Garry Martin (left) and Sue Stockwell (right) have rewritten the book on racing on a budget, and showing a profit. (Photo provided by OHHA)
By Bob Roberts for Press Pros Magazine
Grove City, OH – Teamwork. It’s the key to many success stories.
Lewis and Clark–they partnered to map the way to the American West. Lennon and McCartney– perhaps the greatest song writing duo ever. Ben and Jerry–they continue to tempt us with their ice cream flavors.
Then there is Stockwell and Martin.
Say who?
Sue Stockwell and Garry Martin have been putting their heads together for nearly 45 years as one of Ohio’s most successful owner-trainer combinations competing at the state’s four commercial harness tracks as well as dozens of Buckeye county fair ovals.
Most days, you’ll find them in the northeast corner of the state at Grand Haven Stable in Jefferson, tending to an absolutely spotless 40-stall barn full of trotters and pacers on 17 acres. It’s the headquarters for where they plot their next pari-mutuel moves as well as sales ring purchases.
Stockwell, 64, grew up on a dairy farm in Geneva. She said she always had horses as a youngster and member of 4-H but didn’t get into standardbred racing until around 1980 when she became an owner and a trainer.
“My dad, the dairy farmer, wasn’t sold on the idea,” said Stockwell. “He said, ‘If you can’t eat them or milk them, you don’t need them.”
Martin, 69, born in Medina, said he was exposed to racing as a youngster.
“My dad was a $2 bettor, and we went to Northfield Park all the time. I practically grew up there,” said Martin. “There was no racing in my family. My dad owned a tool and die company. It was at the Medina County Fair where I fell in love with the sport.”
Neither Stockwell nor Martin can pinpoint when they first met, but they agree it was probably at a county fair somewhere in Ohio. Eventually, a partnership was formed, and ever since, they’ve been visiting winner’s circles and cashing purse checks on a regular basis.
What makes them unique is how frequently they discover horses that out-pace (and out-trot) their purchase prices.
Following is a roster of horses currently racing that Stockwell and Martin scouted, scored, and sent to the post.
Global Girl, 5-year-old trotting mare cost $6,500 at auction. She has won 26 races and $347,429.
Hitwiththeguy’s, 6-year-old trotting mare cost $3,500. She has won 28 races and $192,986.
The Onyx Dragon, 3-year-old pacing gelding cost $2,500. He has won 10 races and $110,106.
Stride For Stride, 2-year-old pacing filly cost $14,000. She has won four races and $65,333.
Draco’s Storm, 3-year-old pacing gelding cost $6,200. He has won seven races and $41,522.
Jasmines Diamond, 2-year-old trotting filly cost $5,500. She has won nine races and $25,575.
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Putting pencil to pad, Stockwell and Martin have invested $38,200 for the half-dozen trotters and pacers. They have cashed purse checks totaling $755,892.
“I think we’re going to rename this place the Bargain Basement Farm,” said Martin.
The method behind their remarkable equine magic is good old hard work. Both of them pore over sales catalogs and share opinions. Then Martin heads for the sales ring.
“We both can’t go,” said Stockwell. “One of us has to stay back at the farm and get things done.
Martin usually doesn’t raise his hand to bid on a horse if the asking price climbs into the clouds.
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“We buy on a budget,” said Stockwell. “With a few exceptions, we’re usually in the range of $5,000 to $10,000.”
Martin is quick to remind that every horse they purchase doesn’t wear out a path to the winner’s circle. Some never reach it.
“We once gave $30,000 for a horse,” said Martin. “He was slow in his training. Turns out he had a heart murmur and never raced.”
Stockwell and Martin beat the sun to the barn each morning. They’re usually training and jogging horses by 5:30 a.m. They do it seven days a week.
“We’ve been successful, but it seems there is little time to enjoy it,” said Martin. “Sometimes I have to tell Sue to relax and spend some money. Go ahead, get that big steak at dinner.”
There are interesting stories behind the aforementioned six horses in the stable that are winning and creating a steady stream of purse checks.
The most outstanding bread winner is Global Girl. Queen of the Stockwell-Martin operation, the 5-year-old trotting machine finished second and third in Ohio Sire Stakes championship races in addition to winning a qualifying leg.
“Sue asked me about her sire, Global Republic and I told her that he was a son of Muscle Hill and that Global Girl was part of his first crop,” said Martin. “I also said that any sire that is by Muscle Hill needs to be looked at. There were seven of them at the [2020 Buckeye Classic in Springfield] and she was best bred on the dam’s side and the best looking one. She has definitely been the biggest bang for the buck that we’d purchased.”
“She’s the best I’ve ever owned,” said Stockwell. “See that Dodge Ram pick-up truck? Global Girl bought that for me.”
Stockwell and Martin said they will probably retire Global Girl at the end of the 2025 racing season and breed her.
Another female trotter who continues to grind out a living at the fairs and raceways for the dynamic duo is Hitwiththeguy’s. She was the ultimate hidden gem.
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“We raced at Carrollton fair and we were told by Bill Mullet to stop at his farm in Carroll County and look at a young trotter,” said Martin. “We liked her and when we got home, the phone rang and it was Bill. He said, ‘You’re never going to believe this, but I just lost everything. We were filling the propane tank and the barn exploded. I got all the horses out but one, about 30 of them.’ He sent many of the horses to the Smokey Lane Amish sale in Mt. Hope, Oh. That’s where we bought Hitwiththeguy’s for $3,500. I bid over the phone to get her.”
Another example of their purchase prowess is the sophomore The Onyx Dragon.
“We were thinking of buying a well-bred weanling, sight unseen, but I first called (Dr. John) Mossbarger of Midland Acres and said, ‘Hey! Why is this horse in the (Delaware) sale?’ He told me the guy who owned it didn’t like that the weanling had a little white spot in one of its eyes, and that it wouldn’t be able to put him in a select sale, but otherwise the horse was fine. So, we bought him for $2,500. He made $93,000 last year and is one good looking horse.”
During the interview for this story in late August, Stockwell was bidding over the phone on a horse at the Blooded Horse Sale.
“Got it for $5,500,” she said.
Named Naughty Garland, he is by Muscle Diamond. It’s no coincidence that Muscle Diamond is also the sire of Stockwell and Martin’s promising freshman trotter, Jasmines Diamond.
Martin believes one of the keys to his continuing partnership with Stockwell is his annual trek to Aiken, South Carolina, where he readies more than a dozen horses for the upcoming campaign.
“The only reason we can stay together is because I’m gone all winter,” Martin laughed.
Stockwell didn’t disagree. Instead, she walked the shed row to inspect her equine troops.
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The world of racing through the eyes of Garry Martin – “You don’t retire in the horse business, you die” . . . “A good blacksmith will help you; a bad one will kill you” . . . “I’ll be 70 next year, and I’m still training. I’m up at 5:30 every morning. I’ve got to have something to do. What am I going to do, watch TV?” . . . “There shouldn’t be a county fair purse under $5,000. Equipment is expensive, so is shipping around. We need to keep owners in the game” . . . “Horses aren’t dumb, and the good ones, they’re real smart . . . As for having two ‘r’s” in his first name: “Larry has two r’s, and Jerry has two r’s, so why can’t Garry have two r’s?”
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