Harness: Profile of trainer Steve Carter

What kind of car do you drive?

Ford F350.

Favorite dinner meal? Snack?

Spaghetti; BBQ Fritos.

What is your favorite track to race at? Why?

Scioto Downs -- That is where I grew up and it is close to home.

What is your favorite big event in racing?

Little Brown Jug. I'm from Ohio and I don't stray far from home too often.

How often is racing on your mind?

Seven days a week.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of racing?

Watch a movie with my wife.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Team?

I like all sports but I guess football. I'm a fan of whichever team has the good quarterback. Tom Brady is probably my favorite because he is so good at everything in the sport.

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

My personality. I'm out there a little bit, they say.

What is one word that describes harness racing for you?

My life.

How did you get started in the sport?

My father and mother had some horses when I was young. They had horses and did that on the side after work.

Was there ever a chance that you wouldn't be involved in harness racing?

I wanted to do it early in my life. It was the only thing I ever wanted to do and still is.

From the mid 1980's up until 2007 you drove fairly regularly. What made you stop?

I got heavy, old and sore. My body went to hell and I guess my genetic makeup wasn't as good as some other guys.

Do you think most people know you have more driving wins (2,143) than training (1,885)?

Maybe just the local people in Ohio.

Comparing your heights as a driver and trainer, which are you better at?

Those are really different times and hard to compare. I'd have to go with training because that is what I'm doing for a living and I think my best is yet to come. Hopefully I continue to get better, though I've been doing it with my parents since I was 10.

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

Never quit. There are lots of ups and downs in this sport and you have to stick it out.

What was your favorite moment in harness racing?

Probably last year winning the 2-year-old colt pacing final [Ohio Championship] at Scioto when we beat Heart Of Chewbacca.

Which is the best horse you've ever trained or driven?

For training it is for sure Charlie May. Probably the best horse I ever drove is Psiluvuheartbreaker.

Which horse is/was your favorite?

Judy's Home. I owned her when I was a teenager. She was the first horse I trained by myself.

What's the one race that you most want to win in your career?

Little Brown Jug.

How many horses are in your barn?

20.

Your top 3-year-old Charlie May missed some time in May. What was wrong?

He had a quarter crack and then got sick. He also missed time because there were no stakes races for him.

If you could only win one Grand Circuit stake this year with Charlie May, which would you choose?

The Little Brown Jug so I could sit around with my Ohio friends who have won it and be part of the club.

Charlie May started his career with a win in the Next Generation at Scioto. What do you think about a series like that where owners pay for a spot and race for the money?

It's good if you win it, but it is a lot of money to put up to get a spot. You have to have a lot of confidence in your stock to put up the $10,000.

As an Ohio regular, how has the revitalization of the sport in the Buckeye state changed things for you?

It has enabled horsemen to make a living instead of starving to death. It has certainly made life easier.

You weren't in the winner's circle when Charlie May won the Next Generation in 2020. What happened?

I think I was lying in a hospital bed then. I had a tear in my small intestine. They saved my life. If not for the doctors and my wife I wouldn't be here today. Then I met my deductible and I got my knee replaced.

If you could choose any horse in history to train or drive, which horse would it be and why?

My next one because I like the unknown of what is to come. From the past, Cam Fella was unbelievable as a 3-year-old and Somebeachsomewhere was nearly undefeated.

If you weren't involved in harness racing, what would you be doing?

Probably working in a factory.

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

As a trainer, I'd like to see consistent medication rules in every state. That way everything would be clear.

How do you view the future of harness racing?

I think it is definitely on the upswing. Horses cost more now but there is more money to be won than there was before. It's good for breeders and everybody is making a better living now than they used to.

Time for the stretch drive:

Best Horse You Ever Saw: Sweet Lou was the best looking.

Lasix -- Yes or No?: I'm on the fence. I could take it or leave it.

Favorite TV Show?: Gunsmoke.

Trotters or Pacers?: Trotters. They are more difficult to rig up but they're getting better gaited and easier every year.