by Chris Lomon

Cameron Kina looked the part long before his wheels touched the racetrack for the first time.

The path to a life in horse racing began, of all places, in front of the television in his parents’ house.

“I would sit in the house and play with the racing whips and pretend I was driving,” Kina said. “Ever since I was old enough, my dad would take me out on the jog cart, and I loved it. Racing has been a dream of mine for as long I can remember.”

In 2023, that long-held dream became a reality when Kina made his first two starts in the sulky.

This year, he added the role of trainer to his resume.

On April 29, Kina recorded his first training win, the victory coming at Miami Valley in Lebanon, OH.

Threefiftytwo, a trotting son of Royalty For Life—Two Damsals, was sent on his way as the 5-1 fourth choice in the field of 10 for the evening’s 13th dash.

In rein to Samuel Widger, the brown gelding was two lengths behind the leader after three-quarters in 1:26.

“I had a lot of people in my corner, hoping to get me that first training win,” Kina said. “I thought he could win the race when I first looked at the program. He’s a hard-trying horse and he gives his heart out there. We had a perfect 2-hole trip. Sam pulled him out and he just wouldn’t go by the leader. I kept urging him on from where I was standing. Sam was telling him, ‘We’ve got to do this for Cameron.’”

And they did, by a scant head, in 1:55.3.

“My grandmother [Barb Carpenter] was there — she drove down with me to the track — so the win was even more special,” Kina said. “She was so happy.”

There was more elation to come less than three months later.

On July 15, at Oak Harbor, the half-mile Ohio oval, Kina was in the sulky for the 10th race, a pace with a purse of $3,562 and six starters.

The pacer he partnered that evening, Catch Me Conrad, was a familiar face.

“I have been around this horse since I was a young kid,” he said. “Greg Cook, a great family friend who is like an uncle to me, would say, ‘When you are old enough to drive, I’ll let you drive him.’”

Kina was determined to make his first race with Cook’s bay gelding a winning one.

The 2-5 odds showing beside their number on the infield tote board suggested it was well within their grasp.

Floating off the gate to settle into second through an opening panel in :27.4, Kina then gave Catch Me Conrad his cue.

“I knew there was no way we were going to lose,” he said. “I knew this horse inside and out. It was amazing. Once I got to the front on the backside, I looked back and I felt his strength in my hands and I said, ‘We’re not losing this.’ As soon as we turned for home, he kept going.”

At the wire, the pair was seven lengths clear of their closest pursuer. They stopped the clock in 1:56.1.

“He’s a great horse,” Kina said. “He wants to do all the work for me. It was the best feeling. It really was a dream come true.”

Although his milestone first training and driving wins could not have been more different, Kina’s work ethic, approach to racing, and care of his stable of four horses has remained unchanged.

His knowledge of the sport and passion for it continues to expand by the day.

“I wanted to be a driver, but my dad always told me that I needed to know the horses, how to take care of them, what they need – so I did that, and I fell in love with the horses,” Kina said. “They are wonderful animals. I learned more and more about them, the equipment, what to look for. I started leaning more towards training than driving, but I still love to drive.”

Support is always close at hand.

“I got a ton, not just from my family,” Kina said. “My mom [Jennifer Carpenter], my dad, [John Kina], and grandma – they are there to encourage me.”

Each one provides Cameron with invaluable, albeit different, advice.

“My dad is the smartest person I know,” Cameron said. “He was in the business but got out of it a little while ago. He’s like an encyclopedia – if I need to know something, I go to him. My mom is always there for me. If I had a bad day training or driving, she’s there to tell me it’s alright.”

As for his grandmother, hands-on help and straight-forward encouragement are always in ample supply.

“My grandma is there to kick my butt if I need it,” he said. “She helps out in the barn. She’s going to be 78, but she is going strong and does everything.”

In a year of firsts, Cameron has found his best stride, finding himself more comfortable than he has ever been in his career, and eager to hone his craft.

Looking back on his first full season, the 19-year-old horseman — he celebrated his birthday on Dec. 2 — is grateful for what he has accomplished in 2024.

“I learned that I could do more than I thought I could,” he said. “I have four horses and help my mom with hers. I just know more now than I ever did. There is still more to learn, and I am ready to do that. It started out slow, but I understand I am young, and I appreciated any drive I got. On the training side, the horses have been very good lately, which has been nice.

“The more horses I have been working with, the more my dad has taught me. I am doing more each day without going to him, but if I do have questions, I know he will have the answers.”

Cameron, who excelled at basketball, baseball, and football, is also working on achieving some personal goals, including adding a few more pacers and trotters to his operation.

“I have two more qualifiers for my pari-mutuel license, so I’m looking forward to having that first race,” he said. “I also want to have a bigger stable. Right now, I have four of my own, so I would like to get a few more. Those are my goals for now.

“So far, it’s going well, and I hope it gets even better.”

And while he is part of an industry he was perhaps destined to be in, Cameron hasn’t taken any of his good fortune for granted.

It is something he is reminded of the moment he sets foot in the barn each morning.

“I love the horses,” he said. “They go out and give you everything they’ve got. Why wouldn’t you do the same for them? They deserve the greatest care you can give them.”