Harness racing trainer and driver Gord Abbott has been a longtime fixture at Fraser Downs, but his 25-year-old son Mark is hoping to make a name for himself in the sport as he sends out the first B.C. Breeders Stakes contender from his own stable on Tuesday afternoon.
Like many young horsemen from racing families, Mark Abbott got his start with his father before venturing out to work for other stables in his late teens and toying with a few horses of his own.
While Abbott picked up a catch-drive in the B.C. Breeders Stakes during his rookie year as a reinsman in 2012 and has fond memories watching Classic Socks finish fourth in the rich 2005 finals as a co-owner with his father and older brother John, this year he will add a training start in the coveted championships to his resume.
Abbott is hoping he can make that start in the $75,000 Mary Murphy Breeders Stakes a winning one with three-year-old pacing filly Philly Collins.
Abbott acquired part ownership of the daughter of Brandons Cowboy when she moved into his care for her three-year-old season. The filly, also co-owned by Vancouver breeder Ken Eng and Surrey’s Jeff and Debbie Elchuk, did not make it to the races as a two-year-old due to an injury.
“She was a filly that as a two-year-old got trained down to about 2:07 or 2:08 and actually broke a sesamoid in her leg and they performed surgery on her and she didn’t come back until the New Year,” explained Abbott. “When I got her, she had been in about 2:30 or 2:40 coming back and then I trained her the rest of the way down and qualified her in the Spring time.
“Everything has been going good ever since the surgery. When I got her she was in perfect form.”
Philly Collins was a close runner-up in the Marian Young Memorial and scored back-to-back 1:59.1 victories in April. While the B.C. Breeders Stakes were the main target for the long-legged Alberta-sired filly, she was paid up into the Alberta Sires Stakes so her connections decided to send her East for the summer with Tim Brown to try her luck at Alberta Downs.
“She raced okay out there, but I’m not sure she liked the mile track a whole lot,” said Abbott.
Back in her home province for Fraser's Fall/Winter meet and the B.C. Breeders Stakes, Philly Collins took a new mark of 1:58.1 in off racing conditions during the second preliminary leg on Sept. 19, defeating Rick White’s division star T Squared by a neck. She also earned close second-place finishes in the opening leg on Sept. 12 and fourth round on Oct. 31.
“She’s going into the stakes this weekend really well,” said Abbott. “She’s on the top of her game.”
Fraser’s leading horseman Bill Davis will drive Philly Collins, who has drawn post four in the sixth race final and is the 7-2 second choice to post one starter T Squared on the morning line.
Abbott said his filly has good gate speed and he is hoping she can capitalize off the momentum his post position can sustain off the gate over the inner posts at Fraser Downs. “I’m hoping she can get off the gate good and get a good trip out there,” said Abbott, noting the filly is still learning and seems to race better covered up.
“T Squared is the threat for sure," he said, assessing the competition. "She pretty well swept the stakes other than the one start I beat her with my mare. Especially with the rail, he [Rick White] has more control of the race and what’s going to happen because his mare is pretty handy. He’s definitely the threat, but I’m hoping she’ll be good enough to take them down.”
Abbott also commented on Robert Murphy Breeders Stakes contender Beach Boy, whom he drove early in his career for his father. Seaspray Stables’ Beach Boy was victorious in the third preliminary round of the Breeders Stakes and will be starting from post two in the three-year-old pacing colt final with his brother driving.
“I drove him early in his career," said Abbott. "He was a very strong-mouthed horse. He would get way too worked up when the gate left. I mentioned to my dad because my brother is a little stronger than me to try John on him and nothing but good things have come from that.
"He’s just a strong-headed horse, but he’s got great gate speed and he ripped off a couple of pretty good miles here in the last month so I think he could have a shot as long as he behaves himself.”
First race post time for the province's richest day in harness racing is 12:45 p.m. (Pacific Time)
To view Tuesday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Tuesday Entries - Fraser Downs.