Few people make it through life without some form of struggle. For some those moments can be few and far between while others wrestle with their vices so often that they spill over to impact their daily lives and family. Each person must decide whether to grow and learn from their mistakes, just as society must consider whether to accept said person as changed or rehabilitated. Anyone who followed harness racing in the 1980s and 1990s is familiar with Walter Case Jr. His name alone can bring about powerful feelings due to a checkered history on and off the track which eventually led to his absence from society for a few years and from the sulky for the majority of nearly two decades. Case's extended vacation from the bike ended in 2021 as Maine welcomed him back into the driver colony. The now 62-year-old horseman who missed the prime years of his earning life has made the most of his renewed opportunity. After a slow start with an un-Case-like 15 wins in 197 starts (7%) in 2021, the driver found his stride last year and won 166 races while putting up a 19% win rate. "I believe in redemption," said Chris Schick, who operates the meet at First Tracks Cumberland via his Golden Bear Racing LLC and approved Case for duty at that track. "He had a license and we agreed to let him in. Bangor didn't let him in the first year, but I guess they saw he was being a good citizen and changed direction last year." In terms of winning races, Case was Aaron Merriman - the driver who has led North America in wins each season for almost a decade - before Mr. Merriman started driving full time. In 1998 he recorded a then-record 1,077 wins in an unfathomable 2,993 starts (36% win rate). In contrast, the only two men – Tim Tetrick (2007) and Aaron Merriman (2018 & 2017) – to eclipse his win total did so with 25%, 24% and 23% success rates, respectively. From 1988 to 2003, Case won 8,634 races and posted a 29% winning percentage. Horses steered by him hit the top three 58% of the time. Then it all went away as a result of demons in the way of addiction, which led to the lowest point in his life. Case was sentenced to five years in prison back in 2004 for stabbing his estranged wife Nadine in June of that year. He was released back into society in October 2008 expecting a somewhat return to normalcy. While he was permitted to compete in 25 races at Plainridge Racecourse during the year of his release from prison, that privilege was quickly revoked and Case became a man without a home, unable to find a state to license him to do what he does best. Following a nine-year absence, the Maine native returned to his roots and surfaced on the track at Scarborough Downs late in 2017. After 53 starts and 11 wins, Case was once again gone from the spotlight of racing, unseen in the program for another four years until his true resurrection in June 2021. That there was some rust for Case to wash off in 2021 was understandable, and it was hardly a shock that he led all drivers in Maine in terms of wins in 2022. The 166 victories earned him the Driver of the Year award from the Maine Harness Horsemen's Association. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Case didn't show up to receive his award, just as he didn't reply after multiple attempts to comment for this article. Whether those actions are in his best interest are up to the reader to decide. It does keep him under the radar and out of the spotlight, which possibly contributed to his downfall some 20 years ago. Interestingly, Case is relatively active on social media via Facebook and often makes multiple comments on posts or expresses his thoughts. So there is desire on his part to be part of society, just not the focal part of it. "He's a completely different person than when he was driving horses for me, that's for sure," said Charles Malia, Presiding Judge at First Tracks Cumberland, who knows Case going back to when the driver was about 17 and driving for him as an owner. "If you know Walter Case, you know that when he was driving in his 20s he was the King of the Hill and got himself into a lot of jams. Now you wouldn't believe the transformation. He's one of the most humble, easy to get along with people you will ever meet. "When I ask Walter to give me the truth, I get it," continued Malia. "The truth is somewhat missing in today's society, so it is nice to get it when you can. Walter is very truthful, very honest and a pleasure to deal with." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter It is certainly not an understatement to say that Case's on-track history has seen its low points. While his driving statistics are impressive, his 78 pages of fines and/or suspensions (773 total inquiries) are mind-boggling when compared to current top drivers who have less than half that total. John Campbell, who retired in 2017, only has 75 records under his name. Case was handed over 200 days' worth of suspensions in 2003 by Ohio officials for "kicking" horses, which can often be confused with simply removing a foot from the stirrups. The "new" Case was fined just four times in 2022 for "failure to keep both feet in the stirrups" and once for "kick a horse," falling in line with the typical driver. "The fines are substantial now and Walter is just a different person," said Malia as it relates to on-track infractions. "He's trying to make a living. He doesn't have a whole lot and he's in survival mode. He's pretty easy to get along with. When you are 20, you are trying to prove you are good enough. Walter knows he's good enough and is just trying to survive now." From the outside looking in, the past seems to be in the rearview mirror for Case and the here and now is all that matters. He will never get back the years he wasted or the ones when he languished, banished to the sidelines when he longed to compete on the track. "My image days are done and I did my time. Either you hate me or like me," said Case back in 2021. "I drive horses to the best I can, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but I don't dwell on it anymore." When speaking with other people who have come into contact with Case, the response has been positive. Said fellow Maine driver Matthew Athearn in a recent DRF Harness interview: "He's one of my favorite people to drive with and he's a great guy to be around. He helped me a lot and it was always good to have his support." Some of the regular Maine catch-drivers including Bruce Ranger, who has amassed 9,965 driving wins of his own and finished third behind Case with 124 wins in the state in 2022, moonlight on the Plainridge circuit. There have been some rumors that Case may again try to drive at the Massachusetts track, but as of now Plainridge Park GM Steve O'Toole wasn't aware of any bid for Case to get his license in the state. "It's news to me," said O'Toole about the possibility of Case racing at Plainridge. "If he reached out here he would have some hoops to jump through, and not necessarily by me. I know the Commission denied him swiftly the last time he applied here, and he didn't make a good impression on them at that time. That was probably about 2015 or 2016. "If he showed interest, that would be a conversation I would have to have at that time with my people," continued O'Toole on whether Plainridge Park would welcome Case. While many people extol praise upon Case some 15 years after his release from prison, others will never be willing to erase his past actions from their minds. For some, there simply is no rehabilitation for his actions and no period of time can dampen the severity. This dilemma is one that society often struggles with on a daily basis, and it is truly a personal decision as to how much time needs to pass before any wrongs can be washed away. In the end, whether you agree or not with the decision, Case is back in the bike and seemingly doing what he loves on a daily basis. As long as it isn't hurting anyone, certainly everyone can agree that we should all be entitled to make a living and enjoy our lives.