From a small stable and family operation, Windsun Revenge makes his way to the stakes stage on Saturday, September 10 when trainer Jeff Durham sends him to the track for the second of two $40,000 eliminations for the Maple Leaf Trot.

Durham, who operates a stable of eight horses, entered the harness racing business through his father, who continued his training career when Durham was young after taking a break.

“He was in the business before and couldn’t afford to stay in it,” Durham said. “But he got back into it, not in a big way. He has a couple of horses.

“We’re training two horses here,” Durham also said. “We also have a couple of yearlings, a two-year-old, a broodmare, my daughter’s riding horse, and we got an old horse here; 34 years old. There are 10 horses here on the farm.”

Windsun Revenge, a five-year-old gelding by Kadabra from the Balanced Image mare Oaklea Polly, is owned by Jeff Durham along with his partner Robert Van Camp. Durham has been a partner with Van Camp for over 20 years, selling horse feed through Van Camp’s Brooks Performance Horse Feed.

Van Camp is the co-owner and breeder of Windsun Revenge. He shared ownership of the horse’s dam, Oaklea Polly, with Harley Harkness of Uxbridge, Ont., who operates Windsun Farm which explains the gelding’s first name. The ‘Revenge’ part was in honour of the television show Revenge which starred Van Camp’s daughter, Emily, who is also known for her roles on Everwood and Brothers And Sisters. The show aired from 2010-2015 on ABC.

In 57 starts, Windsun Revenge has won 12, with nine seconds and 12 thirds, amassing $248,643 in earnings over his career. His four-year-old campaign, which accounted for 23 of his 57 starts, was abbreviated by a quarter-crack injury. Before his injury, Windsun Revenge was racing at the Preferred level at Mohawk Racetrack.

“Rick [Zeron] has drove him more than anybody, but so did Randy [Waples], and they thought he’d be a decent horse, but he popped a quarter-crack. We gave him some time off and brought him back in February. He finished third in a Preferred, but then, a couple weeks later, his blood kept dropping, and one thing led to another, so we’ve been stopping and starting him since February.

“The last start before I quit with him was the end of June and he was absolutely no good,” Durham also said. “We’ve been trying to find out the problems with him, and I went to see a few vets. I ended up going to Dr. Melissa McKee, and she has helped me out tremendously with this horse. She gave me some directions on how to deal with him and he seems to be getting sounder and happier.”

Windsun Revenge returned to the track on August 19 in a qualifier at Mohawk. He went gate to wire in 1:54.2 with Rick Zeron driving, trotting home in :27.3.

“When we qualified him, Rick said that he’s not the same horse he has ever driven,” Durham said.

Off his qualifier, Windsun Revenge won two races in a row, trotting in 1:53 and then in 1:52, winning by a combined 10 lengths.

“He won his next start, and Rick said to put him in the Maple Leaf Trot,” Durham said. “I told him that I’d like to give him one more start, which we did and he went in [1]:52, though Rick said he could’ve gone in [1]:50, [1]:51. We thought he deserves a chance; we’ve already paid the $4,500 to keep him eligible, so we thought ‘Hey, why not?’

“We’re not going into it thinking we’re just going to go around for a trip. Rick has the confidence that this horse has the ability to do a good showing.”

Durham said he wanted to give Windsun Revenge one more start before the Maple Leaf Trot to solidify his confidence, but he was going to be entered regardless after his mile on August 26.

“I believe he’s coming into the elimination just as good as anybody else is coming into it,” Durham also said. “In his qualifier and last two starts, Rick has never pulled the plugs. In his last start, at the head of the stretch, Rick never showed him the whip. Halfway through the lane, he showed him the whip and the horse just took off into another gear. But we’ll need luck. Any horse needs luck, that’s for sure.”

Rick Zeron will once again drive Windsun Revenge from post four on Saturday.

“Rick is a huge asset,” Durham said. “Rick has always gotten along with the horse, and he drove him as a two-year-old for a few starts and then when he was three and four, but Rick got away from driving him because he had other obligations and one for the [Preferred] class. He’s a straight-shooter; he would’ve told me if he didn’t think this horse didn’t have a shot.”

Windsun Revenge competes against Hannelore Hanover, Ron Burke’s star mare trotter, as well as world-champion JL Cruze and 2013 Elitlopp winner Nahar.

“I’m confident,” Durham said about his chances. “I have a driver who’s confident, and the horse is as sound as he has ever been. I have done all my homework on him to keep him sound. If you ask me, I think our chances are just as good as everybody else’s.”

“He can get off the wings just as quick as anybody else can,” Durham also said. “He can get himself into the race. Based off how he last raced, they were going pretty hard on the quarter; they went an eighth in :12.3, but, in the last eighth, if somebody had a clock on him it would’ve been wicked.”

Durham said that winning the Maple Leaf Trot would mean a lot for him and Robert, who might have access to some expertise on what it takes to win this prestigious race.

“Rod Hughes has won three Maple Leaf Trots and he shoes the horse for me,” Durham said. “Rodney’s done a good job shoeing the horse, and he’s kind of a small guy too to have a horse like [San Pail]. Robert’s dad, Glenn Van Camp, owned San Pail.”

“For Rob and I it means a lot,” Durham also said. “We’re both really good friends, and at the end of the day, we both deserve a good horse. It’s nice to see a little guy have a shot.”

Race 6: Maple Leaf Trot – Elimination #1 – Purse: $40,000

1. Lookslikeachpndale – Sylvain Filion – Luc Blais – 7-2
2. Shake It Cerry – David Miller – Jimmy Takter – 4-1
3. Whiskey Tax – Randy Waples – Tom Durand – 12-1
4. Flanagan Memory – Chris Christoforou – Rene Dion – 2-1
5. Resolve – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt – 9-5
6. Musical Rhythm – Mario Baillargeon – Ben Baillargeon – 10-1

Race 9: Maple Leaf Trot – Elimination #2 – Purse: $40,000

1. Il Sogno Dream – Scott Zeron – Chris Beaver – 5-1
2. JL Cruze – John Campbell – Eric Ell – 7-2
3. Etruscan Hanover – Mario Baillargeon – Ben Baillargeon – 6-1
4. Windsun Revenge – Rick Zeron – Jeff Durham – 8-1
5. Hannelore Hanover – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke – 4-5
6. Nahar – Ake Svanstedt – Robert Bergh – 8-1

Post time for Saturday’s sensational 13-race card is 7:30 p.m. To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Ray Cotolo)