Newton Sheridan, who simply goes by Yogi, has been involved in harness racing as long as he can remember. The now 45-year-old is coming off a career year as an amateur driver with an amazing 55 wins in 312 starts and also added in 11 wins in 72 starts as a trainer. Sheridan is a good example of the “little guy” in the sport who worked as a caretaker for many years and now makes ends meet with a small stable on the east coast. While waiting for a horse to return to the barn, Sheridan spoke from the heart about his path in the sport, family, what needs to change in harness racing, amateur racing, the progress of minorities in the sport, and much more. Enjoy!    How did you get started in harness racing? My father (Melvin Sheridan) was involved in harness racing but he died when I was in first grade. I remember going to horse sales with him when I was a kid, but that’s about it. My brothers – Nathaniel, Mark, Melvin – are all involved in the business. I’m the youngest of the boys that have done anything with the horses. I followed them into the barn and got into it that way. Was it always in your mind that you would work with horses? Yeah, because I couldn’t break away from it. As a kid it was the only thing I loved. As I got older I thought I had to do something else because I don’t have any money behind me. It was a big ordeal of deciding if I should stay a groom or try to do something else. I knew that I would do something in the business because I love it so much. How did you break away from being a groom to having your own stable? I saved some money up and bought a couple of cheap horses on my own. I worked for a bunch of different guys and bounced around looking to get something rolling. That was my plan because I didn’t have too much money of my own. How many horses are you training now? Six. You’ve steadily trained a small stable for over a decade. Is it hard to make a living in Standardbred racing with only a few horses? Yeah, when you are racing in big states like New Jersey those six horses have to be power, so it is tough to make a living. I hung in there. I haven’t done very well but I’m surviving living purse check to purse check. If the opportunity arose, would you like to expand? I would. I had 15 at one time and I was working for owners but it was too much. I wanted to own something because you make out better when you do. That said, if I could get some good owners I wouldn’t mind expanding. You drove in a couple-hundred races from 2009 to 2011 but basically stopped driving until 2022. Last year you won an amazing 55 races in 312 starts. Why the increase in driving? I stopped because I was getting older. I had a couple of guys who were giving me drives early on when I was doing it, but just like anything, new drivers come in and things change. I had a lot of weight on me and basically gave up. If you don’t have your own horses or a following behind you it is hard to keep going. I concentrated on training more and it was working out better for me. I started to drive recently because I had an amateur horse (Statesman N) and figured I would take a shot. Are you surprised with how well you did in the bike? Really I am. I drove some good horses for some good trainers. I was surprised because I didn’t think at the time it would expand like that. I was just going to drive Statesman N because I owned him and I loved that horse. I didn’t want him to be abused in there because those are tough races. After driving him I started getting more drives so I figured I would do it for fun. The more I drove the better horses I got for better trainers. Your mounts made $456,630 last year. That means keeping your amateur status meant you gave away your $22,831 driver’s share of the earnings. Does that make you regret being an amateur? No, just because if I was only driving in the professional races I probably wouldn’t get much work going against Dexter Dunn and the rest of them. If I had the same horses that I drive in the amateur races while going against the professionals, I don’t know if I would be able to win. I’m just having fun out there. Have you considered giving up your amateur status or are you having too much fun? I’ll probably never give up the amateur status because I don’t think I’m good enough of a driver to go against the professionals. Plus I’m 45 years old, it ain’t like I’m 25 anymore. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter What do you think the amateur races bring to the table in the sport?  The public bets on them because they are unpredictable. Also, it gives guys like me a chance to sit behind horses and drive. What is your favorite track to race at? Why? Meadowlands, because it is a broader racetrack and you don’t have to move as quick. It feels safer to me and I can leave much quicker than on a half. Speaking of getting away quick, is it me or do you like to leave hard off the gate often? I’m nervous about sitting behind people and the only thing I sit behind on the front is air [laughing]. When I’m driving for good trainers I prefer to put the horses in a position where I can’t get in trouble. What is your favorite thing to do outside of harness racing? I love dancing – hip hop for sure. I also love bowling. I stink but I like doing it. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don’t know? I’m handsome. What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Exciting. What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten or given about harness racing? You are only as good as your last race or last drive, so don’t get too confident. What was your best moment in harness racing? Getting beat by John Campbell on the wire. It was many years ago [June 18, 2010) with a horse named Delightful Diva. There was an accident in the first couple of races and George Brennan and Ron Pierce went down and I happened to be in the paddock. My old friend Lou Pena called up the Judges and put me up. I said to him ‘I don’t want to drive. Are you crazy?’ I put the horse on the front and got beat by John Campbell. I pulled up and said to him ‘you just beat me on the wire’ and he was looking at me like I was crazy because I was so happy to finish second. That was my claim to fame, finishing second behind John Campbell. Which is the best horse you’ve ever trained or driven? He wasn’t the fastest but Alastair Hanover was the best I’ve trained. As far as driven, Colossal Stride A. How did you get the nickname Yogi? I’ve had it as long as I can remember. If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? There are so many things going through my head right now. I’d like the seats of power to have limited terms, just like the President has to run every four years, and for them to be voted in rather than appointed. So a Presiding Judge or Commission Head would change every four years or so because things aren’t always as good as you want them to be and you need someone with new insights. I would also change the color spectrum of people in power. When you have people of different colors and ethnicities participating in racing the governing body should reflect that. Give the black guy a seat, give that Hispanic guy a seat, give that white guy a seat. I think that will help some people feel safer about participating in racing because they won’t feel like the odds are stacked against them. If I bring you to a Hip-Hop concert or you bring me to a Country Western concert, neither of us would feel comfortable or could even begin to judge because we don’t know enough about it and the people in it. We just need to make it look like there is a fair playing field so we have a better chance of people feeling comfortable. I’d like everyone to have the chance to feel like their voice is getting heard. You’ll have less drama and problems because you’ll feel like there is someone that reflects you. The decision still may not go your way, but the people will feel better about it. Another thing I’d like to see is a universal set of rules so we don’t have to worry that the things we are doing at one track may not be allowed at another track. This will avoid getting potentially suspended for doing something that you didn’t even realize wasn’t allowed. How do you view the future of harness racing? It could have a good future if we add some young blood into it and get them to like the sport rather than old guys like me who keep everything the same. We need new blood, new decisions, new rules, new everything. What does a day in the life of Yogi Sheridan look like? Work and family. I have four children – 15, 14, 3 and 5 –and my wife Nickeya. I love all of them very much. Without my wife, the fun that I am having and whatever I have done, it never would’ve happened. She’s tough and she stands strong through everything, and I would get annoyed if I was her. Do you think people have of color have done better in the sport over the last decade and made progress over previous generations? I think so because when I was coming up I really had no one to look up to. I just thought it wasn’t meant for me. Some people lose interest in doing something just because they don’t see people like them doing it also. It’s like following in your father’s footsteps. If you see him do good things, you want to reenact it and do the same things he did. As of right now there are a lot more black drivers and some really good black drivers doing it. Obviously they had to come from somewhere because I didn’t see them back in the day. In certain ways we continue to struggle but it is what it is. Time for the stretch drive. Best Horse you ever saw:  Wiggle It Jiggleit. Lasix – Yes or No: Definitely yes. Favorite TV Show: Law & Order. Trotters or Pacers:  It doesn’t matter as long as the trotters stay trotting and the pacers stay pacing.