They say the years grow shorter as you get older, and for millionaire Flanagan Memory, it's definitely true.
At the midway point in 2017, the Kadabra trotter is only beginning his seven-year-old season.
"We decided to take our time this year. He's getting older and had such a good season (in 2016). We didn't put him in any big events until August, The Cashman (at the Meadowlands) is the first one," said trainer Rene Dion, who co-owns the trotter with Liette Flanagan of Repentigny, QC.
Flanagan Memory, who qualified at Mohawk last week in a sharp 1:53.4, won the Cashman in 2015 and was second last year. He finished up his 14-race 2016 campaign with a victory over Resolve last fall in the $500,000 Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands, which secured him an O'Brien Award as Canada's champion older trotter. He'd also been Canadian champion at age three.
The career winner of $1.6 million will be looking to add to his totals this year with appearances in the Cashman, the Crawford Farms Trot at Vernon Downs, Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk and the Breeders Crown. Dion's plan is to start him a couple of times before then in the preferred class at Mohawk.
"Right now, we're on schedule and he looks very good,"' Dion said.
(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)