There are a lot of great qualities that horsemen look for when it comes to horses, and one of the most important factors is finding one that can win. Match Bayama certainly
falls into that category.
A 1:55 victory in Sunday evening’s $14,000 Preferred Pace at Rideau Carleton Raceway was just the first win of the season for Match Bayama, but it was the 33rd of his career.
Sent off as an 8-1 outsider in his second start off the bench, the Sebastien Giroux trainee was quite content to settle into the three-hole for driver John MacDonald while Best Show In Town and race favourite Did It Again went toe-to-toe to the quarter pole in :27.2. The latter eventually muscled his way to the lead, but he quickly came under attack from Amazon Art.
Did It Again and Amazon Art scrapped through middle splits of :57 and 1:25.2, and all that battling set things up for someone to close from the backfield and that someone was Match Bayama. Still sitting fourth at the head of the lane, MacDonald angled Match Bayama into contention and the pacer used a :29.1 final frame to pull off the half-length decision over a very game Did It Again. Third prize went to Best Show In Town, who was a lapped-on third.
Les Ecuries Giroux Inc, and Claude Giroux of Quebec share ownership on the photogenic gelding who has banked more than $325,000 in his career.
Sunday evening’s 14-race program also included the second round of the Ton Of Pace Pacing Series, with the $5,900 divisions going to Reign Of Fire (1:56.2), Mach Flight (1:56), Le Roi Lion (1:58) and Keep In Control (1:58.1).
The $12,500 (est.) final of the Ton Of Pace Pacing Series is scheduled for Sunday, March 28 at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
To view Sunday’s results, click here.