by Chris Lomon

Hillary Hartnett has keeping pace with a hectic horse-based life down to a science.

How the horsewoman — who calls Morris, NY, home — has managed to balance a full-time career, home life, and a modest, yet successful, racing stable, is somewhat of a marvel.

But that is precisely what Hartnett is doing, challenges and all.

“It’s the life I chose,” she said with a laugh. “The life of horses.”

They have long been a staple in her world.

Hartnett, who hails from Fairport, NY, a village suburb known as the “crown jewel of the Erie Canal,” found nine miles east of Rochester, earned her bachelor’s degree at Morrisville College.

“I went for their Equine Science and Management program, specializing in equine breeding,” she said. “I graduated in four years with my bachelor’s degree and started at Leatherstocking Vets, and that’s where I am now.”

Hartnett holds the reins of breeding manager at the large animal clinic in New Berlin, NY, a full-time role that keeps her busy throughout the year, especially during breeding season.

And then there is the standardbred side of her world.

“I got into harness racing — I couldn’t tell you the year — after I had done RUS,” said Hartnett, of Racing Under Saddle, a standardbred trotting race where the horse is ridden, not driven. “I made some connections through there and ended up doing a side job, helping out a trainer who had a small stable.”

All it took was mere seconds for Hartnett to fall in love with horse racing and its equine stars.

“One day I had the chance to sit behind a horse and ever since then, I have absolutely loved it,” she said. “I partnered with that trainer on a couple of horses. After a couple of years, I went out on my own and started a very, very small stable. With my full-time job, especially during foaling season, there isn’t much time to do many other things. My boyfriend [Russell Hoagland] and I are the ones running the stable.”

It is a familiar face, one from before her standardbred days, a Dream Vacation mare, who would ultimately be a game changer for Hartnett.

“I ended up buying a broodmare, One True Friend,” Hartnett said. “She was my first RUS horse, and we won my first races together. She had the pedigree I always sought for a trotter. I breed her and we have had four foals out of her.”

One of those offspring, My Little Bee, has provided Hartnett with several highlights over a 51-race career.

The 4-year-old brown mare has eight wins, 30 top three finishes, and over $42,000 in earnings.

Numbers, however, aren’t what make My Little Bee special.

“As soon as she hit the ground, I knew she wasn’t going anywhere,” Hartnett said. “She’s very special. We’ve always had a bond, and she has never let me down. She was my first young horse. I didn’t break her, but I trained her to be a racehorse. She is the second foal out of One True Friend.

“One of the other reasons I kept her and trained her is because she will replace her mother as a broodmare when she is done racing. My Little Bee is my heart horse, through and through.”

The trotting miss is also a welcome reminder of why racing continues to be a cherished part of Hartnett’s life.

While her operation is anything but grandiose, the fulfillment she gets from sitting in the race bike and training her horses is enormous.

“I guess I do a little bit of everything, but on a very small scale,” Hartnett said. “I started driving in the fairs — I got my qualifying license and then my provisional license at the end of August last year — and that is a lot of fun. I love the thrill of sitting behind them. And I love challenges, which are the same with training too.

“Sometimes I get locked in or parked out when I drive, but it’s something new every time – you always learn something. It’s very rewarding.”

It is also a testament to Hartnett’s ability to manage multiple roles at the racetrack and a busy work schedule.

For now, and most likely well into the future, the humble horsewoman has found a winning formula for contentment.

“I don’t want to get beyond my own horses,” she said. “I love driving, but I don’t think I’ll ever be a catch driver. I don’t see myself leaving where I am now. Being able to have a full-time job and do the racing is very important to me.”

As are the horses who reside in her barn, even the ones who can be a handful.

Undeniable Truth, for instance.

The bay filly has four starts, including three for previous connections, on her stat sheet to date.

Her best result was a second, with Hartnett in the sulky, last August at Westport Fair.

“We sold her as a yearling but reacquired her last year,” she said. “I will drive her, especially at the fairs, but she is a lot to handle. She has a lot of rivers to cross, but I am excited about her. She has a lot of talent and hopefully, we can unlock that.”

And perhaps, one day, Hartnett can find time to reacquaint herself with some of her treasured hobbies.

For now, they might have to be put on hold.

“I don’t have time for them anymore,” she said with a laugh. “I enjoy any kind of art, and I like to draw. I love playing the piano, but I haven’t done that in a while. I love the outdoors. I enjoy downhill skiing, but I haven’t done that in years.”

What she has done, and done very well, is stay stride-for-stride with two demanding, yet satisfying roles.

Hartnett, whose other racing mare, Soubrette, will soon be retired to become a broodmare, even has her own fan club, modest in number, but big in support.

“My co-workers are very understanding,” she said. “They follow me and they are always there for me.”

One more reason why Hartnett will drive onwards in harness racing.

“It’s hard to make ends meet in this business, but you have to love it, and you have to keep going,” she said. “That’s why victories, even the small ones, always mean so much.”