Bodi Hopes To Transport Good Vibes

Rick Bodi will not be at Rideau Carleton Raceway to see his horses compete in the Grassroots Championship on Sunday night, but if J M Annie, Modern Music and Hava Kadabra have success you might be able to hear him cheering all the way from Pennsylvania

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"I hope we have a little bit of success," says Bodi, who will be at the yearling sale in Harrisburg, PA. "I won’t be in the winner’s circle, but I will be at the simulcast parlour in Pennsylvania watching it, oh yes I will be, I wouldn’t miss it."

Bodi’s occupation as the owner-operator of Rick Bodi Horse Transport has not allowed him to see many races, but in spite of that the Ottawa resident has enjoyed every moment of his membership in the Landmark II Racing Stable, which campaigned seven two-year-olds out of the Mark Steacy stable this season.

"Honestly, as a member of Landmark, it’s a lot of fun," enthuses Bodi. "There are great people in the group. You couldn’t ask for a nicer bunch of partners.

"And all the horses got to the races. What more can you ask for," he adds. "We had seven horses; seven raced, and three or four are paying their way and more."

Bodi grew up with horses — his mother Rae Bodi bred and owned RB Jet ($593,958), the leading trotting colt in the Ontario Sires Stakes program in 1976 and 1977 — and had a trainer’s license before starting his transport company more than two decades ago. The opportunity to get involved in the business again as an owner appealed to Bodi, and Landmark’s fractional ownership approach made it financially feasible.

"It’s a way for me to put a little back in the business, not a lot, but it’s a start," he explains. "I am putting back in to the business that I make my living from — the majority of my business is from Standardbreds."

Along with the other 29 members of Landmark II Racing Stable, Bodi owns what he jokingly refers to as four tail hairs of seven two-year-olds. Of those, three qualified for the Grassroots post season and all three advanced to Sunday’s Championship. Freshman trotting filly J M Annie will battle for her share of $100,000 from Post 4 in the second race, Modern Music tackles the freshman pacing filly field from Post 6 in the third race, and two-year-old trotting colt Hava Kadabra gets Post 7 in the fourth race.

J M Annie surprised her trainer and owners, and the Rideau Carleton Raceway fans, when she captured her Semifinal last Friday with a 2:02.1 effort from off the pace. Modern Music squeaked into the final with a fourth-place effort in the Semifinal round, and Hava Kadabra was nosed into second after carving all the fractions over an off track.

"I was really surprised at the grey mare (Modern Music). I did not expect her to come out that good because she was a late starter," notes Bodi. "I always liked Hava Kadabra. What Mr. Klemencic said was right on the money; he just won’t stop, he gives you his all."

Stan Klemencic is one of Bodi’s clients, and the breeder was singing Hava Kadabra’s praises long before Bodi knew the colt was part of the Landmark II Racing Stable package.

"He said to me, ‘I’ve never seen a colt like him. There’s no end to him, he keeps on going,’" recalls Bodi. "I was happy when he was part of the program."

Steve Byron will pilot J M Annie and Modern Music on Sunday, while Hava Kadabra gets the services of Canada’s leading reinsman Jody Jamieson. Bodi figures all three will have their work cut out for them against the top horses from the Grassroots program, and hopes Steacy’s impressive run of luck — the Lansdowne resident qualified six of nine starters for the Finals — extends for one more week.

"Let’s hope he has a little more luck this weekend," says the owner. "The competition is pretty tough, they don’t give the money away."

Sunday’s fierce competition gets under way at 6:30 pm. The Grassroots Finals are featured as Races 2 through 6 and 8 through 10 on the Rideau Carleton Raceway program of harness racing.

The card has been drawn and the entries can be viewed by clicking here.

To view a printable program of the card courtesy of TrackIT, click here.

(OSS)