Remember the name Johnathan Ahle. This driver is quietly making a name in harness racing, chalking up wins at East Coast tracks in just his few short years of professional driving.
The 28-year-old from New Jersey started his career working in the barn, despite having no experience with horses. “I was a groom for trainer Shaun Vallee for about four or five years, before I started driving in the Amateur races,” he said. “That led to overnights and more.”
His 31 amateur starts yielded 3 wins, and his perseverance kept him learning and refining, leading him to a solid 809 lifetime wins and total earnings of $7,772,815 to date since 2022.
His driving career so far has taken him from Ocean Downs to Rosecroft Raceway; from Freehold to the Meadowlands and to Harrah’s Philadelphia. With the closure of Freehold Raceway, his Saturday afternoons are open, and he hopes to grab some opportunities at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
“I try to make Chester a priority,” he said. “Last year, I went to Pocono a couple days here and there over the summer. When there are a lot of stakes races going on, in New York and Kentucky, and everywhere over the summer, a couple guys are missing, and they need someone to fill in. It’s a good time for me to go and get some drives, at Pocono. When the opportunity comes, you take it.”
When it comes to driving on certain tracks, his preference leans toward one size. “If I had to choose, I’d like a mile track. That would be my number one, but I’m good with any size track. 5/8. 1/2 mile.”
How does Johnathan describe what makes him a good driver? “Persistence. I keep showing up and racing. I think that’s what makes you a good driver, and experience, really. Getting started, you don’t have much experience at all. You see guys that have been doing it their whole lives, and it’s second nature. I think it’s experience that makes you a good driver. Oh, and learning from my mistakes. Or trying to learn from my mistakes, at least,” he laughed.
Looking back, Johnathan has many people to thank that helped him when he was getting started. “There would be too many to mention! But of course, Shaun Vallee, I started with him, and he taught me everything about horses. Noel Daley has helped me so much, getting me going. A lot of guys, even if they indirectly helped me, even just by me watching the guys that have been doing it a long time.”
When he’s not racing, he spends time with his girlfriend, Laura, who maintains a full-time job in the industry working for 2024 Dan Patch Trainer of the Year Noel Daley. The couple stay active on the tennis court and enjoy mountain biking on their rare days off.
And as for season’s stakes races, there’s not one in particular he’d like to drive in. “I’d love to drive in all of them, I’d say. That day will come eventually, hopefully, if I’m lucky enough, down the road.”
Johnathan Ahle
Stats
Starts: 6429
Wins: 809
2nd: 788
3rd: 795
$7,775,935 Lifetime
Cover Photo Credit to Vicki Wright
