Meet Ed Bubolz, the starter at Colonial Downs who works intently in the mornings just so he is able push a button nine times at different points of the afternoon. Bubolz oversees every detail associated with loading a field of horses into the starting gate prior to a race and then hoping for — and witnessing — a fair and equitable start for all.
Given the surface and distance changes of each race, his work area can get quite hectic and stressful — especially since Colonial has three different courses — the 1-1/4 miles dirt track, an inner turf course and an outer turf course. On a grass race for instance, the starting gate has to be moved to its appropriate location then rolled onto the turf over a series of wooden boards that are laid down one by one by an army of workers — to avoid damaging the surface. Once the gate moves across and into its final position, Bubolz’s gate crew begins loading horses in by post position order. Once the final horse is secure, Bubolz releases the field — by pushing a button. Then it’s on to the next race and chances are, it’s at a new location.
“We’ve got to move,” he said. “There’s no time to waste in that process. The clock is not our friend. It’s constantly moving. If we run a one mile dirt race from the chute and the next race starts on the outer turf in front of the grandstand, getting the gate over there, around, and set in time is stressful. It can only travel so fast. It’s portable but its not like you’re driving a tractor trailer down the road. We keep it at 10 miles an hour.”
The race may be the final product fans see, but lots of work and man hours go into getting a field of horses to that point — and it starts in the early morning hours on race days and non-race days. Daily training and workouts begin at 5:30 AM and gate schooling, which Bubolz and his crew conduct, extends from 6:30 AM – 9 AM. With 800 horses stabled in the backstretch, it’s a time consuming but very necessary job.
“That’s pretty much the foundation of what we do,” he said. “Our work in the morning shows in the afternoon. Those couple hours we put in are challenging. Getting horses acclimated to the gate, the schooling itself, getting them prepared and okayed to compete in a race — it’s all part of the process.”
Come race time, Bubolz and his team take notes on every horse that comes to the gate and what they are doing. “We grade each of their performances and note any techniques we can apply to make the loading process go more smoothly for them next time. It’s a lot of paperwork. We just try to keep track of everything. Before every race starts, I’ll assign horses to individuals on the crew. I’ll hand out the marks, tell everybody what to expect from the horse and come up with a game plan for the load in. My goal is to load horses as efficiently as possible. ‘Slow is smooth and smooth is fast’ is a phrase I tend to use. Sometimes if you’re in a rush, it blows up in your face.”
Other Bubolz crunch time phrases include ‘Give him some daylight’, ‘Open the front doors’, ‘Get behind him and try to pack him in’, and ‘Spin him, grab his tail and try to keep him straight’.
“Different techniques apply at different times,” he continued. “I generally stay behind the gate and watch the loading process until there are two or three horses left. Then I’ll go to the front of the gate, assess the field and wait for the last horse to load before it’s showtime. I’ve never tried so hard to do so good at something in my life as this job. I’m my own worst critic. Even if it goes good, I’m looking for ways to improve. I’ve got a great crew though so that helps immensely.”
Colonial Downs just hosted its annual “Festival of Racing” card August 9 which featured the Grade 1 Arlington Million and generated a handle of over $10.4 million. Asked is he treats big days any differently than he would a normal race card, Bubolz replied, “Generally a race is a race. Honestly, the big days attract good horses that are well bred and are well taken care of. It’s almost like driving a Cadillac. They generally are easier to work with. It’s not always the case, but generally is,” he laughed. “There’s pressure on those days though. The world is watching. You want to do your best. You hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I carry that attitude though for every race on every day. You always want the best.”
Bubolz has been the starter at Colonial since 2020. He is also the starter at Tampa Bay Downs which creates a near year-round niche and source of income. Bubolz comes from a racing family. His father was a horse trainer and his mother’s parents were too. The family moved from Pennsylvania to Finger Lakes when he was five years old. He was raised there and has been in the game since he graduated high school.
Bubolz and his crew have a dangerous job that involves lots of moving parts and plenty of risk. “To me, every day is a good day when we all get to go home. My first, second and third priorities are all about safety. Essentially, we all want the same thing — horses, jockeys, trainers, grooms — to be able to go home at the end of a race day.”
