Hunter Myers was a rising young star in the world of harness racing. He claimed nearly 2,500 wins in his driving career, and was ranked among the top harness racing jockeys in 2022 and in 2024.
Sadly, all of that came to a horrible end last Wednesday at a harness track in western Pennsylvania. An accident on the track caused several horses and riders to collide. Hunter Myers was gravely injured. Sadly, the 27-year-old sportsman succumbed to his injuries. This link shares the heartbreaking details.
The standardbred world is absolutely devastated by this loss. It didn’t matter if Hunter Myers raced in one track or in a hundred tracks; he was still a part of the pacing and trotting community. Several tracks went dark for a day or two in Hunter Myers’ memory. Others raced while wearing green and white silk ribbons, the colors most associated with Hunter Myers’ racing career.
Thus Sunday, the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association will host a charity auction and fundraiser, with the proceeds going to Myers’ family. The many donations and gifts available at this event include gift cards from various merchants, a golf package from Brookhaven Golf Course, a collection of harness racing-related supplies and equipment … and this artwork, donated by me.
I created Memories of Saratoga during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the collage is a visual capture of what Saratoga Springs might mean to them in one form or another. There’s vintage betting slips from the flat track (no, I don’t know if they’re still good after all these years, you take them to the betting window and you find out for yourself), a ton of old labels from Saratoga’s various mineral water companies, and some postcards and a vintage stereopticon print.
Yeah, I got creative during the pandemic.
But now this artwork needs a new home. And if it can help raise some extra funds for the family of Hunter Myers, then I’m totally fine with that.
The fundraiser for Hunter Myers will take place this Sunday, March 23rd at the Saratoga Casino Hotel during the Sunday pacer racing card. Raffle tickets for the various products can be purchased at the track; there will also be a 50/50 draw.
This is all for a good cause.
Trust me. This is worth it.
Chuck The Writer 
Wicked turn of events, a laudable gesture on your part.
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