YONKERS, N.Y. (PIX11) – Don’t let the pink helmet on Lauren Tritton’s head fool you. The harness racing driver is proving she can not only hang with the guys but also leave them in the dust.
Tritton is fresh off a win at Yonkers Raceway from Monday night. She hails from Australia and is one of very few women in the male-dominated industry in the United States.
“It’s not until you move over here that you realize that it’s a male-dominated sport and it’s something that I really want to do for the women and showcase that women can actually compete with the boys and compete with the best,” Tritton said.
She’s also racing on a fast track. MGM Resorts invested $500,000 in upgrades and raised the banking of the turns as much as a foot, making it the steepest in the U.S.
Tritton competes a few nights a week at Yonkers Raceway and comes out on top.
Alex Dadoyan, director of racing at MGM Yonkers, said it’s unprecedented, especially at this premier track.
“To have a woman competing at this level here at Yonkers at the highest level with the best horses and the best drivers and not only is she holding her own — she’s winning,” Dadoyan said.
It’s more common to see women competing in Australia, but prize money there only starts at around $7,000. In Yonkers, it’s a minimum of $15,000 to $20,000.
“We chased the money,” Tritton said. “It’s a lot more money generated in the States, and that’s what we were after, and better racing, and it’s what we got.”
The 29-year-old has two children, and her husband is part of her team training the horses. They have 30 horses in their barn at home in Orange County, which is almost two hours from the track, but the distance can’t take her away from the sport she’s loved from a young age, even if she is the only woman on the track.
“There’s a bit of banter and the female-male banter, but we all get along and the boys are really great and they’re very welcoming to me,” Tritton added.
A big racing series is coming up later this month. The MGM Borgata Pacing Series spans five weeks with horses earning points to land one of eight spots in the finals on April 24. Tritton will be competing for a spot, and total prize money among finalists is $500,000.
