Harness Heroes: Logan Powell

By Eileen McClory for YouthBeats

When he isn’t at school finishing his senior year, driver Logan Powell can usually be found in the stables near his home in Dover, Del., working with his own horses and other horses he races. He said he probably spends around 40 or 50 hours a week in the stables, working with the horses he races.

At 18, Powell has already won $74,734 in prize money and has a record of 94-27-14-8. He started racing in April 2014 and won his first race in June 2014, winning $500.

He said the 50 hours spend in the stables is worth it.

“You put in what you get out,” Powell said. “What you put in to the horses is what you get out. What you put into the driving is what you’re going to get out.”

Powell attends school in the morning and goes home at 12:30 p.m. to begin working at the barn and training. He said he does schoolwork between being in the barn in the afternoons and training on the tracks at night.

After high school, he plans to attend Delaware State University and major in accounting. While in college, he wants to keep racing while he studies.

Powell owns two of his own horses, All Star Man, a 4 year-old, and Wahini Sundae, a 3 year-old.  All Star Man raced at Dover Downs last year, winning a total of $12,500.

“I’d like to have a stable of around 10 to 15 horses and drive them myself,” Powell said of his long term goals for harness racing.

Powell started harness racing after his dad, Sheldon Powell, began working for Trish Foulk, who owns a horse farm in Dover, Del. When Powell started hanging out on the farm with his dad, Trish and her husband, Chad Foulk, worked with Powell on the business of horse racing.

Powell started racing on the Foulk’s horses in April 2014. He said the horses’ training helped him succeed.

“I just got fortunate enough to drive horses early on for Chris Foulk (Chad’s father) and I drove good horses and it just took off from there,” Powell said.

But the Foulks are not Powell’s only mentors. Another high-profile driver, Chis Page, gave Powell tips on driving and advised Powell about techniques Powell does well and ones he could improve on.

Powell’s favorite race to win was the August 2014 Signature Series Rave at the Champaign County Fair in Urbana, OH with then 8 year-old Brother Gus, another of Chris Foulk’s horses.

“He was probably my favorite horse,” Powell said. “I just thought it was pretty cool.”

He said the feeling that he gets when he wins is one of excitement.

“You work for it and the trainers, you want to make them as much money as possible and when you win, you accomplished that.” Powell said. “You just want to make them happy.”

He added working with the horses was his favorite part of racing.

“Working with the horse is a team thing,” Powell said. “I can’t do it all, he has to help me. He can’t do it all, I have to help him.”

For those who want to become race drivers, Powell said watching race replays can help.

“I’ll watch a replay and then go back and see what one guy did in the race and then watch it again and see what another guy did,” Powell said. “Then just take advice from everyone.”