Friday night was a very special night for reinsman Ray Fisher, Jr., as the Ohio native recorded his 3,000th win guiding Faith N Moon to a neck victory in the tenth race here at Buffalo Raceway
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“I never thought I would get to a 1,000, let alone 3,000”, said Fisher. My mentor was John Campbell. He was poetry in motion and when I was driving at the Meadowlands at the age of 20, I just idolized him. I won the first three races I drove at the Meadowlands, and I knew this is what I wanted to do”.
Born in Geauga Ohio, Fisher, now 42, started out helping his dad, who was a trainer. “I never thought back then, that I could make a living driving horses”, said Fisher. “I’m still amazed now”.
Ray started driving in 1987, and from then till 2006, raced mostly at the Ohio tracks until he moved his tact to Western New York in 2007, at the Batavia meet. Always a go to guy on the Buffalo-Batavia circuit, Fisher has won over a million dollars each year since 2008.
When asked, who was the best horse you ever drove, Ray had to think a minute and then said, “Gryffindor”. “I think I set a track record”. Checking the records, Ray was right. On 8/13/2005, Gryffindor sped around Northfield’s flying turns in 1:52, which established a new track record for three-year-old geldings.
Faith N Moon ($5.30) is owned by Ryan Swift and Patricia Sackett. Patricia also trains the winner, who won for the first time this year.
Just a reminder that the National Harness Handicapping Championship, (NHHC) has started, and you can enter every Saturday in March. Entry fee is just $20.00, and you could win a trip to the Meadowlands for the Finals.
Live Harness racing will resume on Saturday March 26, with first post scheduled for 6:40 pm.
(Buffalo Raceway)