Anthony Beaton was around many of the top horses in the sport when working for trainer Casie Coleman and has built up a nice stable of his own since starting his own barn in 2017. The 46-year-old native of Nova Scotia now has a strong stable that includes a top 2-year-old, 3-year-old and older pacer. On a rare night off from racing, Beaton sat down with me to discuss his journey in the sport, his star horses and racing in general. Enjoy!    How did you get started in harness racing? My older brother John Willy kind of got me involved in harness racing when I was younger. I was about 10-12. He was a bit older than me and I would stay the summers with him because he had horses and I wanted to be involved. He showed me how to start jogging and some hands-on stuff with the horses. You worked for a number of years with trainer Casie Coleman. What were some of the major things you learned during that time? We had a pretty good run for the 10 years I was there. We got to work with some great horses and I guess it was my first taste of going on the road with the Grand Circuit. I got to see what some of the Grand Circuit trainers did and picked up what I can, trying to be like a sponge and soaking up what I could. Casie stays in Florida full-time now. Do you still work with her? She trains down her babies in Florida and this year she sent me up 10 babies and three older ones. I had Linedrive Hanover myself all winter. She’s put a number of horses in my stable this summer. Is Casie a Hall of Fame trainer? I would think she has the credentials to be considered for it for sure. She’s won quite a few of the big races and her record speaks for itself. I don’t do the voting for that, though. You went on your own in 2017 and have built your stable steadily to the point where you will set career highs in earnings and wins in 2023. Are you happy with the progression? Going into this year I thought I had some decent ones coming back . . . it has been a good year so far but it can always be better. My barn has steadily grown. When I went out on my own, I thought if I had 10 horses with someone working for me helping out that would be great. This winter we were up at 52 horses, so that’s quite a jump. Everyone has the same problem with lack of good help, but I have some really good people surrounding me – trainers to do the track work and grooms to do the barn work. They all buy into working hard and we all root for one another. I think I’m fortunate to have them. Where are you stabled? We are at Classy Lane Stables, which is the premier spot in Canada. It is a very good facility and the horses love it there. What is your favorite track to race at? Why? Mohawk is probably my favorite track because it is the best up there, but I do love going to Pocono. It is not that bad of a run to get there. I got to see some different tracks this year. Hoosier is a nice spot. They treat you very well there. I was just at Northfield for the first time in 20 years. I got to see Scioto and a bunch of tracks this year, but Mohawk is my favorite because it is close to home. We try to race as many horses there as possible. What is your favorite big event in racing? Why? The Little Brown Jug is up there as one of the most exciting races to go to. There is a lot of hype about it and it is a very prestigious race to compete in. Obviously on a smaller scale, the Gold Cup and Saucer on Prince Edward Island is one of my favorite races to go to as well. Is Redwood Hanover eligible to the Jug this year? Yes. We are playing it start by start right now and it is on the radar. We have a few more starts before we have to worry about that. We have to keep him sound and healthy first. What is your favorite thing to do outside of harness racing? This summer we haven’t had much of a chance to do much of anything outside of harness racing. There have been a lot of miles put in this summer. My wife (Lisa) and I like to go out for dinners with friends and go on trips to relax. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don’t know? I’m kind of a quiet guy and I keep to myself, but at the same time I like to joke around and throw in a prank if need be. What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Humbling. What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten or given about harness racing? Put your nose to the grindstone and work hard. What was your best moment in harness racing? Winning the Little Brown Jug with Vegas Vacation. We owned part of him, so that made it even more enjoyable. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Which is the best horse you’ve ever trained? I was just talking about this the other day and I think one of the best I’ve trained is Legendary Hanover. Speaking of the undefeated 2-year-old Legendary Hanover, what are your expectations for 2023? We like to take it one start at a time. We have a schedule mapped out for him starting with the Nassagaweya and the Champlain after that to set us up for the Metro. Obviously we’d like to do well and keep the streak going with him. He’s a very, very nice animal. He’s just one of those horses who love their job. We are hoping he keeps getting better and stronger as we move forward. He is paid into some stuff Stateside but we haven’t really talked that far ahead. I’m assuming we could end up at the Breeders Crown if all goes right. I’m not 100% sure if Lexington is on the radar but he is paid into those events. The goal right now is to set him up to conquer the Metro. Is the sky the limit with Legendary Hanover at this point? I really don’t know where the bottom is at this point. Everything is just effortless with him. Anything he does really doesn’t amaze me. His attitude and demeanor is great. He loves work and never seems to get tired doing it. Most younger horses go there four or five laps and know where the gate is to come off. He’ll stay out there all day long jogging if you let him. How many horses do you have in the barn? I think it is 40 right now. There are a couple that are being turned out and we are looking for the proper place to send them for a little break and rehab to prepare them for next year. How disappointed were you with Linedrive Hanover (Dan Patch, 9th) and Redwood Hanover (Milstein, 4th) as the favorites in their last starts? I was probably a little more disappointed in Linedrive Hanover, but at the same time, Lisa and I were talking on our way from Indiana to Northfield in the car and they are animals and allowed to have an off day from time to time. I think we’ve been spoiled with Linedrive thus far because he’s never had a bad start for us. Maybe it was just a clunker, but he was used very hard in that race and he got pushed around a bit. He’ll live to fight another day and we’ll regroup and get him ready for the Canadian Pacing Derby. Are you happy racing out of Ontario and being part of the Ontario racing community? It is a very tough group of trainers at Mohawk and they have a good core of drivers. If you are lucky to have a top driver that always helps. We’ve been fortunate because we have a decent stable and get some of those drivers. If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? I would like to run the races off on time, rather than the post time drag and dragging the races out all night long. I think post time should be post time. We need to speed things up like every other sport is doing. We are going backwards that way. How do you view the future of harness racing? I’m hoping it is as good as the past has been, but like everything else you never know what is ahead. Obviously we are hoping it will be around forever. I hope things continue to prosper and we are part of it. Time for the stretch drive. Best Horse you ever saw: Probably Somebeachsomewhere. Best Driver Ever: Brian Sears. Lasix – Yes or No: No – Maybe it is the four hours you have to show up beforehand [laughing] that I hate the most. If they need it, they need it, but I’d prefer not to use it. Favorite TV Show: FBI. Trotters or Pacers: Pacers.