Doris Harwood

2009 Record: (253-60-39-43)

2009 Earnings: $1,110,804

2009 Win %: 23% In-The-Money %: 56%

Born: Nov. 6, 1952 in Fancy Farm, Ky.
Residence: Kent, Wash.
Family: husband Jeffrey; stepsons Cole and Trevor; four grandsons
Education: Associate degree in business from Seattle Community College
Racing Background: After her family moved from Kentucky to Washington when she was 10, she took riding lessons at a local stable and did everything she could, including mucking stalls, to be around the horses ... When old enough, she went to the tracks in Washington and worked in the stables and galloped horses for two years at the old Longacres and Yakima Meadows ... Some of the horses she galloped were owned by the Alhadeff family, the owners of Longacres
Racing Career: At age 24, she took out her jockey's license and rode in races at Yakima and Longacres under her maiden name of Doris Ebersole. "I was the leading apprentice at Longacres, but I can't remember what year," she said. "Maybe 1975 or 1976, it was definitely a long time ago." ... But after four years in the saddle she realized she would never make it big as a jockey ... She went to work for as assistant to Joyce Ailment, who trained about 25 horses, and then later worked in the same capacity for Tom Roberts ... On her own, she purchased a small farm, put up fences, and made it ready for horses. "I was making about 14 cents an hour at the time but knew I wanted to be a trainer," she said. "I went to the sales and bought a horse to race, but she was so undistinguished, I don't even remember her name." ... Knowing she would need help to make it in the business, she turned to her old boss and friend, Ken Alhadeff. "I made an appointment and went in to see him," she recalled. "I told him I wanted to be a trainer, but you can't be a trainer without a big-time client, and that client is you. I told him I had a horse I could buy for $1 named Brooks Pebble and I wanted to train for him." ... After discussing it with his wife, Alhadeff gave her the go-ahead to buy that $1 horse and he became her first client ... Although the horse would eventually finish second in a race, Alhadeff told her to find him a good home ... They then went to the sales and he bought Andy's Knight, who would become their first stakes horse, and over the years they have won many stakes together ... Her other main client is Jere Paxton of Northwest Farms. "He sells his best horses at Keeneland and then the others at the Washington sales," she said. "I'd take his second-stringers and do well with them and that got his attention. So when his trainer retired, he gave me about 10 horses. This is the third year I've been training for him." ... Biggest win of her career was the 2007 Gottstein Futurity with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies hopeful Smarty Deb ... "I've never won a graded race," she said. "I am honored to be a part of something like this. It absolutely is a big deal to have Smarty Deb in a grade 1 race, let alone the Breeders' Cup. But, she's got so much darn talent, she is undefeated, she's beaten the boys, and she's got the pedigree, so she does deserve the chance to compete with the big girls." ... In order to give her filly every advantage, she brought her to Monmouth Park in late September, nearly a month before the race, after turning out her other horses to concentrate on two of her favorites ... The other top 2-year-old is Margo's Gift, who she will enter in the Favorite Trick Stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard ... Harwood won 12 stakes races at Emerald Downs in 2007, setting a new record, and was the leading money earning trainer ... Has about 50 horses in her care and is known for her work with young horses and developing 2-year-olds.