From the time he arrived in the United States from Guatemala at 21 years old, Oliver “Ollie” Lemus lived the life that so many backstretch workers know so well. Lemus entered the world of harness racing 15 years ago when his parents started working as caretakers in Middletown, New York. For 15 years he has worked through early mornings and late nights, cold winters and hot summers. For 15 years he has had the dream to one day go behind the gate and make it to the winner’s circle. On Saturday (May 16), at 36 years old, the dream that he had as a 21-year-old came true. Lemus picked up his first pari-mutuel driving win. For 10 years Lemus worked for Jimmy and Heidi Rohr Nickerson. Four years ago, he switched to trainer Andy Gardner and his large-scale 20-head operation at the Saratoga Harness Track in Saratoga Springs, NY. The stable operates as a “team effort” where Gardner and his three grooms work together to get the horses ready in the morning, jogged and trained, and put away in the afternoons. They work together on paddocks, with sometimes upwards of eight horses entered in one card at Saratoga, and all enjoy in the winner’s circle photos at every opportunity together. Before Saturday, Lemus had 51 trips to the track. His first winning mile was on July 3, 2023 aboard Andy Gardner’s Kims Choice in a $3,800 New York Fair Stake for 2-year-old fillies. Upon returning to the paddock for that milestone, Lemus was met with a traditional shower from paddock buckets by the horsemen at Goshen. “I went to the Meadowlands and said one day I want to drive. Andy [Gardner] gave me the opportunities to do that,” Lemus said. Three years later, on May 16, Lemus got the call to drive Shreddar in the 11th race after the Saratoga card ran later than expected, forcing listed driver Leon Bailey to leave and run to his scheduled drives at Vernon Downs. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter “God took care of me,” Lemus said. Shreddar is a 6-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding who went winless in 2025 in 11 starts, last scoring in October 2024 at Rideau Carleton Raceway. In 2026, Shreddar made two starts in February before his third appearance at the end of April. Two weeks later, he drew post two in the $7,500 claiming pace worth $5,950 with Lemus now holding the lines. Off at 41-1, it was clear that he was written off the ticket and out of the minds of many. In the race Whats Your Limits and Aaron Byron went to the front and controlled the tempo through splits in 28 1/5, 58 1/5, and 1:27. Lemus and Shreddar got away fourth, 5-3/4 lengths off the pacesetter. Lemus kept Shreddar along the pylons as the outer flow was led by heavy favorite Sylvester and Jim Devaux after the first-quarter marker. Lemus appeared locked in on the pylons all the way to the three quarters. Just past that pole and into the turn, he found room to edge out and started to pounce on the leader. The paddock erupted. The same people that had horses in that race, the same people contesting for that same win and same purse money, cheered for Lemus. That should be enough to describe the kind of person Lemus is and his character. Three-wide around that final turn and down the stretch, Shreddar sprinted home and nabbed the win by a half-length in 1:57 over Whats Your Limits. Aaron Byron was beaten at the wire but could be seen cheering for Lemus in the finish line photo. As Lemus made his way back to the winner’s circle for the first time in a pari-mutuel race, pumping his fist in celebration, horsemen piled onto the golfcart to celebrate with him. After the high fives and hugs, cheers and tears, Lemus was greeted by the remaining horsemen in the paddock with a several-bucket shower in celebration. And despite hitting the milestone of his career – of his life – and despite being soaked from head-to-toe with his celebratory shower and with tears in his eyes, Lemus went right back to work to finish the paddock on the winning horse, Shreddar. “It meant a lot,” Lemus said, still holding back the tears even days later while thinking about the big win. “It was something very special to me. All the people that were there and congratulated me. I have to thank Andy for the opportunity given to me, for helping me get my license and giving me the opportunity to drive. He’s always there for me.” Horsemen have congratulated Lemus throughout the week and he could be seen in the paddock and on the track with a big smile. “I’ve known Ollie ever since I started working in this business,” said Katie King, caretaker and co-worker at the Gardner Stable. “He is just always nice and always puts everyone in a good mood with his positivity. He’s so much fun to work with. We all get along. We laugh everyday till we cry. He’s definitely one of the best coworkers I’ve had! “If you’re feeling down, Ollie will throw out some jokes and will turn anyone’s frown upside down! He’s good with all the horses, loves them like his own. I have to say when he won, we were all crying happy tears. The best part was it was Andy’s own horse he won on; definitely no other win can compare to that one. “Ollie told us when we started back racing that his goal was to win a race this year and seeing him tear up and say, ‘I’ve waited 15 years for this’ was a tearjerker. He works so hard and he deserved every bit of that win,” King added. Not only was the win Lemus’ first and a horse owned by trainer Andy Gardner, but it was also Gardner’s 900th training win milestone. “I really wouldn’t classify Ollie as just a groom but more as a second trainer. He’s a very hard worker and has a very good connection with a horse,” Gardner said. “The win really means a lot. All of the hard work that the team put in has really paid off. He’s almost like a son to me and I couldn’t be prouder and happier for him. He’ll remember that win for the rest of his life. Oliver’s first win was also my 900th training win, so it was a nice milestone for both of us to share.” In his day-to-day schedule Lemus gets to Gardner’s barn by around 7 a.m. and stays until the work is done. On Saratoga’s current racing schedule, most days stretch from the early morning until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. In the summer, the races move to the evening schedule, meaning the early mornings span into the late nights, sometimes past midnight. Gardner’s team splits the work of the 25 horses currently in the barn. From cleaning stalls to jogging and training to harnessing and putting away, Lemus is an all-around caretaker working around the clock to get the daily chores done and horses raced. Alongside Lemus is Katie King, caretaker Adam Germain, and of course, trainer Andy Gardner. “He works so hard. He’s a pleasure to be around always and he is always in a good mood. I am so happy for him,” Germain said. “That was our best win of the year. Maybe the best win since I’ve worked for Andy. I’m so happy for Ollie. Well deserved.” Walking around the paddock getting videos of horsemen congratulating Lemus on his first win, it was clear that he has a lot of fans and there wasn’t one negative word said about him nor his work ethic. “Oliver or ‘Oscar’ as I sometimes call him -- he has a few nicknames -- is just a great all-around person with a kind soul. Any time we’ve been out in public together we always end up running into someone who knows him, which speaks volumes of his character. An extremely outgoing person who loves people, horses, and the industry,” trainer Wil Dubois said. And the list goes on. Whether complimenting his immaculate and precise stall cleaning, his cheerful demeanor and outgoing behavior, his willingness to jump in and help at any time, or his character overall, Oliver Lemus is truly proven to be the definition of someone you would want in the barn taking care of your horses and sets the standard for what a good caretaker should be. One line in the program, two minutes on the track and a lifetime of emotions. For most people, it was just another race. For Lemus, it was the realization of a dream a decade and a half in the making.