Last week, one morning brought a post about a potential broodmare prospect. The sender highlighted positive aspects like gait, speed, courage, and demeanor, indicating a good chance of her becoming a productive broodmare. She hailed from a Down Under family unfamiliar to me, so I refrained from commenting on her pedigree.

Unraveling the Horseman's Heritage and Path

Broodmare Prospects and Pedigree

In that post, all the positive traits mentioned were indeed desirable. However, it reminded me of what I learned from my long association with John Simpson. He trained and raced the pacer Bullet Hanover and the trotter Ayres, along with their respective dams Barbara Direct and Arpege. Neither Barbara Direct nor Arpege possessed all the plus factors of the mare in question. As Simpson said, "They each had hearts the size of a pepper seed." Barbara Direct had some speed but lacked courage, while Arpege had neither speed nor courage. But what both mares had in common was pedigree – a lot of it.It's not to suggest that there are no great producing mares without top bloodlines or vice versa. There are mares with great bloodlines that didn't meet expectations, and many ordinary mares became ordinary producers. But if asked about the number one attribute in a broodmare, it would be pedigree, followed by pedigree, and more pedigree.

Jay Hochstetler's Harness Racing Pedigree

Jay Hochstetler has a harness racing pedigree that is hard to match. His parents, Homer and Connie (nee Ackerman), are lifelong horsepeople. His uncle Doug R. is a noted horseman with many Grand Circuit victories as a trainer, driver, and owner. His grandfather Doug is a Hall of Fame trainer, driver, and owner. And often overlooked in the Ackerman tribe is his great uncle Jack Ackerman, described by those who knew him as an exceptional horseman. Adding to it, Jay's wife Amy is the daughter of well-known race secretary Doc Narotsky and has a great resume as a veterinarian specializing in horses, of the thoroughbred variety.With such a background, how could Jay not become a horseman?

Deciding to Be a Horseman

It took Jay a while to decide he wanted to be a horseman. Growing up around horses, he focused on sports and school. But his mother took him to the races at Hawthorne just days after his birth. He was always around the races and barn. His parents believed in getting a college education, and he attended the University of Kentucky, earning a bachelor's degree in Equine Management and Agricultural Economics. He initially intended to get a degree in Economics but switched to Equine Management as he wanted to stay in the horse business. He was successful in economics but didn't enjoy it as much as racing horses.

Parents as Role Models

Jay is blessed with great parents. Both his mom and dad have been excellent role models. They didn't impose their desires on him. Dad is always available when needed but prefers Jay to learn by experience and make his own way. Mom has a wealth of business experience, born into the horse business like Jay. Both have been significant in his growth in the sport. Dad is more involved in hands-on horse training, while mom focuses on the business aspects like organization, staking, and entering horses. She truly made him the man he is today, sacrificing time and effort for him to pursue his sports.

Grandfather Doug - A Horseman's Horseman

Most would call Jay's grandfather Doug a horseman's horseman. He could do it all - drive, train, own, and even breed through his great mare Albaquel. His kindly nature stands out. Some of Jay's fondest memories are of training with him in the summers when he was learning to be a trainer. He regrets that the time spent with him was too short and would give anything to pick his brain every day now.

From Chicago Tracks to Vernon Downs

Jay spent his formative years at the Chicago tracks where his dad had a successful stable. Losing Sportsman's, Balmoral, and Maywood was a great tragedy for the sport. Illinois racing produced many great trainers and horses, and the Chicago market is huge. Jay was lucky to grow up on the backside of Balmoral Park. They had great success there but eventually had to move to the East Coast, particularly New York.At Vernon Downs, they had good training facilities and racing opportunities. But they didn't feel as grounded as in Illinois. The purses were low, making it difficult to keep a racing stable. To make a decent living, they had to travel the New York Sires Stakes route, which was tough on the horse, human, and pocketbook. While there, he learned a lot from George Ducharme, a good friend and great horseman. They only spent the racing season in Vernon and spent the off-season in Pinehurst, a place he considers very hospitable to horses and horsemen.

Racing at Hoosier Park

Jay now races nearly exclusively at Hoosier Park in Indiana. It was a combination of factors. After the last few years at Balmoral Park, his dad raced horses at Hoosier and had some Indiana-breds, so they had experience there. They also had a few 2- and 3-year-old Indiana-breds, making the draw of not having to ship to race appealing. Additionally, his wife took her first internship at Hagyard in Lexington and then accepted a job with Hoosier Equine providing care for thoroughbreds at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The Indiana racing program has been a blessing for him. He was lucky to purchase Ponda Warrior in 2020 and he has been very successful with him and other Indiana-breds.

Favorite Horse - Kadabra

Jay is a true believer when it comes to his favorite horse, Kadabra. He named him and was listed as the owner. As a young and biased person, he thought Kadabra was the greatest horse ever. He still remembers when Kadabra dead heated in the American National at Balmoral Park. He was only 8 years old and used to seeing him win every race, so he was disappointed. His parents sold Kadabra for $800,000, which was a life-changing amount in the early 2000s. He told the people who bought him that it was the greatest bargain. Later, when he was a teenager, he saw them at The Red Mile and they agreed. Some people faulted his non-commercial pedigree, but Jay was certain he would become a great stallion. His grandfather Doug also believed in his potential, as he was loaded with Stars Pride blood.