Winning Ponies

Mr. Howard, a native of Riverdale, N.Y., spent two years in the Navy after finishing high school. He then rode show horses for a while, and wound up at Belmont Park looking for a job. He got his first job working for trainer John Cotter in 1969, and after a year or so, he went to work for Woody Stephens and his brother, Bill, for about a year. He then worked for Joe Cantey for about a year as an assistant, and then it was on to Mack Miller. During his seven years with Miller, he gained valuable experience while working his way up to stable foreman. Taking his first trainer’s job on the Ohio circuit (River Downs and Beulah Park), Howard won his first race with Knock Knock Bird at River Downs in 1979 soon after he obtained his license. He saddled his first stakes winner, Hasty Tam, in the 1980 Ohio Open Championship Handicap at Beulah Park.