Their father, John Stubits, born into a horse and harness racing family, has been an active trainer-driver for decades and operates the L&B Tack Shop at Monticello Raceway. Growing up, they spent weekends and summers at the track with their father. After graduating from Canandaigua High School in 1995, they became more involved and spent more time in the barn. As fate would have it, there were a pair of brothers who happened to be on the backstretch at the same time: Greg (Barb) and Mike Merton (Liz). As it turned out, both men would become lifelong partners.
Liz and Barb, collectively known as the “Stubits Girls,” have been a tremendous asset to Monticello Raceway’s publicity department for years. On holidays and special occasions such as Halloween, the 4th of July and Christmas, the girls always have their horses decked out in festival-themed equipment and matching colors.
In September, when local rider Jim Taggart Jr. was struggling with health issues, Barb and Liz sprang into action and coordinated the logistics and fundraising of a very successful golf outing on his behalf. The event raised significant much-needed funds for a fellow rider in need.
Although they have always worked directly with harness horses, both girls are also avid animal lovers. Liz still has her favorite horse of all time, 28-year-old Fox Valley Kincade, for Barb his Swan credit. They have cared for these Standardbreds all their lives and are part of the family.
Both girls have also worked in the Mighty M paddock to keep race days running smoothly for decades, in various capacities including, but not limited to: catching paddocks, cleaning and distributing saddle numbers, completing equipment card, washing colors of drivers and trainers, etc.
The girls also continue to play highly competitive softball for L&B Tack, a team that has captured several local championships and has been around for decades, albeit with a variety of lineups. They are most proud of the team’s 79-0 record, a benchmark that will likely last forever.
When former Monticello Raceway track photographer Geri Schwartz passed away suddenly, there was immediate concern about how to fill the void. Barb and Liz recalled a conversation in which Geri told her friends, “If anything ever happened to her, she was afraid they would never be able to fill the position of job photographer.”
At that moment, they knew they had a duty to fulfill their friend’s final wishes.
“We were never interested in it [the job] not at all. The only way we found out was to cover for her when she threw us to the wolves,” Liz said.
Schwartz took a chance and let them figure it out for themselves, giving them tips and encouragement.
“It was easier said than done. It’s not as easy as it seems just taking pictures.” Liz commented. “There was a big learning curve and to this day we are still learning the ropes.”
“Barb does most of the shooting; I do the editing,” Liz continued.
“Sometimes we have to juggle things when we have horse races. We couldn’t have done this work without the help of our children Joey and Melanie. They are there for us when we have to paddock horses or have appointments.”
“It’s just not right that Monticello Raceway doesn’t have a photographer,” Barb added.
“We’ve met some great people while taking photos and had some great interactions with some fans and we’ve become very friendly with a lot of them; they bring us treats and hand warmers!” Liz said.
“Monticello Raceway is a better place because of Barb and Liz,” said Eric Warner, Monticello Raceway racing secretary. “They always think of the riders and are the first to step up when someone is in need.”
When the Monticello-Goshen USHWA Chapter holds their 66th annual Awards Banquet presented by the New York Sire Stakes on Sunday, December 7, 2025, Barb Merton and Liz Stubits will receive the Mighty M Award of Appreciation.
This year, the chapter once again has the opportunity to include the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) and USTA’s District 8 Awards, which will complement the year-end awards for horses and horse people from the local tracks.
In addition, the Monticello-Goshen USHWA Chapter will award Moira Fanning the chapter’s highest honor, their Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Monticello-Goshen Chapter will also honor Ralph Scunziano (Excelsior Award); Keith Hamilton (John Gilmour Good Guy Award); Janet Durso (Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award); James Crawford IV (Cradle of the Trotter Breeders Award); Dylan Huckabone-Miller (Rising Star Award); Jessica Hallett (Phil Pines Award); and Brenna Gill (caregiver of the year). The event’s dinner sponsor is the Hambletonian Society and Breeders Crown.
Funds raised through the pastry and souvenir magazine have allowed the Monticello-Goshen Chapter to donate more than $150,000 to Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame over the past twenty years. The track and the museum are two separate and distinct entities that share the same hallowed ground and a common goal: to preserve and promote harness racing.
The practice of raising money and donating money to Historic Track and the Hall of Fame began in the mid-1970s with publicity icon John Manzi of Monticello Raceway, and has continued ever since.
Additional information can be found on our website: monticellogoshen.com
Tickets for the gala event at The Country Club at Otterkill, Campbell Hall, NY, can be reserved by contacting Shawn Wiles at (845) 798-4074, or email: swiles@rwcatskills.com
From the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of USHWA
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