If you ask trainer and driver Joe Pavia, Jr. what he can do for an encore to his best career year in 2009, his
answer is simple: 2010.
"I think everyone looks at their numbers in the driver and trainer standings, and if they tell you they don't look at that they're likely not being completely straight with you," Pavia says. "A lot of things came together for me in 2009 to post those career best numbers that I was able to driving and the goal is to try and duplicate that this year.”
It's been a remarkable road back for Pavia. He suffered serious head injuries in a June, 2007 accident at The Meadowlands which kept him out of the bike for almost nine months. By his own admission, being on the sidelines was a situation not at all to his liking and all he did in 2009 on the comeback trail was drive in the most races (1,776) and record the most wins (325) and the highest purse earnings ($3.2 million) that he's ever accomplished in a single year of his career.
Lifetime, he's racked up almost 4,600 victories in the bike for almost $27 million in purses which often overshadows his considerable skills as a trainer since he's amassed 440 lifetime wins in that category for purse earnings approaching $5 million.
"2009 was kind of an example of how the momentum can go your way," Pavia recalled of his situation last year. "I got a great start to the year right here in Florida last Spring when Esmeralda Semalu was setting the track and World Record for older mares. That just seemed to continue when I got up north to my base there at Pocono Downs. More trainers were putting me down on better horses and things kind of snowballed my way and I was fortunate to win the driving title there with over 250 wins last year."
He's not shying from carrying a heavy workload during his 2009-2010 stay in South Florida where he's had a seasonal home base for well over two decades. He has a stable of 26 horses currently in the care of himself and his wife, Dawn Marie. The plan is to ship north to the Pocono Downs home base in Pennsylvania on March 20th. He also markets his stable at www.paviaracing.com in the internet era.
One other inescapable fact is Pavia's looming milestone 50th birthday on March 16.
"I really don't give reaching that birthday much thought except that people keep reminding me about it," Pavia says. "One thing I have learned with age is you just have to keep on learning. I watch tapes of the Meadowlands quite a bit and I talk to (fellow driver) Brian Sears often and try to learn from him. You have to keep thinking and learning because of the smart younger guys coming into the game too. I think I'm positioned to be a better driver at age 50 than I was at 30 and 40 years old."
Cheesebrew Stable Catches Fire
The lengthy cool spell is ending in South Florida as witnessed by the Monday evening temperature of 55 degrees (12C), and over the past three programs at The Isle Pompano Park there's been no stable hotter than that of trainer Dennis Cheesebrew.
The 36 year old conditioner from Northfield, Ohio shipped into Pompano just over a month ago and went winless with his first twelve starters.
That all changed last Friday night when the six-year-old pacing mare Prevailingvelocity equalled her career mark of 1:57.1. His only Saturday evening starter, Nathanials Artist, came home a winner over a tough $25,000 claiming pace group in 1:53.4. The great run for Cheesebrew continued on the Monday evening card as his only starter, Stylish Glory, dominated a $6,000 claiming pace group in 1:54.3.
In just his fourth year training on his own, Cheesebrew is easily on course to surpass his career best numbers of 2009 in which he amassed 28 wins from 120 starters for purse earnings of $72,000.
The Monday evening program at Pompano Park also saw the youngest regular member of the driving colony, 21-year-old Matt Kakaley, post yet another driving triple. In addition to Stylish Glory from the Cheesebrew barn, Kakaley also reined in winners with maiden trotter M/ Avalanche for owner-trainer Rita Polese of Margate, FL, and claiming pacer Kaa Dee Elmo for the Michigan connections of Rick and Geoff Howles.
(Pompano Park)