david reid
David Reid is widely recognized as one of the most influential sales executives and bloodstock professionals in modern harness racing. Best known as the co‑founder and president of Preferred Equine Marketing (PEM), Reid has spent more than three decades shaping the commercial landscape of the Standardbred industry. Since launching Preferred with his longtime partner Geoff Stein in 1988, he has built the agency into the sport’s premier full‑service bloodstock operation, representing breeders and buyers across North America and abroad.
Along with Stein, Reid brokered the private sale of Hall of Famer Moni Maker in 1996 as a three-year-old and shared ownership with the Antonacci Family, Paul and Antoinette Nigito, and Harvey Gold. Reid traveled extensively in Europe to watch Moni Maker capture such events as the Elitloppet and Prix d’Amerique, and maintained ownership throughout her breeding career.
After Stein’s passing in 2012, Reid continued to expand the company’s reach, including its Thoroughbred division. Preferred Equine has now sold over 27,000 horses with sales of more than $500 million.
Reid’s expertise in bloodstock evaluation, market strategy and client representation has made him a central figure at the auction ring. Under Reid’s leadership, PEM’s consignments have become synonymous with excellence at the sport’s major auctions including the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, PA, often producing record‑setting results. He wears many hats in the horse business as president of Preferred Equine Marketing Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, president of Preferred Equine Online, Inc., sales manager at Tattersalls, co-sales manager at Lexington Selected Yearling Sales Company, syndicate manager for Walner, Winners Bet, Legendary Hanover and Cuatro De Julio and USA representative for Googoo Gaagaa.
In 2011 Reid successfully launched the first Standardbred sale on Equineline, a Thoroughbred application that maintains complete sales catalogs online that are updated with buyers’ information and sale prices. In February 2022, he expanded to selling horses with Preferred Equine Online.
Reid has mentored many young professionals and has been active in key industry organizations, including the Standardbred Transition Alliance, the Harness Horse Youth Foundation and the Graded Stakes Committee. His leadership extends to governance roles as well. Reid has served as a trustee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame since 2013 and as a director of the Hambletonian Society. In 2024 he received the United States Trotting Association’s President’s Award in recognition of his service and impact.
In 2025, Reid’s decades of influence and transformative contributions were honored with his election to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, the sport’s highest distinction. His induction reflects not only his personal accomplishments but also the pivotal role he has played in elevating the business side of harness racing.
Today, David Reid continues to guide Preferred Equine Marketing with the same vision and energy that have defined his career. His work remains essential to the sport’s economic vitality, and his reputation as a trusted advisor, market leader and ambassador for the Standardbred industry is firmly established.