There are numerous variables and factors that go into a harness race and several things that can make or break a horse in their career. From weather and track conditions to race conditions and post position, the logistics of the race day can influence the result as well as the team behind the horse including the trainer, caretaker, blacksmith, and veterinarian. However, it’s the one calling the shots that holds the most influence over the race, the one holding the lines: the driver. Harness racing has evolved over time and since the establishment of the sport, the role of the driver has evolved. Back in the day, it was more common to see a trainer in the bike behind their horse, but today, catch drivers have become the mainstream. Catch drivers can either sit behind the same horse every week or jump onto a new horse each week, but either way, they spend a limited amount of time with their mounts compared to that of the trainer. Despite this fact, a good catch driver knows their horse prior to the race, learns more during post parade and in the race, and then can iterate to the trainer what needs to be changed, if anything. In less than 10 minutes together on the track, the catch driver can pinpoint an equipment issue, a call for vet work, or another change necessary. How does the role of a catch driver and their skill vary across different degrees such as with top Canadian driver James MacDonald, up and coming driver Brett Beckwith, and a staple in harness racing Andy Miller? James MacDonald is now a multiple-time O’Brien Award winner as he picked up his fourth consecutive Keith Waples Driver of the Year Award on Feb. 8 in Mississauga, Ontario. MacDonald has set the bar high, making Woodbine Mohawk Park history by becoming the first driver to record three 400-win seasons among other accomplishments including winning his first Breeders Crown in 2024. With over 28,000 trips to the track in now 16 years of driving, he is closing in on 4,000 career driving wins and showcases over $76.6 million made. While his home track is Mohawk, MacDonald drove at numerous tracks across North America in 2024. From the Grand Circuit appearances in the Little Brown Jug and Hambletonian to winning the Meadowlands Pace and Breeders Crown, his resume lengthened with notable triumphs and prolific drives. His mounts have shared in his success as USHWA Dan Patch Award and O’Brien Award winners, including the 2024 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year in Canada, Chantilly. With his starts ranging from overnights to the stakes circuit to the Grand Circuit, MacDonald has taken his career as a catch driver to a whole new level. So how does he do it? Twenty-eight thousand miles, new tracks, new faces, and new fields with a lot of variables at play including weather, odds, post, track condition and more. When getting ready to drive any horse, MacDonald uses the insight of the trainers to learn about the horse. “I would say ask questions. The trainers generally know their horses inside and out,” MacDonald explained. “When reading the program, I usually check if they have missed time, if they are dropping in class, and more. There is a lot of information to take in a short period of time.” Depending on the track, the post parades last five, maybe ten minutes. Some drivers score down while others just keep a horse moving. “I try to get a feel for the horse, keep an eye on his ears. I try to have them sharp if I can without getting them hot,” MacDonald said. After the race, regardless of the outcome, the driver and trainer generally use the time it takes to get the bike and number off to discuss any key information about the race. “I just try and inform the trainer of what the horse was doing. If they seemed off, I tell them where I think. If they are running in or out, I let them know. You never really learn exactly what will work for each horse, they are all different. All you can do is give the best advice from your experience. “Every trainer is different and it’s important to know your trainer. Some want every little detail and some want the bare minimum,” MacDonald added. “It’s your job to figure that out and communicate what happened during the race. Some are mad, some are happy, but all are different.” And the following week, the drivers can tell the difference if the change they suggested was made. “Sometimes things are better, sometimes worse. You need to keep an eye out to see if it helped or not.” While MacDonald drives many overnights, his duties also include driving freshman and sophomores from the very start of their careers and throughout their journey, such as O’Brien Award winners Willys Home Run and Its A Love Thing. “It’s a team effort all the time. You work with the trainers and grooms to make sure the horse is the best it can be. Lots of horses do things racing that they don’t do training. Young horses I find need a lot more finetuning starting out while overnight horses are mostly set up the way they like already.” With an emphasis on the 28,000 miles driven over 16 years, MacDonald has obviously sat behind a lot of different horses at different tracks with every different kind of variable at play. How would you remember any one horse for the next week? “Some you forget and need reminding, but for the most part, if you drive them a few times, you get to know what they do and don’t like fairly quickly,” MacDonald explained. “When they have a big break or you haven’t driven them for a while, it can take a few starts to remember everything about them. For the most part, though, drivers have a good memory when it comes to horses they drive.” With that memory at play, a driver can tailor their driving strategy to fit the horse as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’ approach. “Every horse needs to be driven accordingly to all of them. Not only style will ever fit every horse. You need to be able to adapt.” And finally, MacDonald agrees that a horse may just not mesh with the driver for any given reason. “Unfortunately, not every horse suits every driver. Some people for whatever reason get along better with some horses. I’ve recommended to trainers before that they should try so-and-so because they have had luck with the horse in the past. You never want to turn down a drive as a catch driver, but as long as you’re positive and honest, I think the trainers will appreciate it.” More than a catch driver, MacDonald is a well-decorated and well-rounded driver with miles under his belt and miles to go seeking new goals and achievements with every start. “The best advice I could give a new driver starting out is to have confidence in yourself,” MacDonald said. “It’s normal to have self-doubt, but every time you step foot on the track, believe in yourself and believe you will have success with whatever horse you sit behind. Also ask questions. You’re never too experienced to learn.” ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter As one of the youngest drivers to top the charts, Brett Beckwith, at just 21 years old, earned the title of leading driver at Plainridge Park and Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2024. He was also third in the national rankings by wins. After a career year, Beckwith collected his first piece of national hardware as the USHWA Rising Star. In seven years of driving, he has made nearly 9,000 trips around the track with over 1,400 wins and $14.5 million earned. Beckwith drove at 12 different tracks in 2024 with starts ranging from overnights to stakes races to Saratoga’s prolific $250,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace and Plainridge Park’s $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot. His strategy starts by looking at the program. “I like to look at the program, know the other horses and what they can do better than my own,” Beckwith said. “I think that will always help, but I like to adapt to how the race plays out, whether that be behind the gate or the quarter pole. The trainers usually can give you some good insight about the horse prior when you walk over to grab the lines. They can let you know any personality traits and how their week went training.” From post parade to the race to getting off and informing the trainer, Beckwith has learned what to look for from his dad, Mark Beckwith. “A lot has to do with asking questions,” Beckwith explained. “I’m always willing to learn and broaden my knowledge. My dad has taught me so many things you can look for and if you truly pay attention, the horses tell us all. “As far as recommendations go, I just try and give knowledgeable but basic feedback – if a horse was on a line, how they handle, and more. Great trainers know what changes they have to make watching and the other trainers probably won’t listen to your feedback anyways. The great trainers will listen to your feedback and for the most part, will take what you say into thought, but 99 percent of the time, they had the same idea as well.” Beckwith agrees with MacDonald that the change the following start is noticeable. “There’s been countless times where you’ll come back next week and a horse is much sounder, straighter, less foot sore, or steered better among other things.” Noticing the change plays into the memory factor of being a catch driver as well – remembering the horse, what needed changing and how the race changed the following week. “I try and remember every horse and some trait or their equipment they wore to best of my ability, but it’s still something that can be really hard,” Beckwith said. “My dad is absolutely excellent at remembering everything as well as Jason Bartlett could tell you what a horse wore three years ago.” One of the differences Beckwith has from many catch drivers is working in the morning under his parents when he is not racing, including owning some of his own horses. “When it’s one of my own, for some reason I surround so much pressure with it. I expect so much out of them and want them to win every single start. As far as family goes, no one will disagree with the fact that doing anything with family is rewarding and just as challenging at the same time, but at the end of the day no matter how the races went, you’re family.”  Whether it be one of his own or any catch drive he has, Beckwith strives to stick with each driving opportunity. “When I first turned 16, I couldn’t hold a horse. I got off and said someone else has to go with it, Beckwith explained. “It’s to this day one of my biggest regrets and thankfully I learned from it. The best drivers can drive any horse. Good, bad. Hot, lazy. Doesn’t matter. I was just so inexperienced at the time it frightened me a bit. But now I’m fearless. I’ve been down 4 or 5 times already and broken bones. That hard ground will toughen you up quickly.” On the other end of the spectrum with over 66,000 career starts under his belt, Andy Miller has upwards of 10,000 wins and nearly $145 million amassed. His driving career spans 40 years and he has etched his name into numerous record books including charting among the top drivers of all time for wins and earnings. From overnights to prestigious races, the veteran driver has earned his way into the winner’s circle and into an elite club with his recent 10,000-win milestone as Miller became just the 21st driver to crest the plateau in North America. “In catch driver mode, a regular catch driver knows probably 80 percent of the horses that are racing on a weekly basis and remembers most of those horses from week-to-week, even the horses that they don’t drive,” Miller explained. “You learn a lot about those horses even if you’re not driving that specific horse. You go on the racetrack for a race and have probably glanced at the program, but you know a lot more just by knowing every horse. “That’s one of a catch driver’s strong attributes,” Miller added. Despite his many miles around the track, Miller centers himself around knowing the horses he drives as well as those he drives against. “It’s not really a system, it’s like any job, you learn to remember the horses. Sometimes you don’t remember it right away, but when you’re on the track, you look over and you remember things about each horse from week-to-week. You can also remember things by looking at their lines in the program, too, but you probably know as much about the horses even without looking at the program. Just knowing every horse’s attributes and strengths and weaknesses.” While the program can be a tool and remembering the horses is the key to success for Miller, he also has the ability to strategize on the go as needed. “It’s based on the horse and how the race unfolds,” Miller said. “I think several years back, I had the outside and obviously, planned on taking the horse back and racing them easy. And then, you look over behind the gate and your instinct just takes over and see nobody’s really pushing out of there and you leave. You cross over and get a one- or two-hole trip and the horse actually races good and might win the race. “If you stick to the game plan in your head and can’t adjust, then you’re in trouble. If you can adjust on the fly, it’s all instinct. Obviously, every horse is different, some of them are great. Some you almost have to leave and put them in the race for them to know it’s race time. Others if you use too much of them early, you don’t have much left to finish.” And while 66,000 starts have given Miller numerous catch drives, he sets himself apart as he teams up with his wife, Julie, with a stable of their own. Together, they keep a stable between 50 and 60 head. As a trainer, Julie Miller has won over 2,300 races and banked $55.6 million. “Between me and Julie, we train every day. Tyler [Miller] helps us part of the time. He’s focused on driving but he likes to drive the horses we train, too, so he does help out quite a bit. We are all there every day. “It keeps you sharper when you’re doing it every day. When we have 50 to 60 horses, you see something new every day. You’re out there on the track watching other people, too, and always learning.” Having his own horses and having someone catch drive for him gives Miller an additional perspective as far as catch driving goes. “A good catch driver has a good instinct and knows what to do. Several years back I was out for six months when I broke my back, so we did use quite a few catch drivers and there were a couple instances where I had to say, ‘you need to do this. You need to put this horse in the race.’ Where maybe on paper or odds-wise, it didn’t look like the horse fit in the race as far as putting them in the race, I convinced them to do it and the outcome was very good. “Most of the time, though, with catch drivers you don’t want to give them too much information. You tell them the horse’s tendencies and if they need to be in the race or need an easier trip and that’s about all there is. That’s their job. That’s what they’re supposed to do.” For himself as a driver of his own and catch driver, Miller has a knack for pinpointing when a change should be made as far as equipment or otherwise; however, he echoes MacDonald and Beckwith in the most important part of catch driving: learning. “After a while you figure out that this horse is on the right line, maybe a murphy would help or a sharper head pole or just equipment changes to make the horse drive better and go straighter down the racetrack. Sometimes going at the speeds they go, you see little soreness problems that people don’t see going slow. You pinpoint which corner it is. “It’s experience and being around the horses,” Miller continued. “It’s just learning everyday things. Seeing different horses and seeing what people do different. What works for one horse might not work for another one, but you’re always learning and every race you drive, you’re trying to learn something new. For 10 straight seasons, Miller has broken 100 in the win column and earnings more than $3 million. In fact, every season since 1998, Miller’s stats have read that same notation or better; with the exception of 2014 where he was sidelined for a broken back and made a swift return, still yielding 99 wins and $1.6 million. His stats include winning numerous Breeders Crowns, representing the United States in the World Driving Championships, and several driving titles. “Always work hard and keep your head on straight. One of the biggest things is to turn the page. Once the race is over, you cannot go back and change it. You have to go on to the next one. If you made a mistake or if something went really good or really bad in the race before, you can’t let that carry over into the next race,” Miller concluded. So, whether it’s a catch driver like James MacDonald with a broad range of skills on his resume or a fresh up and coming driver like Brett Beckwith who is just starting or a veteran reinsman like Andy Miller with a wealth of knowledge, the degrees of experience may vary as well as the approach, but with the same foundation underneath. No matter what, the catch driver holds the key to success through the lines with the information and knowledge in their minds.