Making a visit to the winner’s circle isn’t a huge deal when you’ve done it more than 11,000 times, but the trip that Billy ‘Zeke’ Parker made to the charmed enclosure on Father’s Day (Sunday, June 21) could very well be the most memorable of them all.
Goshen Historic Track’s third and final Sunday matinee card at Goshen Historic Track was well attended. The program offered a total of seven races, one of which was a trotting race that was contested under saddle. Although the Monte dash may have been the most noteworthy on the card from a traditional North American point of view, it was Race 6, which was won by Brandon Parker, featured the greatest storyline.
Race 6 was Brandon’s career driving debut. Zeke’s 16-year-old son was in the racebike behind his dad’s Art Major gelding, Wizard Of Art. After having started in Post 3, Brandon went straight to the top and sent the gelding to a two-length victory in 2:10.
There was large group of family and friends along to watch young Brandon drive his first race, and he didn’t disappoint.
Brandon was calm and collective when he and his pacer entered the winner’s circle, but the same couldn’t be said for his dad – and, like his dad, who is always short on words and lets his driving do the talking, Brandon simply said, “I’m happy and I feel real good.”
Although Brandon was raised around harness horses and worked with them every chance he got, it still was understandable that Zeke was nervous before the race.
“I don’t think I was ever this nervous before I drove in a race, but to see your son out there for the first time, it’s different and would make any dad a bit uneasy,” Zeke acknowledged.
But all of that dissipated when Parker walked across the track for the winner’s circle presentation.
However, his nervousness was replaced by teary eyes which he wiped consistently as he walked along with younger son, Brodie, to take a photo with Brandon and Wizard Of Art.
On that jaunt, fighting back the tears, the elder Parker murmured, half choked up, "I wish TJ (his deceased wife and Brandon's mother) was here to see it.”
Zeke then added that the special win “was such a great Father's Day present."
The next action at Historic Track will be on July 2 when Grand Circuit meet gets underway
(Historic Track)