Harness: Profile of Standardbred marketing professional Chris Tully

What kind of car do you drive?

Acura RDX.

Favorite dinner meal? Snack?

Bibimbap [Korean rice & vegetables in hot stone bowl] with seafood; Sushi.

What is your favorite big event in racing? Why?

Hambletonian Day. I grew up around the Meadowlands and the horse sales, and Hambo Day was always a special event. It always amazed me how it attracted the best horses, best horsemen and women, and fans from all around the world. My father [Phil Tully] never missed a Hambletonian Day. For several years we held the International Trotting Sale on the backstretch the following day. In earlier years we went to the Lana Lobell farm sale, which was also quite an experience. The [Little Brown] Jug is second by a whisker.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Team?

Harness Racing is my favorite sport to watch. However, if we are referring to team sports, I enjoy the NFL, without all the commercials. NY Giants (Parcells).

What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don't know?

It's never too late . . . I went back to college in my forties.

What is one word that describes harness racing for you?

Horsepower.

How did harness racing enter your life?

I was carried into the Old Glory Sale Auction block, around age 4, about the same time as the Woodstock Festival (1969), so I was basically born into the industry.

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Your dad Phil wore many hats in his Hall of Fame career in the sport. Did his endeavors inspire you to follow that broad spectrum in the sport?

I could not have asked for a better mentor. Phil Tully's work ethic and vast knowledge of the bloodlines and of the people in the industry would be impossible to replicate. I feel fortunate to be able to make a living doing some of the aspects of the sport that he taught me. He was very inspirational and I try to live by his standards of ethical business relationships and reliable work production.

Can you talk about how you've reinvented yourself into a social media and digital "expert"?

As the result of a spiritual awakening I noticed an underserved niche in our industry. The days of farms, racetracks and sales companies having lots of staff and significant infrastructures are long past. Now, these firms must be lean to survive and do more with less. Often times their staff is dedicated to their specialty service, not necessarily digital communication, photo and print production, etc. I provide those services so that these outfits can do what they do best and not get bogged down with having extensively trained people and expensive hardware and software. With a boots on the ground approach, and the ability to speak both "equine" and "tech" languages, I have served this niche to the best of my ability and am grateful for all the opportunities that have been afforded me.

Harness Racing in general tends to lend itself to people who wear many hats. What's the oddest job you've done in the sport?

In the mid-1990's I spent two weeks in Lexington doing three jobs each day:

1-Morning: Shipped, jogged and cared for a Billings trotter for Junior Doherty & Robert Krivelin

2-Afternoon: I drove the pickup truck at the Red Mile, taking the drivers from the back paddock to the front paddock. John Campbell and Bill O'Donnell used to sit in the front bench seat with me and read the program together on the "To" trip, then I'd pick up the grooms, their buckets and blankets for the "Return" trip to the back paddock.

3-Evening: Acknowledgement of purchase ticket runner at the Tattersalls yearling sale.

You have a number of clients that take you across the country. How many miles do you put on your car each year?

30,000.

Is it hard on home life to be in New York, then New Jersey, then Maine?

My wife is very independent and supports my vocation. We have a great relationship and maintain a healthy work/life balance. When it feels like I have been gone too long, my travels tend to bring me back home, i.e., Jug, Lexington, Breeders Crown and Harrisburg.

Can you talk about the role Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum has played in your life?

When I applied for the General Manager's position at Goshen Historic Track in 2010, I was still earning my MBA, so the track was supportive of my endeavors and we were able to develop a complimentary schedule. I learned a lot about track maintenance and orchestrating racing events. Working for Historic Track was a great experience and I truly feel like I left the place better than I found it.

The Harness Racing Museum job started from my work with director Janet Terhune in collaborating to produce the 2013 Souvenir Journal for the induction ceremonies. I had just completed the Dan Patch Journal, as well as the Harness Racing Congress Meeting Guide, and was honored to be asked to take on a project of such prominence and magnitude. The Hall of Fame is the most important institution in our sport and I am extremely fortunate that the Trustees and Officers trust me and appreciate my contributions. Janet and I have a great working relationship, and it was with her that we developed this 'boots on the ground' approach to promoting harness racing. It has really blossomed from there, as my association with the museum has allowed me to bring the action to fans that could not otherwise see real-time photos and video of major events. We just completed our eighth collaborative souvenir journal for the induction ceremonies and I could not be more grateful for the continued opportunity to serve our sport. We also enjoy our outreach at the Hambo, the Jug and at Harrisburg, etc. The Standardbred Stars calendar is also very popular and it is now in its seventh year.

From photography to website design to managing sales, what's your favorite thing to do in the sport?

If someone were to ask what my life's training was I would have to say in the horse auction environment. That is where I cut my teeth and hold some of my fondest memories. But, traveling around to the major stakes and bringing the action to fans around the world is also very fulfilling. I enjoy working with the Hambletonian Society and Breeders Crown. Traveling with Moira Fanning is always an adventure and it takes a robust team to facilitate their big races and events. Even something simple like making a horse name paddock sign means a lot to the owners and caretakers. I like to think that the little things add up and I enjoy doing whatever it takes to help the public enjoy these marquee events. But it is equally fulfilling to promote a race at a small track in Maine, as the fans and the horse people are what make each event unique in its own way.

What was your favorite moment covering harness racing?

It would be hard to top the Wiggle It Jiggleit Jug, but there are more general favorite moments, like Kentucky Futurity Day at the Red Mile or Meadowlands Pace night. The anxious anticipation of a big event still excites and motivates me.

Which is your favorite horse from your time in the sport?

Picasso Lauxmont. In 1993 I was the driver, trainer, co-owner, caretaker and shipper of this 4-year-old Balanced Image stallion. With him, and not because of any real driving finesse, I won five legs and the final of the CKG Billings Amateur Driving series. It is hard to put into words the feeling of winning a big race with a horse of your own.

What is the best advice you've ever gotten about harness racing?

It is better to sell and repent, than to the keep and repent.

If you could meet anyone from harness racing history, who would it be with and why?

E. Roland Harriman. He saved Goshen Historic Track, amongst other things, and was a true gentleman driver and businessman; smart and savvy and always did the right thing.

Is there a track or race that you haven't visited that remains on your bucket list?

I enjoy the State and County Fair racing atmosphere, and would have loved to have gone to Springfield and Indianapolis, back in the 1970s in the heyday of the Grand Circuit.

You are a past United States Harness Writers Association President. What was that experience like?

USHWA is an interesting group. My father always said, 'A difference of opinion is what makes Harness Racing great.' That being said, there are plenty of opinions in that organization. A sure-fire formula for failure is trying to please everyone, so I didn't even attempt that. However, I am very proud of the work our local Monticello-Goshen Chapter of USHWA has done to continue to raise money for Goshen and the Hall of Fame, continuing the legacy that John Manzi has shaped for us.

You did some training and driving in the early to mid-1990's. Why didn't you continue to pursue that area?

I worked in the barns with the horses most of my early adulthood, and through and into the mid-2000's. I am very much at home around a horse or in a barn and have developed a close connection with many of the horses in my care over the years. Ultimately, I realized that driving and training is an elastic and often fluctuating lifestyle, not well suited for the faint of heart or light of pocket. While training and rubbing horses in the past, during the afternoons I also performed landscaping and light construction work over the years. Over time, I grew quite fond of an increased hourly wage. You could say that I was looking for a more consistent and reliable form of compensation.

If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be?

Consistent rules across multiple jurisdictions, especially with regard to trainers.

How do you view the future of harness racing?

The future belongs to those that plan for it. Horsemen must continue to market their own product and should endeavor to educate legislators where purse funding comes from state mandates. Breeders must make long-term decisions that may not come to fruition for several years. Trainers should also take a long-term approach to building their stable, cultivating owners and sharing in ownership. Horsemen and women should practice sound financial planning so they don't suffer during lean years, and above all, try to save for a rainy day.

Time for the stretch drive:

Best Horse You Ever Saw?: Niatross.

Best Driver Ever?: John Campbell.

Best Trainer Ever?: Billy Haughton.

Favorite TV Show?: M*A*S*H*.

Trotters or Pacers?: Trotters!