered off the gate and settled on the front end ahead of a :28 opening quarter. A length and a half clear through a half in :58, River Runs Deep stretched his lead to 1½ lengths after three-quarters in 1:27.1.

Lanpher, watching the action unfold from the paddock, liked what he was seeing.

“I had a good feeling going into the race,” he said. “He’s a nice, classy old horse, and fit perfectly at that level at the time. I was watching him come around the turn for home and it was looking like he still had plenty in the tank.”

Case kept his charge to task and midway down the lane, the only thing left to decide was second place.

At the wire, River Runs Deep was four lengths clear in 1:56.2.

“Once you know you have it all under control, it’s surreal, especially for the first time,” Logan said. “Doing it with him made it even more special for me. He was the type of horse who you could learn a lot from.”

At season’s end, Logan added two more seconds from a total of 16 starts.

Beyond the numbers, it was the overall experience the rookie conditioner was most grateful for.

“I learned a lot,” he said. “Two of the biggest things were that you need to put every single ounce of your focus and energy into the job, and that hard work makes everything go right.”

That yeoman approach served Logan well in 2024.

It was Cutter Loose, a pacing daughter of Western Terror—Beckys Filly, who gave the sophomore trainer ample reasons, 13 of them to be exact, to celebrate.

Bred by Kyle Gardiner and Joseph Gardiner, the bay mare fashioning an ‘irregular star’ was a shining star for the stable.

Cutter Loose won 13 times, to go along with one second, and a trio of thirds, from 37 starts in 2024.

“She’s a little horse with a big heart,” Logan said. “She is great to work with, a lot of fun to be around, and was always ready to race each week. I continued to learn the ropes from her. I really couldn’t ask for anything more from her – she is the type of horse you’d like to have a barn full of.”

With year three of his training career well underway, Logan, who has a stable of two horses — he owns both — is looking to build off a 2024 campaign that produced a 16-7-6 mark from 46 starts.

So far, the results have been pleasing.

In four starts, Logan has posted two wins and two thirds, courtesy of Cutter Loose and Little Power, an 11-year-old pacer he also owns.

“I just want to see my horses race the best they can and if it’s not working, I want to do whatever I can to fix it,” he said. “It is about moving forward for me.

“Consistency is key. I want to have my horses do well regularly throughout the year.”

Logan, who also helps jog horses for other trainers, would like to see his operation expand soon.

“I’d like to add a few horses and have a small, but successful stable,” he said. “In the long term, I want to keep working to win races. I suppose one of the things I’d like to achieve is 100 career wins. But I don’t want to stop there.

“I was told when I started to keep a level head and no matter how many horses I end up with, that is something I will always remember. Be grateful for the wins, but don’t get too down on yourself when you lose.”

It is how Logan views his four starts in 2025.

After posting a pair of thirds over two days at Cumberland Raceway, the half-mile oval in Maine, he made two trips to the winner’s circle at Bangor Raceway – Cutter Loose won the third race and Little Power took top prize in the fifth.

“You always have to keep going no matter what the result,” he said. “When we had those two wins at Bangor, I was back in the barn at 5:30 in the morning. Obviously, you are happy and grateful, but the work doesn’t stop – it’s onto the next day.”

When he isn’t in the stalls or the shedrow, Logan unwinds by watching sports.

“I am a big sports guy — basketball and football are my favorites — but outside of that, there isn’t much I like to do,” he said. “Being around the horses is what I have always known.”

Logan was a fixture in his father’s barn at an early age.

He took an immediate liking to the horses, horsepeople and the camaraderie of the racing community.

“My dad always had between five to 10 horses at a time – it was just always fun going into the barn after school or on the weekends,” Logan said. “I always looked forward to seeing the horses.”

He still very much does.

“The horses are amazing athletes, and each one has their own unique personality,” Logan said. “You might not always realize it in the moment, but they teach you so much about your career. That is something I really enjoy. Any time you get to spend around the horses is good for you. They have a calming effect that always puts you at ease.”

Apart from watching them compete.

“Well, you do get excited when you watch your horses out on the racetrack,” he said. “It can be nerve-wracking, but at the same time, it can give you the best feeling in the world when they get to that wire first.”