GOSHEN — Harness racing driver Jay Cross had one finger raised in the air when he crossed the finish line in first place of the ninth harness race Saturday at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair in Indiana.
He was not showing off or being disrespectful to the other drivers. He had a higher purpose in mind. It was the veteran driver’s humble way of celebrating his 3,000th career victory.
“I was pointing to my dad up in heaven,” Cross said.
“I really didn’t know what my emotions were going to be,” Cross said about the milestone win. “My dad was a very big influence on my career. He was racing when I was 4 or 5 years old, but then gave it up because of family obligations. Later he started up again and we would go together to races at Nappanee or LaGrange.”
According to Cross, his first win was at the LaPorte County Fair in 1982.
“It means you have been around for a long time,” Cross said about winning 3,000 career races.
Peter Wrenn, who has raced before at the fair, has more than 8,000 wins in his career.
“In today’s world 3,000 is not as big a number as it was in the past,” Cross said. “When I started racing it was a big number and for a little guy like me it still is a big number. It’s a number I never expected to reach.”
Don Eash, another veteran fair driver, has between 1,600 and 1,700 career wins. Eash is a former Goshen resident who owns Eash Racing Stables near Greenfield.
“It’s an accomplishment and I congratulate Jay on it,” Eash said. “Jay has been a good driver for a number of years. To me, 3,000 wins means you are among the top 10 to 15 percent among harness racing drives.”
Cross guided SWEETASCANTAB to the monumental win in a time of 2:04 4/5 in the one-mile, 3-year-old colt trot.
“I have been driving him on the fair circuit and he has been doing well,” the Middlebury resident said. “He seems to do well on the half-mile tracks. Every time he has won he has gotten off the gate really well.”
Cross was out front by one and a half lengths at the half point, but still was not ready to count the victory.
“I felt good coming around the last turn, but you never really know until you cross the finish line,” he said. “One horse that had been giving us trouble broke stride early in the race and another one I was worried about did so before the race even started. That gave me some confidence, but there was still a long way to go.”
Jay’s brother, Steve Cross, calls the races at the fair but had to leave Saturday in order to call the card at Hoosier Park in Anderson. Saturday’s fair program was slated to begin at 11 a.m. but was postponed until 12:45 p.m. due to overnight rains. He missed his brother’s milestone by two races.
“That was very disappointing that Steve had to leave before I won No. 3,000,” Cross said. “If we would not have had the delay, Steve probably would have been here, but that is part of life.
“Steve has called a lot of my races and that has been pretty neat. He was there the time I first set a world record in Columbus, Ohio. Steve’s youngest son was there and so were other family members. It was nice to do it at home.”
Harness racing programs are scheduled for today and Tuesday at the fair. Post time both days is 11 a.m.
Greg Keim can be reached at greg.keim@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 326. Follow Greg on Twitter @gkeim_TGN
Saturday’s Harness Racing Summary
Race One (2-year-old Filly Trot, 1st Division) — 1, KINDA COOL LADY (Jay Cross); 2, PLAYFUL MARIANNA (Daryl Bontrager); 3, VICTORIA SWAN (Jordan Ross); 4, SKYWAY CLARRISA (Matt Rheinheimer); 5, PRINCESS DE MONACO (Carl Putnam Jr.); 6, TATYM FOR ALL (Mike Peterson). Winning Time: 2:09. Purse: $3,000,
Race Two (2-year-old Filly Trot, 2nd Division) — 1, PINECRAFT NELLE (Matt Rheinheimer); 2, MARTZ NANCY (Jay Cross); 3, J S MISS LADY (Alex Udell); 4, JL PRETTY BOOTIES (Carrie Hollman); 5, MARTZ CREEK NELLIE (Mike Peterson); 6, EMOJI (Odell Cross). Winning Time: 2:08 2/5. Purse: $3,000.
Race Three (2-year-old Filly Trot, 3rd Division) — 1, INJAILFORSPEEDIN (Jay Cross); 2, MAMIE’S POWER (Michael Myers); 3, CARNIVAL DESTINY (Doug Rideout); 4, BACKSTREET SALLY (Larry Lee Smith); 5, WOODSIDE BAMBI (Don Eash; 6, FRONTIER BETH (Maynard Miller). Winning Time: 2:10 2//5. Purse: $3,000.
Race 4 (2-year-old Filly Trot, 4th Division) — 1, STICK WITH PATSY (Zachary Miller); 2, OAKWOOD TEA PARTY (Matt Rheinheimer); 3, SKYWAY KIANNA (Jay Cross); 4, BLUELLA (Mike Peterson); 5, JAILHOUSE BUCKAROO (Rocky Loney); 6, NORTHERN PINES (Carrie Hollman). Winning time: 2:11 2/5. Purse: $3,000.
Race Five (2-year-old Filly Trot, 1st Division) — 1, SL ROYAL GEORGE (Carl Putnam Jr.); 2, MEGAGLIDE (Don Eash); 3, V-KEY’S CHARGER (Mike Peterson); 4, SILVER STAR TYSON (Jay Cross); 5, KIDSWILLBEFIESTY (Joseph Putnam); 6, EXCITING HOT ROD (Rocky Loney). Winning Time: 2:08. Purse: $3,000.
Race Six (2-year-old Filly Trot, 2nd Division) — 1, CANWETABEMNOW (Matt Rheinheimer); 2, ER SKYWALKER (Don Eash); 3, DANCE HALL Bouncer (Joseph Putnam); 4, AGAMEMNON (Larry Lee Smith); 5, ROSE RUN TYLER (Jay Cross). Purse: $3,000.
Race Seven (3-year-old Filly Trot, 1st Division) — 1, J-S PRINCESS GLORY (Alex Udell); 2, RETURN TO SENDER (Michael Myers); 3, NAN’S QUEEN (Don Eash); 4, MISS SAND SWAN (Jay Cross); 5, E R KENNA (Gerald Miller), Winning Time: 2:03 1/5. Purse: $3,000.
Race Eight (3-year-old Filly Trot, 2nd Division) — 1, GUIDA’S GEISHA (Doug Rideout); 2, J-S WINKY’S SHINE (Alex Udell); 3, KIDSWILLBESASSY (Joseph Putnam); 4, COUNTRYATHEART (Don Eash); 5, ROSE’S ON TAB (Gerald Miller). Winning Time: 2:07 3/5. Purse: $3,000.
Race Nine (3-year-old Colt Trot, 1st Division) — 1, SWEETASCANTAB (Jay Cross); 2, JAILHOUSE MICKEY (Matt Rheinheimer); 3, E R PAUL (Don Eash); 4, NOTHINBUTAWINNER (Odell Cross); 5, SOCIAL HOUSE (Richard Reisert); 6, WINKY’S FIRE (Michael Myers); 7, ALL THIS COMMOTION (Doug Rideout). Winning Time: 2:04 4/5. Purse: $3,000.
Race Ten (3-year-old Colt Trot, 2nd Division) — 1, MR POWERS (Doug Rideout); 2, RED MAN CHEW (Richard Reisert); 3, PROUD FOREVER (Jay Cross); 4, MR CANTAB LIMIT (Don Eash); 5, NEVER SAY THAT (Michael Myers); 6, POWERS STROKE (Larry Lee Smith). Winning Time: 2:03. Purse: $3,000.
Race Eleven (3-year-old Filly Pace, Classic XXVII) — 1, AMARETTIGONE (Brandon Bates); 2, CANADIAN ROCKER (Mike Peterson); 3, TURNITODWNFORWATT (Matthew Riggle); 4, MEADOWBROOK SHARLA (Don Eash; 5, ADORABLE LIL GIRL (Jay Cross); 6, J-S JAZZY DANCER (Alex Udell); 7, HOOSIER GORGEOUS (Gerald Miller); 8, BALLERINA B B (Aaron Miller). Winning Time: 1:58 2/5. Purse: $12,600.
Race Twelve (3-yeaold colt pace, Classic XXVII) — 1, AWESUM ACE (Aaron Miller); 2, E R SIMON (Don Eash); 3, B R GORGEOUS BOY (Jordan Ross); 4, E R VINCENT (Jay Cross); 5, DANTE IVY (Rocky Loney); 6, FOREVERALWAYS (Zachary Miller). Winning Time: 1:58 4/5. Purse: $12,100.
By Greg Keim who can be reached at greg.keim@goshennews.com