Ramegade Bruiser Retired

After a career spanning nine years on the racetrack, 209 starts and close to $1.2 million in earnings, Ramegade Bruiser has been retired.

Owner and trainer Dave Brown of Cannington, Ont. confirmed the news to Trot Insider during a recent interview.

"I drove him those last few starts at Grand River and you can just tell he's pinching; he's trying but he just can't do what he used to do, obviously," said Brown. "I don't want to ever throw him into a claimer and cheapen him. He's been too good to me."

The son of Rambaran-Love You Dear has purchased by Brown from Standardbred Canada's Spring Fling Mixed Sale as a lightly-raced three-year-old in 2006 for just $3,500.

"I was just looking for another horse to race, honestly. But I liked him because he was still a maiden and he showed some fast lines -- he paced in :58 as a two-year-old over Woodstock and he'd paced some :quarters in :27 over Woodbine...it just looked like he had a little bit of step to him."

After Brown qualified him, 'Bruiser' certainly showed he had more than just some step. He reeled off six wins in seven starts at Kawartha, Georgian, Flamboro Downs and Grand River Raceway before stepping up to face tougher competition at Mohawk. It was in this start that Brown first got a glimpse of what was in store.

"I took him to Mohawk, and he paced in :50 and change, home in :27 and that's when I thought to myself, whoa, we might have something here," said Brown. "It showed me he could race with these horses."

Ramegade Bruiser went on to post five consecutive $100,000-plus seasons, including back-to-back $300,000-plus seasons in 2008 and 2009. His biggest win came in the 2009 Spring Pacing Championship final, defeating a solid group of aged pacers to take horse the lion's share of the $87,000 purse.

"When he was on his game he was one tough, little customer. He took them all on."

Brown fondly recalls his win in the Spring Pacing Championship, as well as a 2008 win an overnight at Woodbine that served as a testament to the Bruiser's toughness.

"I remember Jody [Jamieson] had Mr Saratoga and he come at him up the backside. And actually, around the last turn, went by him and opened up," recalled Brown. "And then 'Bruiser' came right back on, went by him and won. It was like the horse went by him and he said 'nope'. He dug in and found another gear."

A winner of 49 races lifetime, including 13 at WEG's Open level and seven Opens in a row at one point, Ramegade Bruiser will now live out his retirement years as a riding horse at Brown's farm.