Michael “Mick” Foster appreciates those who gave him a shot when he was a young man, so now he is giving back.

Foster, a Luckey resident and co-owner with his wife Nancy of standard bred filly Shez Jess Nice, was a harness racehorse driver from 1989-2004.

Foster and his trainer Tyler Bates were looking for someone to ride Shez Jess Nice earlier this summer.

They landed on 20-year-old Case Bateson, a 2020 Bowling Green High School graduate. It paid off for everyone involved.

Tuesday at the Wood County Fair, in the fifth race, Bateson took Shez Jess Nice to a first-place ride, running a 2:05.4 during the mile-long run. It was Bateson’s first ride ever at his hometown track.

“It was like driving a Cadillac,” Bateson said. “It was as easy as it gets right there. You could not have scripted that any better. Shez seems to be the real deal.”

Foster says Bateson and Shez Jess Nice are the perfect fit. In three starts, the pair have combined for two first places, including the Seneca County Fair, and one second place at the Ottawa County Fair.

“He did an excellent job. He’s just young and he’s done a fantastic job for us,” Foster said.

“Ty and I were going back and forth figuring out somebody who would fit her. And a lot of people, back when I was racing, or starting out, gave me the opportunity,” he said. “Being a young kid like Case is today, I just thought it would be a great fit for him to get an opportunity.”

Case Bateson’s father, Ohio Harness Horseman Association President Steve Bateson, said Foster has a keen eye for picking a driver.

“Mick was a driver-trainer himself and he recognizes how hard it is to get started in this sport,” Steve Bateson said. “He drove at Oak Harbor, and then he got the opportunity to drive Mick’s horse at Tiffin (Seneca County Fair).

“He won at Tiffin and then he got to drive yesterday. Mick had his whole family here and it was a little bit pressure packed watching with his family and then watching my son drive.”

Credit Shez Jess Nice, too. In the last seven starts, Shez has finished first four times under four different drivers.

“She’s pretty gritty. She’s a little bit on the small side, but she’s really gritty,” Foster said. “She gives everything she’s got.”

The Fosters have owned Shez for two years, purchasing the Ohio bred for $20,000. Shez has earned the Foster team $7,330 in her previous six races leading up to the Wood County Fair.

Solid career start

In less than two years driving, Bateson has 15 career wins, including eight this year. The win Tuesday was his first drive on the Wood County track. He got his license a year ago.

“As a father, you always want your kids to do well, and this is a sport that I’ve always enjoyed,” Steve Bateson said. “He enjoyed it as a youngster and wanted to be in the business.”

Case has worked for several trainers and drivers throughout the region and is currently working for a trainer at a stable at Northfield Park in Southfield, Michigan.

“I think Case is a pretty quick study and he’s getting started at the right age. If you want to be a driver, you have to be a little bit courageous to some degree,” Steve said. “He’s more experienced and he has to be a little patient, and it is hard to explain that to a youngster that he needs to be patient.”

Case started on the side of the business that requires a pitchfork and shovel.

“It just takes experience. You have got to start from the bottom,” Case said. “I mucked stalls as a kid, and eventually you graduate to sitting behind a few horses.

“Eventually over time one thing leads to another and if you can prove yourself, you’re driving. I’ve been really fortunate and blessed guys like Mick Foster have given me an opportunity.”

Bateson was to drive two more races on Wednesday’s card at the Wood County Fair, but they were among the last four races canceled after thunderstorms rolled through Bowling Green.

“I thought I had a chance with another one today, but the weatherman said nope. But we end up batting 1.000. One drive, one win,” Case said.

All in the family

Harness racing is typically a family affair, and so it is with the Bateson family.

“Dad started as a hobby horseman — he wasn’t full time making a living — and I was going to harness races with him as a kid running around, I loved it,” Case said. “If I could make a living doing this, sign me up with that and so far, here we are.”

Steve Bateson began as a horse owner in 1986, just after graduating from Bowling Green High School.

“The year I graduated from high school I used part of my graduation money and bought a small part of my first horse,” Steve Bateson said. “My parents weren’t that impressed, but it was nonetheless my money, and I bought my horse with a local horseman from Rudolph.”

Steve Bateson attended Ohio State University. Soon after, his start in the business took a hiatus, but that did not last.

“I owned horses for a few years after I graduated from college and after I got married, I got out of the horse business,” Steve said. “We moved our family back from Indiana in 2004 and I kind of got back into the business.”

When his son won on Tuesday, Steve was in the stands broadcasting for the OHHA radio service.

Steve served as a director for the Ohio Harness Horseman Association until becoming the association’s president four years ago.

“We started the COVID year broadcasting fairs because fans could not go to the races, and basically kind of created a monster because the fans have enjoyed it so much,” Steve said. “We’re trying as an organization to broadcast all 65 fairs and many of those fairs race two days, sometimes three. So, we have crews around the state.

“Whenever I’m available, I try to help my OHHA team. Even though I’m the president, I’m a volunteer,” he said. “I’ve got a full-time job and I try to help our broadcast team, provide a little bit of insight, and this is my home fair and I try to make it successful.”