Ashley Lendvoy found harness racing by putting out the right message

by Chris Lomon

Ashley Lendvoy never imagined a single social media post would lead her to a career in harness racing.

When her high school days came to an end, Lendvoy mulled over what the next phase of her life would look like.

After much deliberation, contemplation, and entertaining a few scenarios, she opened her laptop one evening and started typing.

“I was always into horses and I started riding when I was younger,” Lendvoy said. “When I finished school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I posted that I was looking for a part-time job working with horses.”

She didn’t have to wait long to receive a response.

“[Trainer] Carmen Auciello’s crew reached out to me and asked if I was interested in working there,” she said. “I took the offer and I started in a part-time role, which turned into a full-time job. After that, I never got out of the industry.

“It was probably within the first year that I realized I wasn’t going to leave. I went on to work for [trainer] Shawn Steacy, where I had the chance to paddock the horses. I wanted to learn more and I had that opportunity. It was with Shawn when I decided I wanted to be a trainer. I loved being a groom, rubbing on horses, and taking care of them in the barn, but I wanted to do more.”

In 2021, Lendvoy graduated to the training ranks.

Her first start came in October of that year at Flamboro Downs, and was with a familiar face, namely, Lady Oxford, the bay daughter of Big Jim she had bought in September.

With driver Austin Sorrie in the race bike, Lady Oxford finished second in her first start for Lendvoy.

On Nov. 4, 2021, the brown mare, bred by Craig Turner, delivered the rookie trainer her milestone victory.

“She has two babies now and she will stay with me forever,” said Lendvoy of the horse whose final race came in July of 2023. “She wasn’t an easy horse, and she had a lot of issues. She had breathing problems; she would tie up and I had to work with her a lot. But she taught me a lot. I think the ones that are challenging are the ones who teach you the most.”

Now, some nearly five years after that win, Lendvoy is closing in on 1,000 starts.

Her most successful season, numbers-wise, came in 2024 when she won 39 races from 290 starts and recorded $324,141 in purse earnings. She was also named Grand River’s Trainer of the Year and two of her horses, Betthebeach Yankee and Razzin Jazz, set track records — they both still stand — at the Ontario oval.

Valuable lessons learned along the way have been plentiful.

One in particular continues to guide Lendvoy in all she does, even if it can be a challenge on most days.

“Patience,” she said with a laugh. “You have to have a lot of it. I am not great at it, but I have learned over time that is one of the big keys to doing well in this industry. You have to take the time to know each horse because every horse is different.”

It’s why Lendvoy resists a one-size-fits-all approach.

“What you do for one — even if it works well — might not work for another horse,” she said. “You have to work with them, find out what they are like, any issues they may have, and then tailor a program that works for them. That’s why I always like to have a certain number of horses in my barn. It’s very rewarding when you get to know each horse as an individual.”

As for what she deems the ideal number of horses under her care to be, Lendvoy would like to expand her current roster.

“I have four right now, which is low,” she said. “I have five, if you include my mare and the little baby by her side and a yearling who will arrive in the fall. Last winter, I had around 15 horses, and I have had that number on two or three occasions. That gets a little bit stressful. I feel like 10 is a good number for me.”

Her greatest joy is in working with young horses.

“I get attached and enjoy working with young horses, seeing them grow and succeed,” Lendvoy said. “I would love to focus on those types.”

Shesundertheradar, a daughter of Tactical Landing, is one example of Lendvoy’s affinity for those who slot into that category.

“She was sent to me late in her 2-year-old career and I got to race her in a few stakes,” Lendvoy said. “She was second in the Pure Ivory and third in the Peaceful Way. We raced her in the Breeders Crown elims and she came up sick. I raced her in the preferred last winter over London as an aged mare. She got injured and now is a broodmare, so I’m excited for her offspring.”

Lendvoy is also bullish on the fortunes of Push To Start, a 3-year-old son of Six Pack.

“I bought him as a yearling with my best friend since childhood,” she said. “He just trotted in [1]:53 at Mohawk and he’s paid into lots of stakes races this summer all over the U.S., so we are looking forward to that.”

Like her contemporaries, the ups and downs of a life in racing can be admittedly difficult to navigate at times.

Watching one of her horses cross the wire first is the ultimate high. Having people outside of racing embrace what it takes to get there is a challenge in itself.

“The best part is when your hard work pays off,” she said. “The toughest part is just how hard certain days and times can be. It can be physically demanding and obviously, the hours are long. It’s hard, understandably, for people outside of the industry to understand what horsepeople do on a daily basis.

“I don’t come from a racing background, so a lot of my friends outside of this don’t understand the time and effort that you have to put into it. You have to maybe miss certain events or holidays, so there are times when people don’t understand why that happens.”

The best days are the ones that settle into stride the moment she walks into the barn.

“A good day is when everything went smoothly and the horses are happy and healthy,” she said. “It’s always great when things are going great – that’s the best.”

None better than when she walks one of her horses over to the winner’s circle.

While she might not look outwardly effusive in those moments, inwardly, she is full of emotion.

“I keep it inside, but I am happier than I could even explain,” she said.

A feeling that she never could have experienced if it weren’t for a single social post.

“I’m definitely glad I did that,” she said. “At one point, I didn’t know what life had in store for me. Now I do.”