Harry Landy, who has started out his career with 100 winners over the
last two seasons while driving for the most part over the half-mile Freehold
oval, is flying out this weekend to get a taste of California racing.
“I’m
really looking forward to coming out there for the first time,” related the
20-year-old New Jersey native. Harry’s parents Stan and Laurie own Congress
Hill Farm in the Garden State and Harry relates he cut his teeth driving in
trotting-bred pony races in Pennsylvania when he was a teenager.
“They race going a half-mile on a quarter-mile track and I was one of
the youngest drivers there,” he explained. “I took out my P license as soon as
I could when I turned 18, and I had 50 wins my first year and 50 this last
one.”
Among
those who have taken Landy under their wing are veteran conditioner Jim Porter
and a name that will be familiar to California fans, one Lou Pena. “When Lou
first came back East we became good friends and he trusted me with some of his
young horses. He was the one who said I had to come out here and give it a try
and he helped me get the drives.”
With
Freehold currently closed until the first of March, the timing was perfect for
Harry to come out for the busman’s holiday. “I fly in Thursday, I’ll drive as many
as I can on Friday and Saturday and then I’m going to visit Los Angeles on
Sunday. It should be a lot of fun.”
Among Landy’s drives on the Saturday program will be an assignment
behind Albion in the featured Winners-Over pace for trainer Matias Ruiz.
