Horses are the key to Grace Harwood’s happiness and standardbreds opened the door

by Chris Lomon

Grace Harwood loved working with horses; that much she was sure of. Standardbreds, however, were more of a question mark — at least initially.

When she began working at Amulet Equine, a rehabilitation and conditioning center in Belle Vernon, PA, in the spring of 2023, Harwood found herself surrounded by a breed she wasn’t familiar with.

“Amulet mostly had standardbreds from the tracks,” Harwood said. “I started there after working at riding horse barns for a couple of years. Horses have been my whole life since I was a kid. We always had horses growing up. I just knew I wanted to be around horses, and when I started at Amulet, I figured it was something different. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about standardbreds at first. I’ve been around riding horses my whole life, the typical quarter horse or thoroughbred, but learning a whole new breed and discipline scared the crap out of me.”

Harwood was tentative, but not close-minded, when it came to working alongside pacers and trotters.

It was a friend and fellow horseman who helped reshape her view of the breed.

“I started with basic rehab stuff, but I was really more interested in the racing side of things because Amulet also has its own racehorses,” Harwood said. “The horses we rehabbed would, as part of their rehab journey, start ‘jogging back’ to get stronger. My friend Josh, who has worked in harness racing his whole life, was in charge of jogging them, and I asked him if I could learn. He taught me how to harness a horse and basically said that if I could saddle a horse, I could harness one. I got to do a ride-along with him first to learn everything, and eventually, I got to jog a horse by myself.”

That moment, and that horse, A Fair Ol Dance, would be game changers for Harwood.

“That’s when I knew I was going to love it [racing],” she said. “I eventually fell in love with the horses’ personalities and how goofy and loving they are. About a year later, Amulet announced they were shutting down the rehab and we had to find new jobs. There ended up being a trainer from the track that would bring his horses for the salt chamber, and they posted they were looking for a groom.”

Harwood applied and then waited to hear back.

Days later, she was offered a job working in the barn of trainer Brandon Presto at The Meadows in Washington, PA.

Not long into her new role, she recalled the words of her friend from her days at Amulet Equine.

“Harness racing has to be your life,” Harwood said. “My friend Josh told me, ‘Harness racing is not a job or a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. You have to want to get up and do this every day and if you can’t, then it’s not for you.’ I took that in and really processed it because if it weren’t for Josh, I would never have made it to where I am right now and I’m extremely grateful for that.”

Just as she is for the horses she has come to know.

Her list of so-called heart horses has become an extensive one over the past three years.

If she had to choose an all-time favorite, that honor would go to a 9-year-old son of Mach Three, who has 137 starts and 30 wins to his name.

“I have a soft heart for horses, but there have definitely been quite a few that touched my heart more than others,” she said. “I really fell in love with Aussie Scooter. He was a big love bug and was more of a pet than a racehorse. All he wanted was love and attention, and he had won for us a lot and raced well. He was then claimed, but you have to just let them move on to their next adventure — it’s part of the game.

“There’s a lot more, like Woodmere Androlli, Neyreit, Mantador, Cruzin America, American Warrior, Ben Racin, and Mikilob Ultra. They all have their own personalities that make them unique.”

They also make Harwood’s role one she treasures.

“The best part of my job would be the horses,” she said. “Just getting to be around and work with these incredible athletes is amazing. Standardbreds are as tough as they come and they deserve so much more credit than they are given.”

Then there is the flipside.

“When they get sold or claimed or even hurt is always the absolute worst,” Harwood said. “You build a bond with them and work hard to make sure they feel their best and are ready to go and then it all changes instantly. I always try to treat them how I would treat my own horses at home.”

Harwood is a vocal supporter of those under her care on race days.

Whether they earn a win, finish in the top three, or finish off the board, every horse she tends to is welcomed back with open arms.

“I’m excited, but also nervous,” she said. “I always want them to do their best, but you never know what could happen. They could run or equipment could break, but I always hope for the best of their ability.”

Away from the pressures of racing life, Harwood’s connection to horses stays strong.

Those interactions are viewed through several different lenses, breeds, and experiences.

“I like to ride my quarter horse and off-the-track standardbred,” she said. “They keep me sane after working all day with the racehorses. I don’t do a lot with them competitively, but I recently started cattle-sorting, and I mostly just trail ride or go to a little barrel race for fun.

“I also like to take pictures, too. I went to a tech school for graphic design and ended up getting into photography a little on the side and teaching myself until I met Chris Gooden who works at The Meadows. He has shown me a lot and let me shoot with him.”

While Harwood has developed special connections with many of the horses she’s worked with, one standardbred has earned an especially special place in her heart. That horse is Happy Trio, a pacer whose journey from the racetrack to retirement became another reminder of just how much the breed has to offer.

“When I first started at Presto Racing Stable in 2024, they had an older standardbred for an owner and he came from Ohio,” Harwood said. “Happy Trio was a typical claimer that came and trained and was going to race at The Meadows, but unfortunately, he got really sore after a couple training trips and they thought it would be in his best interest to find a home and retire.

“I wasn’t too sure at first about taking him, but it was the best decision I have ever made. I instantly fell in love with him and his goofy, happy personality. I got some vet work done on him and turned him out 24/7 and he is the happiest boy ever. Honestly, riding him under saddle was the easiest thing ever. He picked it up super-fast, which I read was typical of a standardbred, since they basically know everything — we just had to switch some stuff up. He learned leg pressure and riding with reins instead of line driving very quickly. I had originally planned for him to be a cute, little English horse, but he got bored easily.”

Harwood found a remedy.

“He liked to turn and go fast and play around with goofy obstacles, and I taught him the barrel pattern,” she said. “He absolutely loved it. I never would’ve thought a standardbred could barrel race, but he really opened my eyes to this amazing and smart breed.”

Happy Trio’s story is a perfect example of how much Harwood’s perspective on standardbreds has changed since her first days at Amulet Equine. A breed and industry that were once unfamiliar have become a staple in her life.

“The knowledge I have taken in from everyone and every horse is something I am proud of,” she said. “I have learned so much and still have a lot more to learn.”

There is, however, one bit of knowledge that Harwood has mastered.

“I know that horses have always been the key to my happiness,” she said.