Scott Zeron Is Making All The Right Moves

Last year Scott Zeron took a calculated gamble when he made he made the decision to leave home and ply his trade south of the border, based mainly at The Meadowlands. Part of his decision was based on a promise from top trainer Tony Alagna and Myron Bell of Brittany farms that they would help hook the young teamster up with some drives, and Saturday night it paid off in spades as Zeron steered heavy favorite Artspeak to an easy win in the $667,000 Metro Stakes. 

The win was Zeron's first in the Metro Pace and the 25-year-old reinsman acknowledged Alagna and Myron Bell for their support with his relocation to the U.S. last year. "This is the whole purpose of it. I really stuck my neck out going down there all by myself, I worked as hard as I could this year," said Zeron. "Alagna and Myron, the two of them together told me they'd really help me out in the move and that gave me all the confidence to do it. This is the reason I did it, to go down there and get a horse like this to drive, it's a once in a lifetime experience."  

Alagna was full of praise for 25-year old Zeron as he spoke in a winner’s circle packed with joyous winning owners, family and friends. "I talked to Scott last fall and I knew that he had talked about maybe making a change and coming down to the states and I told him if he wanted to come down and try it, I was willing to give him a shot," said Alagna. "He's made the commitment, and he's been to the farm training and baby racing before qualifiers and he deserves the win." Zeron on Saturday night showed patience with the most heavily-favored horse on the card, moving him up gradually following the cover of local hero Go Daddy Go, driven by the legendary John Campbell. It was obvious when the field spun off the last turn and Zeron pointed his charge to some open racetrack that he was on his way to his biggest win on home soil. Artspeak did the rest, winning off easily without Zeron so much as moving his whip and they reached the line comfortably in front in 1:50.2, coming the last ¼ mile in a swift 26.2 without being asked.

Zeron, who spent a considerable amount of time following the race with his family- and even ventured into the crowd to speak with his college buddies who came out to cheer him on – was clearly elated to “win the big one” on home soil. “I know how many times I've been on the other side of the fence watching the Metro pace,” the victorious reinsman began. “This and the North America Cup have always been my two favorite hometown races. To think I would have a 1-9 shot in the Metro one day, I couldn't fathom. People spend their whole lives trying and working to have a horse like Artspeak! I have the world by the tail and I'm just going to enjoy the ride. Having my family and friends with me makes it so much more special. That picture is getting framed! 

Zeron, the son of Woodbine/Mohawk veteran Rick Zeron, began his career in 2007 grabbing his first win at Georgian Downs on July 17 driving the claiming trotter Malabar Di Jesolo for his dad who trained that son of Hambletonian 1997 winner Malabar Man. Zeron showed us a glimpse of the future that night, moving his trotter at exactly the right time, circling the field on the last turn to win off by 5 lengths then returning to a raucous winner’s circle filled with his immediate family. Zeron hasn’t forgotten that moment that seems impossible to have occurred more than seven years ago considering his youthful appearance and enthusiasm. “My first lifetime win with my own horse brings back my favorite memory of having everyone in the winner’s circle lift the bike in the air with me in it. I was terrible when I started so I could never have thought I'd be in the position I'm in today.” Despite his somewhat harsh assessment of his abilities when first starting out, Zeron went on to win with a respectable 10% of his drives in 2007, greeting the photographer 35 times from 352 drives. In 2008 and 2009 while learning his craft on the “B” tracks. He certainly showed flashes of natural talent that foreshadowed how successful he would become in after a short time spent on the “learning curve” of the smaller track circuit in Ontario. Zeron showed progress which belied his youth winning 129 times in 2008 and 266 times in 2009. It was 2010, however, that was a breakout year of sorts for the neophyte pilot as Zeron steered 606 winners into the winners circle from just over 3100 drives which translated into an excellent 20% win percentage, plying his trade mostly at the “B” tracks of Flamboro Downs near Hamilton, The Raceway at Western Fair in London, Grand River in Elora and Georgian Downs in Innisfil with the occasional excursion to the WEG tracks of Woodbine and Mohawk tossed into the mix. Horses driven by Zeron earned more that $4.4 million in 2010. The industry took notice and 2011 was a breakout year for the Milton, Ontario native as Zeron got himself some business on the tougher Woodbine/Mohawk circuit of the Woodbine Entertainment Group – also known as the “big leagues” or more commonly referred to as “downtown” by horsemen who coined the phrase decades ago when the “A” track was Greenwood Raceway just on the outskirts of downtown Toronto. In 2011, racing both at the “A” and “B” tracks – sometimes on same days depending on schedules – Zeron drove fewer winners than the previous season, 539 compared to 606 but earned almost twice as much as his drives earned almost $8.2 million in 2011.

Flash forward to 2012 and Zeron had not only “made it” on the WEG circuit, but he also latched on to some good stakes horses, the most prominent being Casie Coleman’s pupil Michaels Power whom he drove to a Little Brown Jug win in his very first attempt! Michaels Power went on to win 12 of 18 starts and more than $1.2 million and certainly helped Zeron get valuable exposure south of the border as the standardbred racing world stops on that Thursday and focuses all eyes on the Delaware, Ohio half-mile oval and the historic race. In the final heat of the Jug, Zeron and Michaels Power drew the advantageous rail post and Zeron knew what to do with it.

Asked to rank his Metro win with others is his 7-year career, Zeron chooses to speak of the horse instead who is already being spoken about as a budding superstar compared to the likes of the great Somebeachsomewhere – 2007 winner of The Metro. “I don't want to think of it as this specific win as much as this specific horse,” he explains. “This horse makes it special because he's a game changer for me. All I want is to make sure I give him every opportunity to display his talent.” Certainly the sky seems to bet the limit at this point for Artspeak, who is obviously head-and-shoulders the best of this 2YO crop and does look like a special racehorse at this point of his young career. 

Zeron’s decision to move south surely was partially fuelled by what seemed to be perpetual uncertainty of where the industry was heading north of the border following the cancellation of the lucrative Slots At Racetracks program by the provincial government. But the newly-lected Liberals, given a carte blanche mandate to govern by voters who re-elected them with a majority government, seem to want to play ball with the horseracing industry and “integrate” horseracing into the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s gaming “strategy”. Does that mean we might see more of Zeron north of the border again as the industry stabilizes somewhat? It seems unlikely at this point as he seems all-in on his move south which is really no surprise considering the success he has enjoyed to this point: “The deal looks great for Ontario and hopefully it will be a strong foundation to build on,” he says. “I don't intend on moving back solely because of the breeding in the US is strong and that's where most stakes horses will be produced. At the end of the day I want to be a stakes driver.” But being away from home means being away from family and friends which may be the only drawback. “My family have been the backbone of my career.” Zeron notes. “My father is hands down the best parent in the world. My mother has always been my inspiration and helps keep me sane in an industry that has so many ups and downs. It's been extremely tough being away from family and friends. I've had to start a new life all independently.” It seems at this point of his “new” life Scott Zeron is making all the right moves.