BY SCOTT
HADDOW
The drive for five is on for Greater Sudbury's Mike Saftic.
The 45-year-old harness driver recently chalked up the 4,000th
win in his long career, and has high hopes for many more,
including 5,000 victories.
Saftic got into the horse business in the early 80s as a humble
groomer, learning the ins and outs of the demanding sport at
Sudbury Downs. He then made the transition to a driver. He
earned his first 100 wins at Sudbury Downs, before venturing
out for richer pastures in southern Ontario. Saftic rose to
fame on the back of a horse named Ellamony. The two combined
for many big event racing victories in the early 90s to the
mid-90s, including the Breeder's Crown in 1995. Saftic reached
4,000 wins while riding Armbro Chronicle at Mohawk Raceway in
late June. He's one of the most consistent drivers in all of
Canada, having topped the $2 million in earnings for 17
straight years. Saftic is a Lasalle Secondary graduate. He and
his wife, Cathy, have been married for 22 years. They have two
sons, Justin, 19, and Cody, 15. They live in Campbellville,
situated near the Woodbine and Mohawk raceways.
Saftic has come a long way in the sport considering he never
even started or finished his first ever race at Sudbury Downs.
Recently, Saftic took some time away from riding to talk to
Northern Life reporter Scott Haddow about the 4,000 wins, horse
racing in general and how his first racing experience never
soured his enthusiasm to do what he loves the most.
SH: What does 4,000 career wins mean to you in your
life right now?
MS: (Laughs) Well, I guess it means I've been at it quite a
long time. It's one of those milestones you reach as you get
older and stay in the sport. It's a nice milestone to get. It's
a lot of wins for someone who mostly races in Ontario and got
started in Northern Ontario.
SH: Was that 4,000th win something that consumed your
life leading up to it?
MS: No, not actually, at first. I went out west to race some
horses, and drivers there informed me I was 25 wins away from
the milestone. Then it was in the back of my head. I never
really did feel any pressure. I knew eventually I would get the
win. As I got close, officials started doing a countdown at the
track. It was nice to get it over with quick. I felt a real
sense of relief when I finally did because then people would
stop talking about it (laughs). Now, my next goal is 5,000
wins, but I have a way to go yet for that milestone.
SH: You got your racing career started at Sudbury
Downs. How did the experience at this track help shape your
career?
MS: If it wasn't for Sudbury Downs, I would have never had
access to the horse racing game at all. It was definitely the
reason I chose this way of life. I had my first 100 career wins
at Sudbury Downs along with my first 1,000 drives. As far as
getting experience and the feel of driving horses, Sudbury
Downs gets all the credit. My time at that track helped make me
who I am today.
SH: You've become one of the best drivers in Canada.
Was the move down to southern Ontario one of the best decisions
you've ever made?
MS: Absolutely. It has turned out to be very good for me. It's
like the NHL down here for harness racing. All the best
drivers, trainers and horses are here. First I had to break
into the driving colony down here. That wasn't easy and it took
a while. Around 1987, I started to catch on to the sport in
southern Ontario and just took off from there.
SH: What do you feel has helped you have so much
success over the years in such a highly competitive and
constantly changing sport?
MS: It's the people you drive for that makes me successful.
It's a trainer's game, and there have been a lot of them. If
you don't get the quality horses that are properly trained, it
doesn't matter who you are, you will not win. I have been
fortunate to be connected with the right people at the right
times who have put me in the right situations. You still have
to go out and win though when you've been given all that.
SH: Looking back, do you have a favourite horse you
drove in your career?
MS: There was one good mare I drove in the late 80s, Ellamony.
She was a world-class pacing filly. She won all the big
races...Breeder's Crown, won big stakes races. She won over a
million dollars. She was my first big horses to drive on a
regular basis. She was just tough and had the will to win. If
she could see other horses, she could beat them. She had the
will to go by them all.
SH: What's the Woodbine circuit been like for you over
the years?
MS: I've been here almost 20 years. I've gone from rookie to
veteran on this track. It's been great...I race five days a
week. I'm always going for the same race purse money. It's home
for me now.
SH: What's the big challenge to stay at the top of the
sport?
MS: With a lot of young drivers coming up, I have to stay in
shape. I have to stay focused and when I get the good
horses to drive, I have to bring them to victory. There's still
a lot of racing left in me.
SH: What are you most proud of?
MS: I'm proud of the kind of numbers I have put up. I'm also
proud of being consistent over the last 20 years. I most proud
of the fact I still get out and compete. When I win, it gives
me a nice natural high. That's what I go after...to win. I
still love the sport and will be doing it for a long time to
come.
SH: What's the strangest experience you've ever
encountered?
MS: My first ever drive. It was at Sudbury Downs and it wasn't
spectacular to say the least. I was riding a horse from New
Zealand. He was a bad actor. He ran off the racetrack and we
couldn't get him back on. So I never even got to the starting
gate my first time. That's how my career started...it couldn't
have been much worse. So, it's been going a lot better since
then. I was second- guessing myself at the time, but I stayed
with it and I'm glad I did.
SH: What has harness racing given you to be grateful
for?
MS: It's given me everything and a nice lifestyle. I'm living a
dream and I'm doing something I would probably do for free.
SH: Do you ever get a chance to come back to
Sudbury?
MS: Actually...I will be back on Sept. 12 at the Sudbury Downs
to race. It's a special event and I can't wait for it. It's
always nice to get back to the track I started on. I'm looking
forward to having my mom and dad come out and watch.
