If you are at a major harness racing event and see someone over-the-top excited about what is happening, there is a reasonable chance you have found Heather Vitale. She participates by promoting standardbred racing in every way she can and uses social media to bring the action to the world at large. A third-generation participant in the sport, Heather's mom and step-dad run a stable and she can often be found sharing the every move of their stable stars. She's also done live TV, scripted shows and so much more as a media professional. How did you get hooked on Harness Racing? I was never really interested in the business. I used to have to go to the track every night and I just didn't want to be there. Then, I started training my first horse one summer when I was 12 years old and the love affair began. His name was Spots N Dots. That feeling has never left and really that's what gets us all hooked . . . that magic horses have.  Where there is Heather, family is rarely far behind. Your mom (Jo Ann) and sister (Susan) both competed as drivers. Why didn't you ever get in the bike? I still ask myself that question. I guess I just never had the desire or else I would have. You've heard of an armchair quarterback? Well, I'm an armchair catch-driver and I'm pretty good at that. LOL  Your mom and step-dad (Jim King Jr) have seen great recent success with Shartin N and Lyons Sentinel. Are those achievements made even better since they are often shared by the family? 1000 percent, but one of the coolest things is sharing family horses with fans. With a top horse in our barn, I have 24-hour access to them. So, instead of fans just seeing them on the track, I can actually share different aspects of their lives with the world. I love so much when fans feel like they have a personal connection to our horses.  As a third-generation participant in the sport, do you see either of your sons -- Wyatt or Trey -- following that same path? Wyatt, 20, enjoys taking care of horses full-time but also loves wrestling and refereeing on the local Delaware circuit. Trey, 14, works at the barn on weekends and is a great public speaker and loves making videos. I think, like it happened with me, it will take a little more time to figure out what path they'll take. But, I'll be a cheerleader for whatever they decide to do.  Your focus in the sport is marketing, broadcasting and promotion. What was your first job on that journey? As soon as I got out of college, I had an internship at The Meadowlands. Obviously, an internship pays very little and so I stayed in the dorms on the backside that summer. I had a mattress on the floor, a sticky fly hanging thing in my room and one little fan. And, it was so awesome! I was working at The Meadowlands and that's all that mattered.  How many different companies and organizations are you currently working for? Post Time TV show, PA Harness Week, Harness Racing Update and the Hambletonian Society. I also do Facebook Lives for different places during the year, like at Shenandoah Downs, International Trot and, of course, I'll basically fly anywhere in the world that has harness racing.  Between writing, producing, on-air work, digital media, etc., what is your favorite thing to do in terms of work? Facebook Lives have become my favorite thing. Other than having some questions ready to go, it's pretty unscripted and anything can happen. There's a lot of fan interaction. It's super casual and fun and you can make the people watching feel as if they are there with you. On the Facebook Lives I can mess up or drop my phone or ask the craziest of questions and it doesn't matter. It's often on the fly and just real life. They are just so much fun and I can do them from anywhere in the world. As digital and social media have taken hold of the world, how have you evolved into those spaces? Was the transition easy? Back in the day it was Facebook and Twitter and then here comes Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. I love social media but it can get overwhelming if you let it. I am not an expert. I'd go nuts if I listened to all the rules of what day and time to post and algorithms, etc. For me, I want social media to be fun. So I just post when I feel like it, stay authentic, have a positive vibe, and I do my very best to interact with others. Pretty simple.   What kind of car do you drive? Kia Sorento. Favorite dinner meal? Snack? I would eat chocolate peanut butter ice cream for every meal for the rest of my life if I could. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter What is your favorite track to visit? Why? I'll plead the fifth on this.  Your racing exposure isn't limited to North America as you've covered the Prix d'Amerique in Paris, Vincent Delaney Memorial in Ireland, and Down Under racing. What perspective did those events give you on the sport? Before I started covering global events, I was in my own little bubble watching American racing and I really had no idea how passionate people are about this sport in different countries. Then, I was there and experienced it in person. And, wow! I encourage people to make racing-related trips for a big event to actually feel how high the energy is and it makes you aware that there really is so much love for this game.  What is your favorite big event in racing? Why? Hambletonian Day. It really is the greatest day in harness racing. For me, the night before Hambletonian Day I get that Christmas Eve kind of feeling. It's hard to go to sleep. I'm just excited!  How often are horses or racing on your mind? Just when I'm awake. And sometimes when I'm asleep.  What is your favorite thing to do outside of harness racing? Traveling. It could be going somewhere on a plane or just a road trip to a city. A new experience gives us a lasting memory, an education, and can take us out of your comfort zone. Traveling and experiences actually make us smarter and happier people, and makes our lives richer.   What is your favorite sport to watch? Team? Baseball. National League -- Philadelphia Phillies. American League -- Baltimore Orioles . . . don't judge! What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don't know? The only thing I keep relatively private is my love life. But, interestingly enough, whatever is happening in my romantic life seems to coincide with whatever Taylor Swift is singing about on her latest album.  What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Family.  Everyone knows you as being full of life and willing to put yourself "out there" to the world. Is it exhausting to be a high-energy person? It used to be because I thought that stress was good. I would sleep when I'm dead and that I was proving to be some kind of Girl Boss by working constantly. Now, I put aside time to meditate, ground and sleep. I definitely believe in a higher source that's in us. I've embraced my spirituality a lot in recent years and because of that, when I start to feel out of whack and overwhelmed, I'm able to get back on track much faster and move on.    What is the best advice you could give about working in harness racing? When it comes to what I do as far as TV and social media, I tell people, "Be you! You're not going to be everyone's cup of tea and that's okay." When I started, I was constantly being told, "Tone it down!" or "Stop being so happy and giggly. You are supposed to be a professional journalist." But, that didn't feel right and I kept doing what I was doing. I didn't want to contain my happiness and I didn't care if I asked the obvious question. I am so glad that I stayed authentic and true to myself.  Let's discuss your not-so-secret love affair with Foiled Again. Other than him being a great horse, what attracted you to want to cover him so closely? So, how much time do I have to answer this question? I'll just give you one reason for now. I believe that the horses are the real stars of the sport. They are the magic. Without trying to sound like a Harlequin romance novel, he wasn't a one-night stand for harness racing fans. He stuck around year after year, built a relationship with his fans and gave us passion for the sport. It's like every time I fell in love with a top horse, the next year they weren't racing, but who was always there? Foiled Again! You again hosted the Red Carpet for the Dan Patch Awards banquet. What is that experience like? One of my favorite nights of the year!!! I love doing the Red Carpet because I can ask anything from "Tell me about your favorite race this season" to "Are you wearing Spanx?" It's fun and I love fun! If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? I'm speaking from a promoting the sport point of view. I love the concept, "Think Global, Act Local." I've heard many horsemen and women blame the tracks or different associations for not promoting the sport enough, when everyone has the resources to do their part. People can promote upcoming stakes racing on their social media (instead of constantly posting about negative stuff), drop off Youth Beats at local schools, or call their newspapers and TV stations and suggest a story. There are so many positive things people can do on their own that take so little time.  Here's another good expression, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."  How do you view the future of harness racing? In a positive way. I tell people, "If you're not feeling good about the future of the sport, don't come to my party." I believe in Law Of Attraction, the universal principle that like attracts like. Positive thoughts and emotions bring positive results and it goes the other way too. People say that I'm not a realist but I am. I just create my own reality. We can create a wonderful future. It's so important for us to focus on, think about and talk about the business in a more positive way, like records being broken at yearling sales or the excitement of the new tracks being built . . . there are many things to be grateful for in our sport. If we emphasized those more, we would feel an incredible shift with a beautiful outlook about the future.  Time for the stretch drive.  Best Horse you ever saw: Foiled Again.  Best Driver: John Campbell.  Lasix -- Yes or No?: Yes. Favorite TV Show?: Other than my own, Law & Order. Trotters or Pacers?: Pacers.