Jessica Otten's life revolves around harness racing. The 25-year-old was raised in the sport via her dad's involvement and works in the industry full-time as the Marketing Coordinator and on-air talent for The Meadowlands. While some may be fooled due to her age, the Michigan native has proven knowledgable and professional working not just on the in-house simulcast feed but also addressing thousands of others via the track's televised nights on Fox Sports. On the eve of Hambletonian week (interview was conducted on July 31) where she could be seen anywhere from the farm to the track to the press conference, Otten took some time to discuss her path in the sport and what the future holds. How did you get started in harness racing? I'm a third generation horseman. My dad's dad [James Otten -- Bud] is the one who got us all started. He was a groom in Canada and then my dad became an owner-trainer-driver-breeder, so I'm lucky enough to be born into it. Was there ever a chance you would train or drive horses? I have trained horses with my dad but I like to be hands-on. I always enjoyed being a groom. I would stay in the barn and my sister and my dad would be out on the track. I wouldn't be opposed to doing it but it isn't something I'm looking at now.  Your dad Peter owns over 1,350 career driving wins and 531 as a trainer but most of that was before casino-fueled purses. Was the life of a Michigan horse family hard? Yeah, I guess you could say that. Before I was born the racing was pretty good in Michgan. My dad is actually from Canada so he raced a lot up there and when he moved to Michigan he did that circuit. When I was in high school he took a stable of 13 horses up to London and raced during their winter meet, which really sucked because Sports Creek was still racing at the time and we only lived 10 miles from there. I still had a couple of horses at home that I would tend to before and after school or race on the weekends. It was tough because in normal life your family doesn't have to split up and you only get to see your dad once every week or two, so he had to miss out on stuff.  Was harness racing always going to be your path in life? I tried to make it so it wasn't. When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher but I was always that kid who missed school to go to the races with my dad or missed Friday night football games. As I got older the more I enjoyed school and extracurricular activities. I graduated high school with full intentions of not going into the business. The first summer out of high school I worked at a riding school farm instead of with my dad and I was going to go to college for criminal justice. I hated the riding horses, I hated school and I got an invitation to come to the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands with Post Time with Mike and Mike. Right after that I switched my major to marketing and went back to work with my dad full time.  You're currently handling social media, on-air, marketing and perhaps other duties for The Meadowlands. Is it tough to juggle everything? Yes and no. I feel like I'm a person that has to be prepared to the T, so I try to get ahead of things. Realistically I work Tuesday to Saturday but I'm working Sunday and Monday to get Tuesday and Wednesdays work done so when the draw comes out I'm prepared for the weekend. At first it was a lot to juggle, because when we came back from COVID I started doing more TV work, but then I got into a system with a checklist so I know what has to get done.  Coming from a horseperson background, is it sometimes difficult to ask a tough question now that you are on the media side? Yes. I kind of have this problem where when I watch a race it is easier for me to understand what happened so when I talk to someone I already know the answers and wonder if the question matters. I also don't want to put anyone in a bad situation and have them say 'why would you ask me that?' or 'I'm not going to answer that.' What kind of car do you drive? I just bought a new car, a 2021 Ford Escape.  Favorite dinner meal? Snack? Chicken tenders are my go-to. When I go out people tell them not to give me a menu because I have chicken tenders with ranch. For snack I just like fruits and vegetables. Outside of The Meadowlands, what is your favorite track to visit? Why? I love Lexington. I had the opportunity to go out there with Pete Wrenn for two weeks during the Grand Circuit before I started working at The Meadowlands and there is just nothing like it -- everyone being located on the backstretch, the surface of the track, the crowd, the atmosphere. I also love going to Mohawk. I raced there a lot when I was younger and even growing up. I love the setup of it. The paddock is right next to the grandstand.  Outside of The Meadowlands, what is your favorite big event in racing? Why? North America Cup night is one of my favorite nights of racing. To me it is so much fun. How often are horses or racing on your mind? Too much -- 24/7. I can't go on vacation without going to a racetrack. I watch races every day of the week and if I'm not doing it for work I'm doing something for my horses at home. I eat, sleep and breathe horses. What is your favorite sport to watch? Team? Hockey. My sister and dad played hockey and I grew up learning how to skate. We went to hockey games all the time. Being from Michigan my team is the Detroit Red Wings, but they aren't very good and I like to follow players. I've been paying more attention to the Dallas Stars this year because my favorite player [Luke Glendening], who my horse is named after, was traded to the Stars.  ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter How many horses do you own? Just the one. You came to New Jersey in 2018. How hard has it been for a Michigan native to live on the outskirts of New York City? It was a culture shock for sure. I come from a town with two-lane roads and the only time I hit traffic is when I'm stuck behind a tractor. Moving out here was so hard and it was a lot to adapt to. I really didn't know anyone but the horsemen and outside of the track I didn't really do anything for the first year or so. Then COVID hit and I made more friends when I came back. I really didn't enjoy living here. The only thing I enjoyed was my job. I'm getting used to it now almost four years in, but it was hard. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don't know? I have had people come up to me in the paddock and ask how I became so knowledgeable about horses, so I don't think that people know I was a horseman and groom before getting into media.  What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Passion. What is the best advice you've ever gotten or given about harness racing? That everyone does everything different so you have to be open for a new way of learning things. There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down with someone and learning why they did something instead of taking a different route or why they used a specific piece of equipment. I was always told to keep your eyes open and listen because there is always a chance to learn. What was your best moment in harness racing? My dad drove quite a bit for this guy back home and they never had a state champion together. They had a 2-year-old filly trotter that raced good all summer long and it was one of the last big state champion nights at Hazel Park and he won. It was really cool because he had driven a lot for that guy and our whole family was there. I was also given a horse [Juando] when I was 12 from Pete Wrenn when he first moved to Indiana. He was like "I don't know if the horse will make it but you can try'. My sister, dad and I owned the horse together and he was a pain in the ass to get to the races. He finally made it and he made us quite a bit of money on the 2- and 3-year-old fair circuit but he broke his coffin bone. He trained down and broke his other coffin bone. Then he finally made it back to the races and in his second start back he won in like the class below the Opens. I've never felt so much joy in my life as when I watched that horse cross the wire. People don't understand how much hard work and determination it takes to get a horse back to the races. With Hambletonian week upon us, how much preparation is going on for you behind the scenes to prepare? Quite a bit actually. Sometimes I think people think I only show up on the weekends to do TV [laughing]. I have to prep for interviews to be done Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I have to prep everything for FS1 and FS2 because the races will be shown Saturday. I have to prepare all of the graphics for social media, pick four tickets and stuff, so I have to make sure everyone gets those in on time. I have to be at the post draw and go to the farms for interviews and videos. Plus we have casino night here. Honestly, I'm part of the younger generation so I don't always know all of the history and I have to go back and refresh my memory so I know what I'm talking about.  One of your responsibilities at The Meadowlands has been as on-site host for Fox Sports. What has that experience been like? It has been pretty cool. When the opportunity came about I wasn't going to do it. They were going to bring someone else in and I was going to stick to the social media, but it didn't work out and I ended up being on. It was fun and I was excited when they asked me to be a part of Hambletonian Day. We've had six shows this year and the people are really great to work with. It is really cool that we can broadcast and expand our product to a thoroughbred-centric world that might not know a lot about harness racing. Back in Michigan that is something I did avidly. Every weekend I would do conferences and stuff. If there is one thing I enjoy the most it is teaching people about the business. Fox has been easy to work with on that level. We had an incredible Meadowlands Pace night despite a few technical issues. We are actually going to be on Fox Sports 1 for the Hambletonian, so that will be really good. What is your comfort level on-air now versus a few years ago when you got started? I'm way more comfortable. I feel like I can get thrown in any situation and be ok. When I first started at The Meadowlands, the first interview I did I was literally pacing up and down the paddock saying 'why did you take this job? I'm not an on-air talent. What was I thinking?' I was so intimidated by the camera. After COVID I became 10 times more comfortable because I had to stand six-feet behind the camera. I felt more comfortable and less intimidated by even the drivers and trainers because I had gotten to know them more. I feel like I've grown a lot. You were the United States Harness Writers Breakthrough Award winner a couple of years back. Did you ever expect that could happen when you started on-air at The Raceway as a teenager? I never did. I'd be lying if I said I paid much attention to Grand Circuit racing until about six years ago. I paid attention to racing around us. Even when the ballot came out I thought there were so many people that deserve it and had done much more. It was a surprise and I'm super grateful that people see the work I've done while trying to give back to the sport. On the side you are working as co-host for PA Harness Week. What has that experience been like? It has been so fun. Working with Heather [Vitale] has been like showing up and hanging out with your best friend on Wednesdays. When I first started I remember my mom telling me after watching the first episode, 'you are going to have to step up your enthusiasm a little bit if you are going to stand next to Heather.' I was like, 'she's got enough enthusiasm for like 10 people, so it will be hard.' After the first couple of shows last year to get into the hang of things, it has been a lot of fun. The crew and our camera guy is great, Rachel [Olszewski] from the PHHA is great and Heather of course is great. It is a lot of writing, but it is fun, If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? Human interaction with the horsemen. Like I said, Mohawk's setup is incredible. People want to talk to the drivers and trainers. Obviously they are stars in our business, but they are regular people too. I did a promotion with The Meadowlands before COVID called Dine-Win-Tour. There is nothing more exciting than the look on a kids face when they get to meet the horses or their favorite driver or trainer. I wish there was a way that we could easily do that everywhere. How do you view the future of harness racing? I hope the future of the sport is great because I'm only 25, but I feel like there is so much going on that you never know. I'm going to be optimistic and say that it is going to be around for a long time because it is something I've always loved and it is my life. Where do you see your future in the sport? I try not to think about it to be totally honest. There are a lot of opportunities out there. I really enjoy what I'm doing right now and I wish I could stay 25 forever in the position I'm in, but we obviously can't. I've had offers from other places but I enjoy what I'm doing now. I try to live every day one at a time. Time for the stretch drive.  Best Horse you ever saw: Bulldog Hanover. Best Driver Ever: Tim Tetrick. I'm a big fan of his. Best Trainer Ever: Nifty Norman. He has such great work ethic, he paddocks his own horses and he spends so much time in the barn. Maybe he isn't the best trainer ever but he is an incredible horseman. Lasix -- Yes or No?: Yes, I'm a firm believer. Favorite TV Show?: Grey's Anatomy or whatever is on RTN. Trotters or Pacers?: Growing up I only ever took care of pacers. There is nothing better than a classy trotter but I do love the pacers.