Get Off Your High Horse

Giddy up! The harness racing world put a Jewish spin on their April 5 races with the Monticello Raceway 12th Annual Passover Pace. The “run for the matzohs” (a pun on horse racing’s most famous contest, the Kentucky Derby, also known as the “Run for the Roses”) featured Jewish jockeys and top-notch horses.

The sport of harness racing is less well-known than its more famous equine counterpart, thoroughbred racing. Harness racing uses a different breed of horse than the thoroughbred, called the standardbred. Also including the categories of “trotters” or “pacers” (referring to different gaits), harness racing has the jockey seated in a chariot-like contraption called a sulky, instead of astride the horse.

This event comes as one in a series of “Heritage Drivers’ Series,” which celebrate the backgrounds of different riders. For example, a recent “St. Paddy Pace” celebrated Irish drivers. In the sulky for the Passover Pace were the likes of jockeys Alan Schwartz and Mike Kimelman. I can’t pretend I know a lot about the individuals and horses involved in the harness racing community, as I’m a devout thoroughbred racing fan and haven’t paid much attention to standardbreds. However, I do admire the initiative the Heritage Drivers’ Series has taken on with these types of races.

While the Thoroughbred world makes an effort to recognize individuals, I have yet to hear of a race that recognizes a specific group that has made contributions to the sport. Some may say that this Passover Pace just singles out the Jewish riders and doesn’t integrate them into the larger community. Why can’t we just celebrate everyone involved in harness racing instead of singling out groups?

Looking at the Passover Pace and its counterparts that way fails to acknowledge what makes sports like harness racing special. It brings together people of all different nationalities, races, and backgrounds for a common love of the horse and the sport. Discounting the differences in racing would make one fail to recognize the diverse range of individuals involved. Lew Williams is regarded by many as the greatest African-American driver and trainer in harness history and has a race named in his honor. Canadian driver Yannick Gingras was ranked eighth last year amongst all North American reinsmen. Norwegian-born Trond Smedshammer has trained numerous champions.

The diverse origins of these individuals should be celebrated, not downplayed. Harness racing is a sport comprised of people from all around the world, united by one common love: the love for the horse. That common passion should trump any racial or religious tension. Races like the Passover Pace show others that difference can be celebrated without creating problems. Yes, the race may be restricted to riders of Jewish descent, but, if people find that a problem, then let’s create races for everyone’s ethnicity. That way, we can appreciate individuality, as well as uniting in other races.

In an incidental note, the aptly-named racehorse Gefilte Fish didn’t make it to the race. Cody Little Gal found the afikoman instead and came home the winner.