Andy Ray, a recent addition to the open trotters ranks at Miami Valley Raceway, captured the $25,000 Barry Langley Memorial on Sunday afternoon, March 10.
The seven-year-old gelding, who banked $175,343 racing primarily at Yonkers Raceway in 2018, was greeted in an emotional makeshift-backstretch winner’s circle by over 100 members of Langley’s family, friends and fellow horsemen still in shock over the sudden and unexpected passing of the likeable trainer on Wednesday at age 33.
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Driver Elliott Deaton chose the gate-to-wire strategy for favoured Andy Ray’s second local start and the gelded son of Crazed responded with a 1:55.2 tempo-setting score. Longshot Flight Of The Kiwi pressed first over to wear down the winner, but fell one-half length short at the finish. Pine Dream, the winner of the last two top weekly trots, managed a two-hole trip despite an assigned outside post position, but found no racing room late and settled for third.
Anette Lorentzon trains Andy Ray for owner Yinson Quezada. He now sports 22 wins in 110 career starts and earnings of $545,735.
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Calling hours for Barry Langley will be from 5-9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 at the Shorten & Ryan Funeral Home, located at 400 Reading Rd., Mason, Ohio. Funeral services will take place at the funeral home at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. A Celebration of Barry Langley’s Life will follow the funeral in the banquet room attached to the old Race Office building at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Lebanon.
Memorial donations are suggested to the Barry Langley Fund, earmarked to benefit Barry’s beloved four-year-old daughter Lucy Jean. Contributions will be collected at the calling hours, the post-funeral celebration gathering, or can be mailed to: Barry Langley Fund, c/o Lebanon Citizens National Bank, P. O. Box 59, Lebanon, OH 45036.
(with files from Miami Valley)