Lake gearing up for 2017 meet at Delaware Park

Scott Lake, the sixth all-time North American trainer by wins with more than 5,700 victories, has been returning to Delaware Park for nearly two decades because of the atmosphere, the people and the competition.  The 51-year-old native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania will have approximately 35 horses stabled at the Stanton-oval when the historical 80th season of live racing begins on June 3rd.

 

“I love the stable area, the paddock is beautiful and the whole atmosphere of Delaware is unique,” Lake said, who finished first or second as the leading trainer in North America by wins from 2000 through 2009.  “I have had a great relationship with nearly all of the racing secretaries since we have been racing at Delaware.  I have worked well with all of them including the current racing secretary Jed Doro.  That makes a big difference for me.”

 

Since 2000, Scott Lake has won more than a 1,000 races and he has finished first or second in the race for leading trainer twelve times at Delaware Park.  In the history of the racetrack only one trainer has won more training titles – the legendary Grover “Buddy” Delp who won 11.  In 2009, Lake fell three victories shy of his eighth consecutive Delaware Park training title which would have broken the record set by Delp who won seven in a row from 1963 through 1969. 

 

“I would have loved to have broken the record of a legend like Bud Delp, but I am a humbled to have equaled it,” Lake said.  “You work hard in this business for a number reasons and obviously that is one of them.  You want to be at the top and have people fear you when you are entering and claiming horses and that was the way people felt about Delp when he was on top.”

 

The best finish Lake has had in the leading trainer standings in the last six seasons at Delaware Park is a second in 2014.  While Lake is enthusiastic about his prospects for the 2017 season, he stops a little short on the idea of returning to the top, but he expects to be in the race for the first time in years and he expects to get there with his own horses – Home Team Stables.

 

“I don’t know about leading trainer again, but we are going to give it our best go for sure,” he said.  “I have been through a lot the last few years including my divorce.  I made a big cut back and when you originally do that, you feel like it is the right move. But then depression sort of sets in because your phone does not ring as much and you are not in demand as much as you used to be.  You feel like you have to re-build yourself in some way, so what I did, I started claiming more and more for Home Team Stables.  I just decided to concentrate on my own horses and things have been going very well.  This is the kind business that wears you down and we stayed at the top for a long time.  Honestly, it wore me down and I really appreciate the people who stuck with me.  Now that the things are coming back around, those are the guys that are on the top of my list without a doubt.”

 

While Lake is enthusiastic about every horse in his barn, there is one horse in particular he cannot wait to make his 2017 debut.

 

“Thurman Merman.  He is named after one of the main characters in the movie Bad Santa,” Lake said.  “He broke his maiden first time out at Delaware last year.  I could not get him back in and when I finally got him in at Laurel, he pulled his tendon a little bit before we had a chance to run him.  I gave him some time off and he has been working lights out.  If he runs the way he has been working, who knows.  Last year, I thought he could be a tremendous sprinter.  He showed me all the signs that he was a good one.  I have always thought a lot him, he has a ton of talent and he has been working well, so I am pretty excited about getting him going.”

 

Lake also has 42 horses stabled at Parx.

 

Others making preparations for the 2017 season at Delaware Park include J. Larry Jones, Tim Ritchey,  Sam Cronk, Randy Nunley, Joseph Arboritanza, Michael Gorham, Anthony Pecoraro, Louis Albertrani, Jonathan Sheppard, Thomas Proctor, Mark Reid, Arnaud Delacour, Keith Nations and Ronald Alfano.

 

 

NOTES –

 

2017 LIVE RACING DATES - The 80th season of live racing at the Stanton oval will feature 81 days with the meet starting on June 3rd and concluding on October 21st.  Live racing will be conducted Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with the first race post time at 1:15 p.m