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General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: Chips N Salsa on May 09, 2025, 09:31:23 PM
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Let’s have an honest conversation that many in the harness racing world are already whispering: Has Tim Tetrick become irrelevant at the top level of the sport?
The numbers and recent performance tell the story:
No major stakes wins in 2024 — none.
No Breeders Crown wins, no Breeders Crown top 3 finishes — a shocking stat for someone who once dominated these stages.
Didn’t even show up at Delaware, Ohio for Little Brown Jug week — one of the biggest weeks on the Grand Circuit calendar. Where was he?
Last Saturday night at the Meadowlands: 14 drives. Zero top-4 finishes. Not one horse hit the superfecta across the entire card.
Once celebrated as “The Bionic Man” and widely considered one of the best money drivers in the game, Tetrick now seems to be fading into the background while younger, hungrier drivers take over. Names like Yannick Gingras, Dexter Dunn, and Scott Zeron are now commanding the spotlight and the big-money mounts.
It raises some fair questions:
Is this a decline in skill?
Is he losing access to quality drives from top barns?
Or is it that the game has evolved — and Tetrick hasn’t evolved with it?
Make no mistake, Tim Tetrick’s Hall of Fame résumé is beyond question. But the hard reality is this: fans, bettors, and owners care about the now. And right now, Tetrick just isn’t delivering the results he once did.
So how irrelevant has Tim Tetrick become? Based on last season and his current momentum — very. And unless something drastic changes, it’s hard to imagine him climbing back to the top anytime soon.
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At the top level of racing the hot drivers get the hot barns. Tetrick has the same talent but not the best horses anymore. No different than what John Campbell went through. At some point the crown is bequeathed
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Finally someone has brought this up. I said it all last year. It's almost like he isn't even trying anymore. Only wins were at Dover with doped up Crissman horses. He isn't what he once was. Better drivers out there and they get the live ones. He should probably stick to training only imo
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Tetrick had 188 wins at Dover this meet, Chuck Crissman had 60 winners, 40 were driven by Tetrick, so all of his wins weren't just with doped up Crissman horses like you said. Tetrick has made his money already so he's not doing as much travelling anymore, and not getting alot of top drives, but he sure looked good with Confederate a couple years ago.
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Timmy still a top 6 or 8 driver.
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Send him to Hawthorne in the fall where he belongs. He is good enough to win there. Just goes to show you that you’re only as good as the juiced up horses you drive. Now everyone says oh he has money and more bs. Who cares, the poster who started this thread said we’re talking about today…… what have you done lately Tim Tetrick?? HV,, Eric P
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Great question/topic. I've always liked Tim. HOF driver, without question. It's easy when a top driver starts losing his business-----which was always live, competitive horses, from top barns, top stakes horses, etc.-----to collapse that with declining skills; because the driver #'s, results, accomplishments start to decline. He then looks less effective, because he's driving horses that aren't competitive and he's not getting top stakes horses. Couple that with age, injuries, taking their toll, attitude, and so much more. Does one lead to another? Perhaps. As far as Tim, while he drove Confederate, he just didn't have a lot of other power. Linda Toscano started using other drivers, had a quiet, and it's a convergence and compounding of circumstances.
Same thing happened to Bill Fahy when he was at the Meadowlands. He stopped getting calls from Joe Holloway, Nick Sodano, a few others. Holloway had an a bit of a quiet year or two with the babies, Gene Riegle started using a few different drivers, and next thing you know his business just dried up and he's driving a lot of double digit horses and not getting stakes drives. Then more, and more. Next thing you know, your business is just gone.
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Will have the top pacing colt in the country this year with Fallout. Can still drive with anyone just needs the horsepower.
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Will have the top pacing colt in the country this year with Fallout. Can still drive with anyone just needs the horsepower.
I think Dex is a notch above them all...but Timmy can win as well as any of the rest given the right drives. But that goes for a lot of drivers.
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Timmy is still good (when he needs to be)
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Timmy is still good (when he needs to be)
He insults trainers and horse's performance when they race bad. FACT!!
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Will have the top pacing colt in the country this year with Fallout. Can still drive with anyone just needs the horsepower.
. Fallout will not be in the top five.
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He insults trainers and horse's performance when they race bad. FACT!!
. 1000% TRUE
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Timmy is still good (when he needs to be)
He is. I agree. But it is not often enough to show it and get his business back. He's a good horsemen. While that can help and he still shakes hands and kisses babies so to speak, unless he gets his business back to where it was and his clients have horsepower, are competitive, and the planets align for him, he just won't have the horsepower to prove it. Hard to prove it driving double digit horses.
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He insults trainers and horse's performance when they race bad. FACT!!
Grade A asshole for sure when it comes to that. Talks down to people a lot. Not surprising he has lost a lot of big barns. tmbz1
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I remember Timmy coming over here to The Meadows in the mid 90’s always had a professional attitude. I think he’s at a point close to Palone that he has great financial stability, lives in a very modest house has for the last 15 yrs or so. I think enjoys driving at DD it’s close to his house. As far as Meadowlands let’s all face the fact that it’s a glorified B track till around July. Look at the classes compare to how it was when it was the greatest venue in the world & look at the driving colonial as well. No disrespect to any of them but 20 yrs ago most of the guys in the top ten there now would be back up drivers in Q’s. So I think TT just puts his time in Mid April on for the stakes opportunity, if they come great if not great, but you can’t compare anyone to John , he had the greatest commitment to his craft 365 days a year for over 35 yrs. He was racing Jordan, Gretzky, Jetter , Brady etc.
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Racing was different when Campbell was in his heyday. There were alot of early closers during the winter including one for FFA pacers so driving in the winter was a given. Nowadays, the top horses don't start back until May and all the series are gone, on top of that you have alot of amateur races now which didn't exist back then and the purses stink and you only race 2 nights a week so there's little incentive for the top drivers to even show up. Not sure about your timeline when Tetrick first came because he's 45 years old now so the mid 90's would make him a teenager.
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The opportunities in John’s run were only during stake season, Jan Feb at Meds was 80% claimers and overnights. So many more opportunities now ever where, not clumped in one spot like it was for John at the Meds. So there’s no comparison. I missed remember on TT it was 2003, I had to pull out old win photos.
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His old lady is always posting liberal shit on social media
TDS likely wore him down
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Say What You Want Tetrick Racing on Facebook isn’t just about Him and his family. It Does more Promoting for Harness Racing and the Sport .than USA , Canada , USTA and Racing Tracks Combined Probably More Than DraftKings and FanDuel. But We Will Stick To Your Post on here . Lol He’s Still Hardworking, Has a Family and more money than we know….. I (Herd he’s Cheap)herd that here on 🐎💩plop lol Why New blood is coming into the sport its a dying sport i keep on hearing on Racing sites tv does cover it so take all that into consideration. Yes Probably Not Top 10 maybe not top 15 based on 10 horse fields in Breeders Crown ,Big Money Racing right now. But top 2 in any Track when ever he decides to race. Being Honest maybe another topic down the Road. What are Retired Drivers Doing Now. Next to Follow Retired Trainers and owners now 😂 more segments
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Choosing Jimmy King as his trainer shows TETRICK is quite ILLITERATE when it comes to horsemanship..... wants a minibit and cord on everything....... 2 burr headpoles.....Kin g quite whipped by TETRICK and old lady
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he isnt top 10 anymore.hell he might not be the best driver in his family
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ngc3 ngc3 ngc3 ngc3
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Tim is a very great driver one of the best. It’s simple the horsies he is picking isn’t coming back and the stables he is commited to isn’t firing. If Yannick loses Burke or takter how much is he making
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I feel its more Tim's choice to slowdown
he can drive to Chester for 7 months and Dover in the winter on a regular basis and return home
of course he will drive a Grand Circuit horse if given the chance--but his slowdown appears intentional
he has bad arthritis and a replaced hip at a young age
I don't think he is actively hustling for extra drives
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I feel its more Tim's choice to slowdown
he can drive to Chester for 7 months and Dover in the winter on a regular basis and return home
of course he will drive a Grand Circuit horse if given the chance--but his slowdown appears intentional
he has bad arthritis and a replaced hip at a young age
I don't think he is actively hustling for extra drives
He is slowing down? Who would have thought Brian’s browns 3 year old filly would return the way she did. Alagna two year old he drove won governors cup. I agree he isn’t winning like he was but he isn’t slowing down. With the exception of the lbj last year he is at every big dance
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Tim is a very great driver one of the best. It’s simple the horsies he is picking isn’t coming back and the stables he is commited to isn’t firing. If hammock loses Burke or takter how much is he making
Burke is a great analogy for this thread. Burke usually has a bunch of good order horses. He ended up with nothing in the BORGATA final. These things tend to have ups and downs. Also having the boys from down under on the scene has impacted all the other drivers. Yannick Gingras is fortunate since he is one of the top choices of both Takter and Burke.
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I feel its more Tim's choice to slowdown
he can drive to Chester for 7 months and Dover in the winter on a regular basis and return home
of course he will drive a Grand Circuit horse if given the chance--but his slowdown appears intentional
he has bad arthritis and a replaced hip at a young age
I don't think he is actively hustling for extra drives
He had his hip replaced in 2008. That is 17 years ago. He is an athlete!! For a more sedentary person a hip replacement can last 25+ years; however if you are active, after 15-20 years (especially with a degenerative hip condition) he may be starting to feel it.
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He is slowing down? Who would have thought Brian’s browns 3 year old filly would return the way she did. Alagna two year old he drove won governors cup. I agree he isn’t winning like he was but he isn’t slowing down. With the exception of the lbj last year he is at every big dance
17 years ago is apples and oranges--i am aware
..but back then he really hustled more than now--did more Harrington(purses were better then), drove at Pocono Monday and Tuesdays and drove M1 in the winter time and would compete in the Matchmaker and Levy series
I still feel much of this is his saying "no" more often
I am a huge fan--his placing a horse 2nd over was mastered first by Campbell, then Sears, then Tim
unfortunately 2nd over isn't as golden as it once was as times have changed
one of the greatest ever
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interesting
lets call a spade a spade
fallout is expected to be a top colt
the pair from captain treacherous is trying to turn back the clock
lets face it , alagna needs a top horse this year , its been a while
interested to see how this horse progresses
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interesting
lets call a spade a spade
fallout is expected to be a top colt
the pair from captain treacherous is trying to turn back the clock
lets face it , alagna needs a top horse this year , its been a while
interested to see how this horse progresses
Tetrick has already said he will not travel with Grand Circuit horses this year. I don't know what the plans are for Fallout but if I were him I would not be too excited. He was a one hit wonder and from what everyone says he's not much.
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After several trainers were investigated, tried and sentenced to prison time, things have cooled down. Tim is a top notch driver, but maybe not hungry anymore. His “live drives” have also cooled off after recent investigations. He is still one of the best, but the “hot” trainers have other favorites.
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Tetrick has already said he will not travel with Grand Circuit horses this year. I don't know what the plans are for Fallout but if I were him I would not be too excited. He was a one hit wonder and from what everyone says he's not much.
I call BS he will go ANYWHERE a good horse is. Guaranteed!!
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The only place Tetrick hasn't been going to are the new tracks in Kentucky.
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After several trainers were investigated, tried and sentenced to prison time, things have cooled down. Tim is a top notch driver, but maybe not hungry anymore. His “live drives” have also cooled off after recent investigations. He is still one of the best, but the “hot” trainers have other favorites.
Trainers are a little more cautious since the crack down. A few are still firing away. If you drive for them you are doing well, if not things fall off in a hurry. Surprising how some trainers suddenly forget how to train a horse ??.
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They all drop off eventually, some sooner rather than later. I’m sure he has lots in the bank. John Campbell has more class on his finger nail then Tetrick has in his entire body.
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Nobody has been a better spokesman for harness racing than Campbell. He's not only very articulate but always acknowledges his interviewer by their first name. Most of the top drivers today come across pretty well on interviews, but alot of them probably would rather not have a microphone thrown in their face.
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Tetrick has already said he will not travel with Grand Circuit horses this year. I don't know what the plans are for Fallout but if I were him I would not be too excited. He was a one hit wonder and from what everyone says he's not much.
I have said already his slowdown was intentional but a handful think I made this up