Michelle Olson ironed out a few things on the way to being a trainer
by Matthew Lomon
In 2021, Michelle Olson — then a do-it-all groom in the Carmen Auciello stable — told Harness Racing Update her long-term goal was to operate her own training business.
Already a quarter horse exercise rider, standardbred trainer/driver license holder, owner, and breeder, carving out a training career of her own was only logical for the lifelong equine enthusiast.
“It’s a very good feeling,” said Olson, who spent her youth dreaming of a life in horse racing. “There’s still a lot of work left to be done and I’m not quite to where I want to be with it, but I’m focused on making steps to get further ahead in that direction.”
The versatile horsewoman from northern Ontario is certainly on the right path.
Competing across Kawartha Downs, Flamboro Downs, and Woodbine Mohawk Park, Olson took a giant leap forward in 2024, notching career-highs in starts (56), seconds (10), thirds (15), UDRS (0.313), and earnings ($74,294).
Above all, she achieved the laundry list of lifetime bests with just a pair of mares.
“They were completely different horses,” Olson said. “The trotting mare [Classic Magic], she just loves to work. I found that working her harder was something she thrived off more.”
The driven daughter of Kadabra—Life Class was responsible for nearly 64 per cent of Olson’s purse earnings total in 2024, collecting $47,220 from 25 starts (3-4-4).
Classic Magic also spun some of Olson’s fondest memories from the season that was, setting three lifetime marks and posting a “thrilling” 1:54 flat mile to win at 18-1 on May 10 at Mohawk.
The second half of Olson’s dynamic duo, 7-year-old pacing mare Fire Shine, she claimed for $10,000 on Feb.1.
Under Olson’s tutelage, the veteran by Always A Virgin nabbed four victories, adding six seconds and 11 thirds for $26,894 in purse earnings.
While the former ironworker’s grit and natural adeptness were unmistakable throughout the banner year, she isn’t prepared to rest on her laurels.
“I try not to get overly excited or hung up on things,” Olson said. “It’s one day, one week at a time.
“I don’t know if I’m at the point where I take an insane amount of pride in it yet. I like being able to contribute across multiple aspects of the craft, but I’d love to become better. Once you feel you’re done learning, you probably shouldn’t still be in the business.”
The Fraserville, ON-based Olson picked up a treasure trove of valuable insights during her tenure with Auciello, as well as another esteemed horseman in Per Henriksen, who in 2019 shifted his base of operations to Sweden.
Seeing the game through two diametrically opposing strategies instilled in Olson an understanding that success doesn’t follow a single path.
“I loved working for Carm,” she said. “He does things a little differently – they don’t send a lot of horses out on the track. It was interesting to see a different way of being able to exercise horses and that not every program is cookie cutter or can be cookie cutter.
“When I worked for Per Henriksen, for example, it was very hands-on, you drove everything, you were responsible for that horse.”
Navigating the differing schools of thought gave Olson the chance to glean meaningful lessons and weave them into her own approach.
“One of the things I learned — and an experience I really appreciated — was getting to race a large number of horses in one night at one place,” she said. “That’s something I still use to this day. Obviously, I don’t race that many in a night now, but it’s a very handy skill to have.”
Equally important was learning to stay on top of the little things, like barn duties and other necessary tasks, without taking them for granted.
Fortunately, giving her work, people, and horses the attention they deserve is Olson’s calling card.
The multi-talented horsewoman still reserves a special place in her heart for the two horses who played a defining role in her harness racing journey.
Slim Shady, Olson’s first homebred standardbred, tracked down a pair of unforgettable firsts, delivering her maiden wins as both an owner and trainer.
“That horse is still special to me,” Olson said. “I actually still have him — he’s currently ponying at Ajax — and being my first homebred, I have that natural bond with him. He won his first lifetime start, my first owner win, at Mohawk in February 2022.
“He was also my first training win which makes him that much more special. I remember it was the 11th race and I was sick — absolutely miserable — but he pulled off a win and it was outstanding. I definitely cried in the winner’s circle, not bawling, but there were tears.”
Alongside Slim Shady, and his winning prescription, Olson also credits Duke Of Donegal for shaping the way she thinks about racehorses.
“To this day, when I sit behind a horse, or train a horse, or warm a horse up, I still look for certain qualities that he had… whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” Olson said with a laugh. “He’s a very special horse to me.”
Bred, owned and trained by Roger Ferguson, the now retired bay trotter had purse earnings of $101,585 through 51 lifetime starts (6-10-3).
As the calendar turns to July, the 2025 harness racing season is officially past the halfway point, but Olson still has big plans for the months inbound.
A key part of her six-month mission is to qualify a pair of 3-year-olds, whom she originally hoped to have ready as 2-year-olds last season.
“I was aiming to race a couple of 2-year-olds, but it didn’t pan out,” she said. “They’re homebreds, so we’re taking our time with them.”
The duo in question, Trix On You and Cant Control Carl, are close to qualifying and are expected to form a strong quartet within Olson’s contingent that still features Classic Magic, who’s nearing a return, as well as new face Vicious Aloicious.
“Every year, I aim to do better than the year before,” she said. “It’d be nice to have three or four racing consistently, so I’m focused on getting there, and in turn, hopefully improving my win and earnings totals with the group I’m building.”
