It was Sportswriter's party Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack, but another horse quietly made a little history of his own
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With a 1:49.4 victory in a $19,000 pace, five-year-old Big Bam Ray clearly established himself as one of the fastest Quebec-breds ever. It was the second time the son of Yankee Cam had cracked the 1:50 barrier, after a 1:49.2 mile at The Meadowlands a year ago.
Very few Quebec-breds have achieved the feat. Only Canaco Lesage (1:49.3 in 2004) and Danger Of Fire (1:49.4 in 1996) come to mind. Power Park's best was 1:50.
Big Bam Ray was the leading two-year-old on the Quebec Sires Stakes circuit in 2007, winning his last six starts including the year's premier event, the $140,000 Coupe de L'Avenir final, by 12 lengths for then-trainer Daniel Martin in 1:53.4. When the Quebec racing industry collapsed in 2008, he was shipped to The Meadowlands, where he raced with success in claimers of $30,000 to $50,000.
He was claimed three times in 2009, the last time by owners who had other horses with Ontario-based trainer Rene Allard. They sent him to Allard, who raced the horse with success on the Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit from September to January. Allard thought the horse needed a rest at that point and offered to buy him. The agreed-upon price was $40,000. He's in the new ownership group along with brother Simon.
Big Bam Ray started back racing for them in April after three months off. He's made back his purchase price already, and boosted his career earnings to $367,908.
"He's a nice little horse. He's got a big motor and he's always had a lot of speed," said Allard, who remembered seeing him win the Coupe de L'Avenir.
Allard said he's thinking of the Gold Cup & Saucer in Charlottetown as a possibility for the horse, but it'll depend on how well he adapts to a half-mile track. "We’ll race him at Grand River first to see. That's the Ontario track most similar to Charlottetown," he said.
(A Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)