There is an old horse racing story that says, “a new horse owner comes to the racetrack with a pocketful of money and no knowledge while a horse trainer comes to the track with all kinds of knowledge, and no money. In a year, the roles are reversed and the owner has all the trainer’s knowledge and the trainer has all the owner’s money.”

That isn’t exactly true, but it does have some validity and points out one of the risks of being an owner in horse racing. Owners are the guys who pay the bills and keep the lights on at the track. Without them, there wouldn’t be a show. Sometimes, an owner can be taken advantage of by an unsavory trainer, but in most cases, any money drain is caused by the owner’s lack of education about horse racing.

Average harness racing fans in Maine know how to pick the horses they believe will win the race. They have learned to read a race program, decipher past performance lines, figure out betting patterns and place a wager with a certain amount of confidence in their accuracy. All this information has been learned by attending the races, visiting off-track betting parlors or studying available racetrack literature.

But, from that point on, the fan’s knowledge of harness racing either drastically drops or completely ends. Anything that happens away from the racetrack or beyond the wagering terminals (in the paddock or in the barn area) now becomes part of what many racing fans perceive as a closed society and a complete mystery to them. Race fans will tell you the industry hasn’t done a good job of marketing the sport so the average person might have some insight into the “behind the scenes” activities. Potential owners and racing fans want to know about the proper care of a Standardbred, how to be an owner and the inherent risks, how to find a good trainer or driver, and costs versus benefits.

One of the things race fans can look forward to at Bangor Raceway next summer is a United States Trotting Association seminar on ownership, open to persons interested in learning proper procedures and techniques for race- horse ownership. The USTA introductory seminar is scheduled for Sunday, June 3, and is sponsored by Bangor Raceway and the Maine Harness Racing Promotion Board . The seminar outlines types of ownership, options for race horses and breeding stock, costs, risks, rewards and choosing a reputable trainer.

Tuition for the introductory seminar is $25 per person or $30 per couple and includes a year’s subscription to Hoof Beats magazine, the official publication of USTA. All additional instructional materials are also included. The Bangor seminar is one of a series of USTA workshops and seminars planned at racetracks across the United States, beginning Feb. 10 at Pompano Park and ending Nov. 4 at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pa.

Signup for the Bangor seminar will be announced in the spring.

The USTA has designed the seminars in three categories: introduction to ownership; yearling pedigree and conformation, and the USTA Standardbred Driving School, according to Ellen Harvey of Harness Racing Communications. All seminars are conducted by USTA staff with assistance from horsemen, breeders and racing officials.

For the real adventurer, the USTA’s Standardbred Driving School will be held May 17-20 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio. The weekend course will introduce students to the basics of training and driving a horse, as well as the regulations pertaining to race driving through a combination of classroom and hands-on instruction.

At the end of the weekend, those who would like to take the written portion of the USTA driver’s test can do so. Tuition is $300 and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information, contact Tim Fouts at (614) 224-2291, ext. 3206 or e-mail him at fouts@ustrotting.com.

PACING BITS – This will be the last Railbird column until April, but there are some very important winter meeting dates of which readers should be aware:

Down East Harness Horsemen’s Association Winter Meeting and Awards Banquet tonight at Miller’s Restaurant, Bangor. Agriculture Commissioner, Robert Spear, is the guest speaker and will talk on the importance of Bangor Raceway in the overall health of harness racing in Maine. The agenda also includes dinner, awards and the announcement of the winner of the Bangor Daily News’ Harness Horse of the Year. Door prizes include eight $25 credit vouchers (or cash) at Miller’s OTB and four passes for the 2001 racing season to all of Maine’s agricultural racing fairs. Buffet dinner tickets are $13 and will be available at the door.

Other winter meeting dates: Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association meeting, Saturday, Jan. 20, Augusta Elks Club, membership meeting, 3:30 p.m.; USTA District 9 meeting, same day and place, 4:30 p.m.; Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs, general membership meeting, 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27, Portland Holiday Inn by the Bay; Farmington Horsemen’s Association dinner, Saturday, Feb. 3, 5:30 p.m., Elks Club; and Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association, Saturday, Feb. 17, Italian Heritage Center, Portland, business meeting, 3 p.m.