Boss Behind the Horse

Mike Graffam's work has owners trusting their horses with him,
and he continues to justify their faith.

By Mike Lowe Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Oct. 16, 2009

Mike Graffam has trained more horses than he can drive in this weekend’s finals of the Maine Super Sire Stakes, and that means the owners of some of the best horses in the state have noticed his years of devotion to harness racing.

SCARBOROUGH — Ask Mike Graffam what it takes to produce a winning horse in the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes and he'll put the answer in simple terms: good stock, hard work and luck.

Good stock, Graffam gets from his horses' owners. Hard work, he puts plenty of that in himself. Luck?

Well, let's just say Graffam, a farmer and horse trainer in Falmouth, believes it has played a significant role in his success.

Graffam, one of the state's top trainers, will have eight horses in this weekend's Maine Super Sire Stakes Weekend at Scarborough Downs. He will drive two, including Neutral Court, the favorite in the 3-year-old Colt Pacers race, just ahead of another horse he trains, Sign the Page.

There was a similar showdown last year between two of Graffam's horses, Maniac Matt and Terry's Star Dragon, which Graffam drove to victory.

"This is the third year running that I have been fortunate to have good horses," said Graffam, who was Maine's trainer of the year in 2008. "And when you have good stock, it makes you look good. And you've also got to have a lot of luck and hope nothing happens to them."

Luck. Graffam spends a lot of time knocking on wood. And he carries his own piece of good luck: a four-leaf clover tucked in his wallet. One of his assistants found it in the grass next to the main barn at Norton Farm, Graffam's home and business in Falmouth, and gave it to him.

"I've put it in my pocket ever since," said the 46-year-old Graffam.

That was when?

"Three years ago," he said, knocking on wood again.

OK, so maybe luck has a little to do with Graffam's success, since it seemed to begin right about the time he got that clover. But others in the harness racing industry believe his diligence, work ethic and heritage also have plenty to do with it.

Graffam's grandfather was Loring Norton, a man who loved horses, harness racing and was one of the founders of Maine's sire stakes races. He and a group of other horse owners met in his kitchen -- the same one Graffam eats in today -- and came up with the idea of holding a series of races for Maine-bred horses.

"I'm sure Mike learned a lot from him," said Mike Andrew, the president of the Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association. "And Mike's a hard-working guy. He's done a terrific job the last several years. Owners trust him and he deserves to be successful."

Jean Emerson, who was also on the committee that started the stakes program, is glad Graffam is finally achieving some success. "He's become a very reliable trainer," she said. "You feel good about giving him a horse."

Graffam began working with his grandfather when he was 13 and quickly fell in love with horses. And he saw firsthand how exciting the sport could be.

"It is very exciting to go win a race and have your picture taken," he said. "The competitiveness of racing horses there's a thrill there, a real adrenaline rush when you win a race. It's a lot of fun and a lot of hard work."

Graffam's family obviously shares that thrill and love of horses. His children, 20-year-old Bethany and 18-year-old Nick, always have worked at his side. In fact, Nick is learning to train horses and wants someday to be a driver.

His younger brother, Jeff, buys and trains horses. His older brother, Mark, helps get the hay out in the summer. And his cousin, Bruce Ranger, is one of the most successful drivers at Pompano Park in Florida.

Life on Norton Farm is just not about training horses for Graffam, whose 89-year-old grandmother, Ruth, lives in the farmhouse with him. It's about running a farm. Graffam, who has around 45 horses on the farm, works 12-plus hours a day. "I do everything from breeding to raising babies; I put my own hay in; I do my own shoeing," he said. "There's always something to do."

This weekend, it's to race. Graffam will drive two horses. In addition to Neutral Court, he will race The Last Ruler, a 2-year-old filly pacer who drew the rail Saturday, one of three of his horses that gained that enviable position.

With eight horses running, he knows the stakes.

"I won't lie, I get very stressed this time of year," he said. "To me, I feel the pressure because my owners have so much invested: the initial costs of buying and raising these babies until it's time to put them in training; the cost of training. It's expensive to have a race horse so I want to do the best I can for my owners."