Harness: Profile of trainer/driver Eddie Dennis

What kind of car do you drive?

Ford F150 truck.

Favorite dinner meal? Snack?

Steak; Ice cream.

What is your favorite track to race at? Why?

Dover Downs -- I like racing in the winter there and it is a home track for me.

What is your favorite big event in racing?

Little Brown Jug. I sit home each year and watch all of the races from the days leading up to the Little Brown Jug. It just seems like a nice time and hopefully one day I'll be there with a filly or a colt to race in the Jugette or the Jug.

Have you ever visited the Delaware County Fairgrounds during Jug week?

A long time ago when I was little with my parents. I wasn't even in the business then. We just stopped by while on vacation and watched a couple of races.

Are any of your best 3-year-old eligible to the Jug in 2021?

No. It's funny, we usually keep our colts and fillies eligible because it doesn't cost a lot. We kind of messed up there. I would've liked to have Hellabalou in there as well as he turned out. I'm pretty sure he gets around a half as well as anything else.

How often is racing on your mind?

24/7. My wife [Karen] and I, it's our stable, we spend all our time with the horses, other than rest or vacation.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of racing?

I enjoy spending time with my kids. My girls are 21 and 26 now but we get along well. I always told them growing up that if you don't screw family over it will always be there for you but your best friends can always jump ship. Your family, 9 times out of 10, will always be there for you. It has rung true and that's what I try to live by.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Team?

Horse racing -- I have RTN on all the time. I should've seen enough racing and have it off my mind at home but It keeps popping up on my TV for some reason.

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

I went to school for 13 years because I got left back one year in the sixth grade. I never got my diploma. The principal called me and said, 'Eddie, you need one English and two History' or something like that. I said, 'I'm sorry, I'm not coming back because I know what I'm going to do.' After that I never looked back.

What is one word that describes harness racing for you?

Exciting, because you never know what is going to happen. Just like the other night with Hellabalou [winning the Meadowlands Pace elimination]. Things can happen like that. You can still overcome the odds to win.

How did you get started in the sport?

My family was in it. My brother and I were involved in it our whole lives. My mom [Nellie Ann Dennis] was actually the Marshall at Pocono and a few other tracks when she was pregnant with me, so I always tell people I was involved before I was born. My dad [JD Dennis Sr.] was a trainer/driver. They used to give out cards to the top 10 drivers and trainers in the country and he was in that category twice in his life. He was leading driver the first year Pocono opened up and he was at Rockingham.

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

Probably not. When I got to the age to where I got the feel of it, it really stuck. As I was growing up, when my mom and dad where going around to tracks like Rosecroft, Freestate, Brandywine to race, back then it was pretty safe in the grandstand and me and my other friends from horsemen families would run all over the place. We didn't care about racing. My brother and I were just tickled that they had to go to the races so we could run around and play. When I got to be a little bit older I got the bug and it just stuck.

Why do you go by Eddie when your first name is James?

I don't know how that happened. I was just called Eddie all the time growing up and it just stuck. Not that there is anything wrong with the name James Dennis.

You are closing in on 2,500 driving wins but have cut way back on that aspect in the sport. Why?

Kids. When I was catch-driving all the time and we had our first kid 26 years ago, I knew how it was when I was growing up with my parents always on the road going here and there. I would play baseball and stuff and they never got to come see me because they were at the track. I just made up my mind that if I ever had kids I would enjoy them because they grow up quick. We enjoyed both of them and I went to doing more training and not worrying about the driving.

You've averaged about 190 starters a year for the last two decades. Was that number by design?

I'm 53 and I always set a goal of when I got to 55 I would be where I wanted to be in life. I might have to race a few horses to keep my insurance in Delaware but I wanted to have everything in place. I have friends whose parents worked in this business until they were 70 or 75 years old and I don't want to be that person. I enjoy life too much. I want to do things with my wife and if the girls want to come along that's fine too. I never wanted a big stable. The most I ever had was 20 and nowadays as hard as it is to find help, it is even harder. I want to cut back on my stress and have quality, not quantity.

Would you say that over the course of your career that you've made a good living in the sport?

Yeah. I'm not overly rich but we've been able to put money away financially. We own two houses. We've done ok. It's been good to us and allowed us to raise two kids and put them through college.

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

It depends on the situation. I love driving, especially the young horses, getting them going and turning them over to someone. Being behind a good trotter that trots nicely and loves to do his work, there is nothing like it. I enjoy both driving and training.

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

People say things all the time. I don't know what is the best. I guess most important is to be honest and respectful.

What was your favorite moment in harness racing?

Probably winning the North American at Ocean Downs [August 8, 1992] with Stylish Cam for trainer Sean Campbell. It was the biggest thrill. I don't remember how I got the drive. At that time I was doing very well catch-driving and got the call. Herve Filion, William Bresnahan, Carl Cito and some other decent drivers were in there and I beat them all. I was a no-name but I didn't cower down. I went right down the road and cut the mile. It was a nice notch in my belt. I still have the tape of it and every once in a blue moon I'll pull it out and watch it.

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

The best pacer was Melissa's Fancy. We just connected. She was a half-sister to Artistic Fella. I broke her, trained her down and she went over $500,000 and took a mark of 1:52. She gave me a lot of thrills. We raced in the Fan Hanover as a 3-year-old. She drew poorly both weeks and wasn't able to do anything. She was one of my special ones. She was the queen of the barn and no one has taken that spot.

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

As a trainer it would have to be the Hambletonian, Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug.

How many horses are in your barn?

We just cut back to 14. We had 17 or 18 all winter but cut down because there isn't enough help. We decided to just keep the quality and turned a couple of the 2-year-olds out to get a few months off.

Hellabalou shocked everyone in the Meadowlands Pace elimination. Were you surprised that he won?

Not really. He's just been a good honest racehorse. If you put him in the spot he'll fight for you. Andy [McCarthy] and I talked about it last Wednesday [July 7] at Chester [Harrah's Philadelphia] and I said 'if we get away bad it will be a tough road to hoe to just finish fifth, so if you want to bust him out, I'm all for it.' He said that I had a point and he would take a look left behind the gate, see what is going on and make a decision there. I told him that I trusted him.

It was kind of a shocker to me that I won an elimination of the Meadowlands Pace but not a shocker that he won the race, if that makes sense. There has never been a doubt in my mind that he could win at that level.

Were you excited after the win?

I was excited but I've never been one of those people who go over the top because after the win I'm already thinking about next week and wondering if we need to do something different. I'm running scenarios about the following week and ready to get back to work.

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

I'll take any of the ones he is in. He also has the Sire Stakes final. He's sixth in the standings now and three or four of the big dogs will likely race in the North America Cup eliminations that weekend, so that will play into our hand. We have to draw well, but it should make it a little easier.

As a Delaware resident, what has it been like to train/drive in that region?

It's been great. I wouldn't change a thing because I don't really know what it would be like in Ohio or another state.

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

Probably Muscle Hill. I don't think he ever went to his full potential. Sears did a great job when he drove him. He only did what he had to do and always had him wrapped up. I think that horse had another second or so in his belt, at least that is how it always looked to me. Training that horse would've been a great thrill.

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

Probably something outside. I grew up on my grandparent's farm and really enjoy working with machinery and stuff, so it would be either farming or construction work running heavy equipment.

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

Take the odds-board out of the infield so there is no place for the drivers to see it. I'm not blaming them, but we've gotten to where some drive by the odds too much and I don't think it is fair to the trainers and owners to drive by the odds-board. I'm Eddie Dennis, not Ron Burke or Nancy Takter, so I feel that plays a big part of it. I may think my horse is just as good as others in there, but when you draw bad, my name is down on the program and the odds are high, you don't get as fair a shot. I think it would be a big plus if the drivers would just drive by the program and how the horse feels. I like what Mike Lachance once said when asked how is knows what he is going to do when he gets behind a horse. He said something like 'It depends on how it feels. When I get behind the gate I'll make up my mind.' Let the public see the odds and let the drivers go by how the horse feels.

How do you view the future of harness racing?

I hope it hangs around. Some things need to improve to keep people in it. I think we've gotten away from the smaller owners and I think we need to concentrate more on that. It's the same thing I've said about betting. You want the guy who bets $2,000 a night but you can't just rely on them. You need the $2 and $5 bettors. We need to concentrate on getting new people involved and make sure they get a fair shot.

Time for the stretch drive:

Best Horse You Ever Saw: Cam Fella -- He was in my barn when he did his tour. Also Abercrombie. He was a nice-looking horse.

Lasix -- Yes or No?: Yes.

Favorite TV Show?: Two and a Half Men.

Trotters or Pacers?: Trotters.