Chuck Spina attributes his long-standing training career, which began in 1971, to a simple motivation: enjoyment. “I love what I do; otherwise, why would I be up between 3:45 and 4 a.m. every day, including weekends?” he said.
As he starts to ease off with his mainly New Jersey-bred stable ahead of the winter break for his horses, the 78-year-old trainer plans to enter two more races on Friday night during the Monmouth at Meadowlands meet. He will send out Command Attention in the opening race, stepping down from maiden special weight to a $25,000 maiden claimer to face open company, and Slick Merlin in the featured fifth race—a five-furlong turf sprint for Jersey-breds.
These races will mark his first starters at Meadowlands this year. “I’m definitely winding down for the season,” Spina shared. “We’ll shelve our Jersey-breds for winter and then get them ready for the start of the Monmouth Park meet. I’ll enter a few races at Penn National during winter, but mainly we’re freshening our New Jersey horses for Monmouth.”
Spina remains a model of consistency at Monmouth, having secured a top-10 finish in the trainer standings for the fourth year running this past summer. Out of 83 starters, he notched 10 wins, including victories in the Charles Hesse III Handicap with Happy Offering and the Jersey Girl Handicap with Jewel of the Ocean. While he had more wins (15) with more starters (99) at last year’s Monmouth meet, this year still proved successful.
“It’s been a solid year,” he said. “I have 11 wins overall, including two stakes victories, two second-place finishes in stakes, and 19 runner-up spots at Monmouth. My horses have been competitive.”
Mostly training for Joe and Gayle Ioia’s Colts Neck-based Prancing Horse Farm, Spina admits that the winter months can become dull. This downtime often leads him to ponder what life would be like if he retired. “I do this because I love the sport,” he said. “Even after more than 50 years at Monmouth, I enjoy racing here as much as ever. When I think about retiring, I wonder what I’d do with my time.”
He reminisced, “I used to have a boat and enjoyed fishing, but no longer do those things. I always thought I’d take up golf, but I never did. Winter isn’t fun—you’re not racing, not earning money, and it’s boring. But that’s just part of my routine.”
Now living in Monmouth Beach, N.J., Spina holds 541 official career wins per Equibase records, though these only date back to 1976 and don’t include his earliest victories from 1971 to 1975. “I won my first race at Aqueduct in 1971 when I was 22,” he recalled. “I certainly never imagined I’d still be doing this at my age. You have to truly love what you do to keep going this long.”
This article originally appeared in the News section of Paulick Report on October 7, 2026. To add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source, click here.
Fan Take: Chuck Spina’s remarkable longevity and passion highlight the deep dedication found in horse racing, reminding fans of the sport’s rich traditions and personal stories. His ongoing presence ensures that experienced trainers continue to cultivate competitive fields and inspire new generations within the racing community.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
