Going to the Hambo

I’m getting ready to leave for New Jersey to cover the Hambletonian. For the third straight year, we have a dominant 3-year-old colt trotter in Muscle Hill, and for the third straight year his trainer has been fantastic in dealing with the media. I got the chance to speak at length with Greg Peck, Muscle Hill’s trainer, when I wrote the Trotting Preview story for the March issue. He was a great person to interview, but that’s not surprising considering his day job involves coaching others how to talk to the media.

I’m excited to shoot the new “Eye on Harness Racing” episode tomorrow, live from the Meadowlands. Each week host John Pawlak and producer Rich Johnston put out a better product, and I can’t wait to see what Rich comes up with next. If you have any suggestions for content or improvement, please send us an e-mail at eye@ustrotting.com. We’ve already made some changes in response to some insightful and helpful suggestions. Thank you!

Aside from Delaware County Fair, this is the busiest week of the year for me and much of the USTA Communications Department. This is why I joined the USTA staff, though, so I am looking forward to a great Hambletonian Day of rubbing elbows with racing’s stars and chatting with racing’s biggest fans. Whenever I go on location I am consistently impressed with the deep love and knowledge of harness racing shown by those with whom I speak. I’m positive I won’t be disappointed again this year. Come see us at the Autograph booth after the parade on Hambo Day in Paddock Park.

Nicole and I will keep churning out Hoof Beats blog posts while we're in New Jersey, so stay tuned. Also, we'll be keeping you up-to-date through Twitter, so check us out at www.twitter.com/nicole_usta or www.twitter.com/tj_usta.

Cheers,
T.J.