How Irrelevant Has Tim Tetrick Become?

[Chips N Salsa]

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.

[Chessington]

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

[Birdfantammy]

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

[gh2009]

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.

[Harness racer]

Timmy still a top 6 or 8 driver. 

[Horsemans Voice]

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

[Grandstand Handicapper]

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.

[The Answer]

Will have the top pacing colt in the country this year with Fallout. Can still drive with anyone just needs the horsepower.

[Harness racer]

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.

[Onthefront11]

Timmy is still good (when he needs to be)

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

Timmy is still good (when he needs to be)

He insults trainers and horse's performance when they race bad. FACT!!

[Chips N Salsa]

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.

[Chips N Salsa]

He insults trainers and horse's performance when they race bad. FACT!!

. 1000% TRUE

[Grandstand Handicapper]

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.

[Harness racer]

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.