Driver/trainer Dan Daley is in his sixth decade of participation in Harness Racing and is still putting in 15-hour days and nights. The 63 -year-old, who splits his time between upstate New York and Florida, has a barn of 16 including a potential budding star trotting filly named Yanaba. With the birds chirping in the background of the stable area at Vernon Downs as he waited for his approved time to hit the track due to an outbreak of Equine Herpes in his barn, Daley was gracious enough to sit down with me to discuss his journey in the sport, Yanaba and her schedule, and racing in general. How did you get started in harness racing? By the time I was 13 I was too big to be a jockey and I jogged my first horse when I was 14 and said this is what I'm going to do the rest of my life.  I spent eight years as a groom and tried to learn something from everyone I worked for. I worked for Billy Haughton and nine months for Sören Nordin, who was the greatest trainer I ever dealt with. Then I went on my own and bought some cheap ones. Was anyone in your family involved before you? No, we had riding horses but that's it. You mentioned Billy Haughton and Sören Nordin, who most helped you start your career? Billy Haughton was just such a great guy and that kind of person really helps. Soren I just learned so much from so quickly that I just felt 'I can do this'. What kind of car do you drive? Ford pickup, because I can't afford a Chevy [laughing]. There was a $40,000 difference between buying two Chevys versus two Fords. Favorite dinner meal? Snack? Lobster; Animal Crackers. What is your favorite track to race at? Why? Saratoga because I grew up 10 miles from there. What is your favorite big event in racing? Why? The Hambletonian. It is the biggest dance. Even if you don't win, just to be in it is pretty big. How often are horses or racing on your mind? 24/7. Even when you're sleeping you wake up remembering something you were dreaming about horses. Maybe it was something you have to do or something you were hoping to do.  What is your favorite thing to do outside of racing? Go to the Grand Prix jumping or jumping my own horse. The greatest sport I ever played was Polo. What is your favorite sport?  Horse racing. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don't know? That if it involves anything with horses, I like it, will watch it or try to do it. What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Awesome. You have over 1,300 wins as a driver and over 900 as a trainer. What do those numbers mean to you? I always wanted to be good at it and the numbers mean that I at least accomplished something. You're a rare breed in that you still drive most of your horses. Do you think you lose anything by not using a catch-driver? Not with the 2-year-olds at all because I know my horses and train most of them myself. It probably matters in the big dances at The Meadowlands because none of those guys are going to turn me loose [yield the lead] as easy as a regular they see every day. That's why I put Scott [Zeron] up on Yanaba because I needed him to get used to her and like her as much as I did, and for the big dances we'll go that way.  You mentioned potential standout 3-year-old Trixton filly Yanaba. How good is she? I think she's as good as any of the top fillies. We have to get lucky but she's that type of filly. I thought that last year too and a bone bruise stopped her. Sometimes little things can hurt. How disappointing was it to miss the May 6 opening New Jersey Sire Stakes leg due to the Equine Herpes breakout at Vernon where you train? It really hurt because she was even sharper for that race than she was two weeks earlier [won in 1:53 2/5 at The Meadowlands]. It was a good time to tangle with those good ones because most were making their first starts and she already raced. Not that I had her tuned up or trained her hard, but she was ready.  What does her schedule look like going forward? I'm out until May 25. I've been going back and forth on her schedule. She has some races in Kentucky because she is a Kentucky sire, but I don't want to ship out there early. We can ship and race for $100,000 but I want her sharp for Hambletonian Day, so I have to be careful with her. She's a classy animal but I don't want to overdo it going in.  ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Is she eligible to the Del Miller? No, I didn't keep her eligible to that because it is really expensive. She's eligible to the Zweig and I thought she'd have enough money from the Sire Stakes because it is a top money-earners race. It is going to be hard to have enough money now but they still have a consolation for $35,000. I'm sure I can race her in an overnight at The Meadowlands the week before the Oaks eliminations and not pound her like they have to in some of the big ones. You mentioned that YOU are out until May 25. Was it your barn that had the outbreak? I'm the only one that is in a full quarantine. Yes, I had two that died two days apart, a brother and a sister. They were all vaccinated, which is supposed to stop them from dying. My whole barn was shut down. The vet was just here and everyone else looks tremendous.  If there is a bright side, at least Yanaba came out ok, right? Yeah. She was right in the middle of them, four stalls apart on both ends, but you can't start moving horses around once you have sickness. Someone said to me they would've gotten her off the track, but you don't want to do that and maybe spread it to a farm. It is a nasty disease. Are you a better driver or trainer? I'm probably a better trainer but a really good trainer can win races even if you drive them bad. How many horses do you have in your barn? 16. I finally cut down from 28 to 30. I'm getting old. How old are you? 63. Are you going to keep training as long as you can or is retirement in your future? I'm going to do it until I fall off the jog cart dead [laughing]. Is there a race you haven't won that you'd still like to win? The Hambletonian or Oaks. What was your best moment in harness racing? Probably winning the Breeders Crown from the 10-hole with my first good horse Master Lavec in 1999. He was a great horse. Which is the best horse you've ever trained? I guess it is between Master Lavec or RC Royalty. Diamond Goal was also good but he got hurt. He would've been a nice horse. I've been lucky to have good horses, and I'm a bargain shopper so that is hard to do sometimes.  Why have you decided to specialize in NY Breds? I like New York. I grew up around Saratoga. Vernon is the best to train young horses because it is easy to make speed and easy to keep them sounder, especially with baby trotters. I'll go outside once in a while if the price is right.  Do you breed any? We have one mare, Yanaba's mother. I bought her back from Crawford Farms when they had a mare reduction . . . she's been back and forth in my life three or four times. You raced quite a bit at Pompano. Do you have any thoughts on the track's closure? It really stinks. I think we got a bad deal there. My son is actually in the House of Representatives [in Florida] and he had the whole House on our side to stop what was going on and somebody in the Senate put the slams to it. It's political bullsh**. Are you proud of your son Dan's role in trying to save the sport in Florida? He did everything he could but it was just a little late. We've been battling for 10 years. He's a really good kid. He tried hard and is still trying. He's a lawyer and he's been filing papers to get the license to maybe be transferred somewhere else so we can still race in Florida.  If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? Stop the gas guys [those using illegal medications]. They have to keep at it. Everyone wants the easy route but most times nothing is easy about training horses.  How do you view the future of harness racing? Some days I think it will last long enough for me. We need more young people involved but it is hard to find people who want to work seven days a week. That's why my son went to school to be a lawyer because I was working seven days a week when he was young. Even when he was really young he would go help his mother on his days off. Sometimes it is tough. I used to be able to go 18 hours a day. Now I go about 15 hours and it is enough. If you weren't involved in harness racing, what would you be doing? Some other equestrian horse thing because it is all about the horses for me. Time for the stretch drive... Best Horse You Ever Saw?: I was up in Canada one time watching the eliminations for the North America Cup and I saw a horse that I thought looked off in his left front. He then went out to win and looked unbelievable. That was Somebeachsomewhere. The sign of a great horse is when they are at 80% and still crushes his competitors. On the trotting side, I was really impressed by Walner. Best Driver Ever?: Billy Haughton. He could drive anything. He came to Saratoga the first year I was on my own and drove a $5,000 claimer for me that I bought for $2,500 and put a new lifetime mark on him. Favorite horse in your barn?: Yanaba. Lasix -- Yes or No?: Yeah. If you're horse is bleeding they need it and I'd hate to see some of these guys using other stuff instead. Favorite TV Show?: Fox News. Trotters or Pacers?: Trotters for sure.