Katie Herman switches seamlessly between fillings and fillies
by Chris Lomon
Katie Herman’s career as an equine dentist often takes her hours away from her home. But on one particular day, the trip was measured in feet, not miles.
With a client base spanning multiple states, Herman — who lives in Charlotte Hall, a town in Charles County in southern Maryland — is frequently on the road. Early mornings and late nights are often the norm.
But on June 7, she was afforded the rare opportunity of a short commute to Shenandoah Downs.
That day, Herman recorded her first-ever win as a harness racing owner and trainer when her sophomore filly pacer, Caughtupinthehoney, bested six rivals in the seventh race on the afternoon card.
“I wasn’t expecting my mare to break her maiden that quickly,” she said. “I knew she was getting close, but I didn’t think it was going to happen that day. I’m proud of her and I’m so happy to have won my first race. For it to be my horse… I don’t know how to truly describe it. I guess you can say it was a moment I was waiting for and I’m so glad it happened.”
Herman bought the daughter of Capitol Power as a yearling a few years ago.
The purchase, she admits, was a bit of a leap of faith.
“Caughtupinthehoney was initially called Honey Mustard,” she said. “I initially bought her through Danny Meyer. I saw her advertised on Facebook as a yearling. About the same time that I saw her on Facebook, my boyfriend called me and asked if I had seen that post about her. He said, ‘Don’t you think it’s about time you got started and bought a horse?’ I wasn’t sure — I didn’t have my trainer’s license yet — but I called up Danny to ask about the mare. He told me she had a lot of promise, but he wasn’t sure about me not having my license at that point. I assured him I would get it soon, so I went ahead and bought her and brought her home with me.”
From that point forward, Herman did nearly everything herself.
“I broke her to the harness and broke her with me in the cart,” Herman said. “I started jogging her on my farm in the fall of 2023. I wanted to get the work started right away.”
The decision to enter the standardbred world stemmed from a lifelong passion for horses and a desire to explore a new chapter in her equine career.
A graduate of The American School of Equine Dentistry, the 31-year-old didn’t make the decision lightly – especially given the demands of her full-time work.
“I’m coming into this world from a different one,” she said. “As an equine dentist, I see 1,800 horses a year. I travel to southern Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania – sometimes I am five or six hours from home, sometimes I’m five minutes down the road. That’s my career and how I was able to get my farm.
“I have been a dentist for 10 years now. When I saw ‘Honey’ advertised, I realized I was ready for a new adventure. With my dentistry practice, I can’t teach lessons anymore because you need to be on a schedule. With being on the road so much, it just wouldn’t work. My schedule is different every day.”
One constant in her life, however, is the presence of horses.
Her farm is home to several different breeds.
“I have nine horses outside of my racehorse,” she said. “I grew up around horses. I’m a licensed riding instructor. I used to teach lessons to beginners and intermediates, in Western, English and barrel racing. I have also broken horses under saddle and trained horses in whatever discipline I felt suited them. I have also done trail and ranch riding.”
Though standardbreds are a relatively new addition to her barn, she’s embraced them wholeheartedly.
“I did work for [trainer] Belinda Hughes for a time, and I also worked at Rosecroft in the detention barn,” Herman said. “That was from 2016 and 2022, doing all the pre- and post-race blood draws. So, before jumping in with the journey of my own racehorse, I was already around the sport.”
Now, she’s fully immersed in it – and far from done.
Currently, she’s already preparing a pair of horses for their racing debuts.
“I have a mare of Bad Mistress, who is a 5-year-old, that I came across at a rescue last year,” she said. “She was injured as a 2-year-old and the rescue was looking to find her a good home. When I was there doing teeth, I said, ‘Who is this pretty horse?’ She was never broken with a cart. I showed so much interest that they asked if I wanted to take her. I said no that day, but they convinced me I should. I took her on as a broodmare prospect.”
Those plans changed once the bay arrived at Herman’s farm.
“I thought I’d try breaking her with the cart and see what came out of it,” she said. “So, that’s what I did and started training her. She ran off on me a couple of times, so I got to experience that, but things got better and better. She is training down now to 2:16 and I’m hoping to get her qualified at Ocean Downs in the next couple of weeks, so she will be my second one racing.”
She also has high hopes for another promising youngster with a platinum pedigree.
“I have a mare, Majorsspeciallady, who I bought, in foal, to Tall Dark Stranger, from Hanover Shoe Farms in December,” Herman said. “She foaled a filly. Her barn name is Journey. I don’t have a registered name for her yet. My future plan for her is the Breeders Crown. The reason I say that is her mother was second in the [2017] Breeders Crown and her father, of course, is a Breeders Crown champ. I know it is big shoes to fill, but goals are goals.
“I also bred Majorsspeciallady to Rustys For Real, a Maryland stallion, so that will be my Maryland stakes horse in 2028. I have a Captain Corey filly, out of Pattys Diamond. She’s a trotter. I don’t know her plans yet, but I am just letting her grow.”
Every experience has been a learning process – and a rewarding one.
“You definitely learn more patience,” she said. “In dentistry, you work with so many different horse personalities. It’s the same with racehorses. You have to be adaptable and patient. That’s been one of the biggest lessons.”
And that is hardly a complaint.
For Herman, the chance to expand her association with horses has been more rewarding than she had anticipated.
“I just like the connection with horses,” she said. “Racehorses, in general, standardbred or thoroughbred, I never knew what went into the care of these horses until I started. I have so much respect for them. You see them in such a different light. I’m grateful for that.”
She thinks about that often while traveling – whether it is a few minutes away or several hours down the highway.
Those trips typically feature a trifecta of music, phone conversations, and at times, no sound at all.
“I have Pandora playing,” she said. “Jelly Roll is my go-to artist. Any kind of country — Luke Combs, Luke Bryant — and I am also a die-hard rock fan. I like listening to KISS, Aerosmith – all the old timers.
“My family will call and so will my boyfriend. Believe it or not, I like a lot of peace when I am driving. I’m talking to clients all day, so it’s nice to have some quiet time in my truck.”
Wherever she goes — whether measured in steps or miles — one thing remains constant.
“Every day is a different one, and revolves around the same thing, that being my horses and other people’s horses,” she said. “That’s a good feeling.”
