The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has announced that Steve Pratt (inset photo) will receive their Lifetime Achievement Award during the Night of Distinction at Batavia Downs on Friday (Dec. 14).
Pratt first got his grooms license in 1970 and from there has been involved in harness racing ever since. He has been training and racing horses in Western New York since the late seventies when the star of his barn was an Open trotter named Willow Hill Boy who under the reinsmanship of the legendary Gaston Guindon, won 42 races in only five years against the best horses on the grounds at the time.
Pratt moved on from racing overnights to concentrate on breaking and developing young horses. He became a presence on the New York county fair circuit but made the move to the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) in the mid-'90s. There he found early success with horses like Sal The Barber (1:58.2, $114,887) and Choyote’s Miss (1:59.1, $121,785). But he really got on a successful roll in the NYSS starting in 2012.
For the last seven years Pratt has been a trotting force in the state-bred series with a string of “Barn” named horses that have competed in the NYSS, the Excel series and also at the county fairs. The parade of his champions is led most prominently by Barn Doll (1:52.1, $874,083), Barn Bella (1:51.3, $742,350), Barn Girl (1:52.3, $734,668), Barn Babe (1:54.2, $350,463) and Barn Winner (1:56, $165,273).
During those seven years Pratt-trained horses have earned more than $2 million in only 227 starts, winning 97 races which gave him a phenomenal 42-percent win percentage. Pratt’s Universal Trainer Rating (UTR) for that same period is a stellar .558 and all this was accomplished racing primarily in stake competition.
Steve Pratt will receive his trophy in the Purple Haze Winner’s Circle between races during the live card.
