STRAIGHT TALK

Matt Bax is the new trainer of record for the Bax Stable. That announcement came late Friday. The 32-year-old horseman will take over the spotlight from his father John after some 40 years of running a public stable. It comes in the wake of the Campbellville, Ontario operation posting stable of winnings of $1,936,494, its highest since 2002. There are plenty of story lines related to the Bax stable season but one that never fails to amaze this writer is the dismissal of a stable’s average earnings per starter. If that is not important to the bottom line…well, what is. The barn averaged $9,091 per appearance from 213 starts. Now the banker for the Bax team is only interested in the figure in the bottom right hand corner of the ledger. It better be in black ink and the larger the better but what average earnings per starter measures is consistency. That is the ultimate goal in every single sport known to man. The Bax Stable has been for a number of years now a true partnership between the father and son. Only this year has Matt received any acknowledgement in the game. Last winter, John made his annual sojourn for the winter months to Palema Trotting in Vero Beach Florida. He took just six yearling fillies. Matt was left with the balance which included four two-year-olds headed by $631,000 winner Duly Resolved and 15 yearlings for a total of 19 head. The Campbellville farm operation was all his until April as his father basked in the sunshine. Be very clear…John blew no snow last winter. The total result was remarkable with 20 of the 21 yearlings in total qualifying. The one went to the qualifiers but did not succeed and was turned out. Remember, these are all trotters. In addition to having the responsibility of bring 2021 champ Duly Resolved (198,000) back to the races, Matt orchestrated the development of Snowpiercer ($178,000), Oh Look Magic ($149,000), Southwind Coors ($88,000), Quite Fast ($73,000) and Deadline Hall ($70,000). This was in addition to keeping things ticking over at the farm as well. While Matt has no intention to become a top driver (he lacks the attitude), he did show he most definitely has a way with problematic trotters. Oh Look Magic is a handful to put it charitably. He gets worked up prior to the start of the race and will not relax until he gets to the front so it makes him one dimensional. Bax showed he knows the colt though when he guided him to a win in a $95,000 elimination of the William Wellwood and then promptly took himself off the horse for the $665,000 final in favour of James MacDonald. Few if any would make such a decision and speaks volumes to his focus of doing what is best for the horse. Regrettably, that move was ill-fated after a very odd race and he finished out of the money but the intent was there. Another good example of his mentoring ability is Watch A Pro, a Grassroots player that suffers from anxiety problems behind the gate. The addition of trotting hopples and a patient approach turned him into a useful performer. Regrettably, he blew apart at the start of the $60,000 Grassroots final but eight months could get him over that issue. So now the table has been reset or almost. Heading into the Harrisburg auction the stable is constructed quite differently. No less than 15 of the juveniles are being carried over into 2023. So far there are 16 yearlings as compared with 21 last year. The plan is for Righteous Resolve to head for Florida along with five yearlings leaving Matt with the 15 returnees and at least 10 yearlings. There is also Duly Resolved. In many ways it was a disappointing year for that horse who battled allergies and stomach issues all season. $198,000 is nothing to sneeze at but more was hoped for. The decision was made the retain the gelding and try a little different approach for next season. The actual racing of horses for Team Bax ended with the Breeders Crown but that does not mean there is any downtime. Even before that, the next yearling crop was in the harness. So the new public face of the Bax Stable is Matt and John regresses somewhat not unlike what Mark Steacy has done with Shawn Steacy. That barn won $2.7 million in 2022. At 32 years of age, Matt has more or less taken the traditional route of a proper apprenticeship in learning about training horses and the business of operating a stable. There were no short cuts taken as so many do. Everything says he is totally ready for this move. It’s more or less the way things should be done in becoming a professional horse trainer.

It’s difficult to imagine the feeling one would feel when they are told they have cancer. It is even more unimaginable to comprehend living with the dreaded disease for nearly 20 years. But that has been the life of Dave Hudson. Dave is many things, but one that is near and dear to his heart is that of being a co-owner of Duly Resolved who will head postward Saturday night in the $225,000 Ontario Sires Stake Super Final for three-year-old trotting colts at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Hudson who makes his home in Dallas, Texas, is a native of St. Thomas, Ontario. He’s been involved in horse ownership for many years after his father first took him to the races as a boy. Today, he has horses with Matt/John Bax and Trevor Henry. He is a former National Hockey League centre. He played 409 games with the New York Islanders, Kansas City /Scouts and Colorado Rockies from 1969 to 1978. A Stanley Cup is not in his resume but a lifetime of memories from those 10 years is and today at age 72 he still maintains many hockey connections and friends from that era. ColorMark is a printing firm he and partners started 29 years ago. From the startup stage with 6 employees it is now remains a privately owned company with just under 100 employees. It specializes in high end printing, owns its expansive building and does $20 million in business annually. In 2003 Hudson was diagnosed with cancer, specifically multiple myeloma. “It was reasonably manageable up until two and a half years ago. It has been quite a challenge since but on July 1 I underwent a stem cell transplant. I was hospitalized for 16 days but I’m expecting to get word next week that I am cancer free. If so, I’ve been told I should be good for at least five years”. Hudson is quick to admit that his involvement with Duly Resolved played a significant role in dealing with his health problems. “I guess I’ve had horses with the Baxs for 10 years. Duly was purchased in the fall of 2020 and I took a piece of the colt. He was just a $30,000 colt but as early as January the Baxs both told me that he might be something special. They were right on the money. I cannot tell you how much I looked forward to seeing him race. Like me, maybe he is a bit of an overachiever”. Duly dominated the early Ontario Sires Stakes last year but the most exciting time came in the $1 million Mohawk Million. He was a charging second to Venerable, arguably one of the best two year old trotting filly’s ever to look through a bridle for a 90 day period. The gelding finished the year with $660,000 but it was the pride of involvement that registered with Hudson. The youngster faded somewhat in the remaining races but Hudson never wavered. “He won his first Gold this year but then ran into health problems which turned out to be allergies and a bit of stomach ailment which kept him from eating like he should. But I never lost faith he would come around. It appears the Baxs found the keys because in his last Gold event at Western Fair he showed he was back. It was a terrific effort and we have big hopes for the Super Final Saturday night at Mohawk. He looks to be right back on his game”. And if things go well there will be a start in the Breeders Crown at Mohawk as well. “Through my illness I’ve had so much support from people even dating back to my days in college. Then there is my family and of course Duly. I cannot say enough about the horse”. It’s easy to get emotional hearing Hudson’s story. And it is so refreshing to hear someone so devoted to a horse and not because of the earning power. There is a good chance Duly will be retained to race in 2023. Not many people noticed, but Hudson was in attendance at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. He came up as a partner on two yearlings including the $120,000 (US) Resolve colt purchased from Cool Creek Farm. “You should not forget about our two-year-old trotter Southwind Coors (Walner) who I am a partner on. He is still a maiden but look at his lines. We have big hopes for him and will start him in the Breeders Crown. He could be the big sleeper”. It is an exciting time for Hudson. His health appears the best it has been in years, he’s connected to two quality horses and he’s in the process of adding reinforcements from the yearling sales. People tend not to think of harness horses as being therapeutic animals. Ask Dave Hudson and he will tell you they are dead wrong.

Boredom can be a terrible thing for some people. Take Brad Grant in mid-June 2021. Grant owns a number of trucking companies including John Grant Haulage. Covid was still prevalent and he was working from his Milton, Ontario home. He then had this notion to call trainer Jack Darling for a casual chat but it is my experience there are no such things as casual chats. Grant and Darling have some history over the years. The call was not something out of the blue. It started off innocently but by the time the call concluded the groundwork was laid for Grant to purchase a 50 percent interest in Bulldog Hanover. “I had watched the horse race as a two-year-old. We just had a nice chat that night and I made the casual comment that if he ever wanted to sell part of the horse I’d like to talk with him. He had not thought of selling before that and it all took about five minutes”, recalls Grant. Darling later told this writer that Grant was one of the very few if not the only person he would have entertained as a partner. Jack is pretty much a solo act has said he likes to think of himself as a businessman who races horses. Here was an opportunity to take a very nice chunk of change off the table, eliminate some of the risk, still retain a half share and be able to continue to train and race the horse. Just an intelligent piece of business. It also is quite likely the best piece of business that Grant has ever done with horses. He is a businessman too but it is the horses that give him his greatest satisfaction. “Listen, my role in Bulldog is just that of cheerleader. I’m flattered that Jack let me in. While we talk regularly, the decisions regarding the racing of the horse are all his.” By mid-September, Grant’s decision looked to be positively brilliant as Bulldog Hanover went into the $1 million North America Cup as the heavy favourite. But we all know what the result of that was. “That one hurt. Along with a lot of other people I thought he was a winner going in. That race is a bit sentimental for me because my Dad won it with Bettors Delight all those years ago. I don’t know what happened and Jack does not know what happened to this day. Nothing wrong was found with the horse’s health so all I can say is that it was just not meant to be. But I am still not convinced the best horse won that race or the remaining races Bulldog lost. I ended the year believing he was the better horse”. At this point Grant again expresses his admiration for Darling. “Bulldog won his last four starts at three so was put away in a great frame of mind. That was part of what has happened this season. Jack is a total professional who cares about the horse first. Not once has there been any second guessing on my part. It has all been the most wonderful experience”. But even then there was a hiccup in May’s Juravinski Cup at Flamboro Downs. That half-mile track proved his undoing but then the onslaught began. Last night’s victory in the Dayton Derby makes it four (count that FOUR) months since The Bulldog tasted defeat - an 11 race undefeated string that has earned the partners $1.2 million. “Most people talk about the four wins at the Meadowlands in 22 days but they are missing the fact that in his last start at Mohawk before shipping to New Jersey, he made a big statement. Then getting Dexter Dunn to drive was a big step and a huge decision on his part. Walking away from Rockyroad Hanover and Tony Alagna was an enormous decision but Dexter comes across to me as being very analytical. And when he drives he reminds me of Wayne Gretzky who seemed to know where the puck was going next rather than where it is in the moment”. Interestingly, of all the races it was the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby win that Grant talked the most about. “He just crushed the field and the way he did it left the crowd in awe that night. Overpowering which says a lot because in so many of the starts he just drove away from the field. Sooner or later one has to think he will get beaten but I believe he is the type that if that happens he will come back the next start and be right back on his game”. Grant gives full credit to Darling for coming up with the idea to breed the horse this past spring. “He’d been thinking about it and asked what I thought. Why not I said so we’ll be reaping the reward of that. He got 80 mares which I thought was pretty good but there will be a lot more next season. And there will be some very, very good mares.” Grant is quite proud of the fact that the horse has captured the attention of people particularly in the United States. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been involved with Atlanta and Romona Hill but this is much bigger. He has star power and people want to see him. He is a generational horse”. So the next step is The Red Mile and the Allerage next Sunday. If the team is lucky enough to hit a perfect October day on Kentucky they may take a run at trying to improve on his 1:45.4 record but winning the race gets the greater priority. “I’m a great believer that records are made to be broken. The weather there may not be the greatest so that would negate any shot but it would be great just to see how fast he could go. I’d love to see him break it and just have to pray to the man upstairs for good things to happen”. Bulldog Hanover has absolutely nothing left to prove in terms of his speed, ability to win against all comers and overall greatness. However, Brad Grant has to prove he can make another casual telephone call pay off.

In New Zealand, Scott Dixon and Dexter Dunn are two of that country’s premier sporting figures. For those unfamiliar with Dixon, he is one of if not the best Indy car drivers. He has won that sports championship six times and earns an annual salary of $12 million. Dixon is reportedly worth $36 million. Dunn is not quite at that level but the two Kiwis share two things in common - an appreciation for consistency and speed. Dixon’s Indy car can reach a speed of 230 miles per hour on the straightaways while he sits about four inches off the tarmac. Dunn is about 30 inches off the racetrack and his top speed aboard Bulldog Hanover is likely in the 35 miles per hour range. The two have never met but both are headliners in their native country. When Bulldog Hanover set his world record of 1:45.4 in July, it made the national television news in New Zealand. “Now that is fast, mate,” he offered when asked about Dixon and his obsession with speed. But Dunn has gone where no man has gone before in the harness racing game. As part of our series on Bulldog Hanover it is necessary to drill down into Dunn’s thoughts to add more insight to the saga on the horse. A fair place to start the conversation takes us back to July 16 at the Meadowlands. The night of the 1:45.4 historic mile is where Dunn begins. “It was hard to comprehend at the time. I knew we were going fast but not unlike the times from the previous starts there. When we hit the finish I looked over at the teletimeer and had to do a double take. It was just the most amazing feeling for me and one I will always remember regardless of what happens in the future”, he admits. “But in the winner’s circle Noel Daley (who trained the horse for the four starts in New Jersey) said lots of horses go fast and this was the fastest ever mile but what the horse did to win four races against the best older horses in North America in a span of 22 days is what should stand out. Noel was not wrong but look at what has happened since. Four more big wins and the issue was never in doubt in any of them. Bulldog just dominates like no one I’ve seen before”. An obvious question to ask Dunn is what it felt like. “There was no sense it was any quicker than any of the other starts there. I’ve learned that great horses can carry high speed longer than others. He do not feel that he is working any harder than earlier in the race, It sounds silly but one almost feels like this horse can actually fly. It’s the great feeling I’ve ever had”. In preparing for this interview, I recalled a comment Paul MacDonell made during Somebeachsomewhere’s epic run in 2008. When asked about where that horse’s speed came from he said “That great big ass in front of me. When I drop the hammer on him you can just see his back drop 3-4 inches. I don’t get the sense his legs are moving any faster but he is just extending his stride and clawing for more ground. And it all comes from the back end”. I told Dunn this and he said he could relate. “Even in the post parade I can feel him swelling up. When he turns into the starting gate he is totally ready to go. He has that super high gear which I can call upon. In that last eighth of a mile when the toll of the race should appear he just does not get tired. His lung capacity has to be enormous. He’s in full gear and just carries it through. Actually, it is a bit scary to feel his power”. How Dunn got the drive is a bit interesting too. Trainer Jack Darling had made all the arrangements to send Bulldog Hanover to Noel Daley in New Jersey for the four race engagement. He asked Daley to try to get Dexter to take the drive even though his regular mount was Rockyroad Hanover. Daley was pushing for fellow Australian Todd McCarthy who some thought might get the better of Dunn this season but Darling persisted. “When I was asked it did present a problem without an easy solution. Certainly I knew about Bulldog and how he had really come on the last two starts in Canada. In the end, it looked like too good an opportunity to pass up but it was a very close call. Tony (Alagna) was very good in taking the news I was stepping off his horse and I appreciate that. We’ll work together again a lot but thankfully it was the right call”. Interestingly, some close observers of the game have suggested that Bulldog was actually more impressive the week before the record mile. They point to how the horse powered through the finish line and was halfway down the backstretch before Dunn was able to pull him up. “He was awesome that night too and it did take a while to throttle him back. In fact when I did get him settled and turned to come back to the winner’s circle, the rest of the field had already gone off the track. In all of those races he just did not want to end the race”. One of those who commented on this aspect was retired horseman Ray Remmen who has no dog in the fight but has been a close follower of The Bulldog. “It seemed to me the horse was actually better the week before the record mile if that is possible. He is an amazing horse and I’m starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe he is a touch better than Somebeachsomewhere was at his best. Maybe”, he suggested. “The other thing I wanted to add is that nowhere have I seen anything written about the mental stability of this horse. When you are gunning these horses for all they are worth at this level, it’s not hard to blow their heads off. I do not know who takes care of this horse but he/she has done a hell of a job keeping him level headed and obviously happy. Every start he comes out ready to do whatever is asked. That is very significant to me”. Again, Dunn does not disagree. “These are all tough races but Bulldog just keeps bouncing back week after week. He gives me so much confidence that I can easily say that I have no worry about getting beaten”. In my 40 plus years in racing there was only one instance that I ever heard a statement like that about a racehorse over a prolonged period of time. That was Pat Crowe during Cam Fella’s 28 race slaughter of the best racing could offer. Back in April, we penned a column about the depth of four and five-year-old pacers that were coming to clash. It has been many years since we have saw this many high end pacers. We stated that this was the true “Glamour Boy” division totally contrary to the idea that the title is owned by the three-year-olds. This year it has proven to be no contest for the sophomores. However, one has to ask about how the rivals of Bulldog Hanover keep showing up fully realizing that unless he is not well or there is an act of God, they are racing for second money. It has to be discouraging and deflating. Mustn’t they hate to see Jack Darling’s car in the parking lot at the track? “Look mate, I hear what you are asking but at this level there is nowhere to hide. Where else are Rockroad Hanover and the others going to go to get a race? This is it for these horses. It’s their bad luck they have come along at the same time as Bulldog. And while some of the competition can look beaten up on given nights, that calibre of horse can bounce back. Just the way they are made. And Bulldog is a very smart horse and knows what his job is. Amazing animal”. And then there is the question of what is there left to prove for the horse. Yes, he has the fast time but he like Somebeachsomewhere, Cam Fella and Niatross are not so much remembered for their speed record but the full resume of quality races won against the best competition of the time. Dunn agrees but he doesn’t agree. “I guess he has a start in Ohio and then Lexington where he might get a chance to lower the record even more. As a New Zealander, I’m telling you The Red Mile is the best racing surface in the world. I see no reason not to take him as long as he remains as good as he is. Jack has managed him perfectly. He is well rested (won by six lengths at Hoosier Park Friday night), travels well and likes doing this. And as for a better time, if it happens it happens but for the sake of the racing game should he not be there? Regardless, he will be regarded as one of the greatest ever and I’m not even talking about the prize money to win. I think it’s the right thing to do”. So what if any effect has there been on Dunn to get to drive what certainly will likely be the signature horse of his life? “I do not believe it has spoiled me. In fact, I am grateful to be associated with Bulldog. Hey, I just drive him and enjoy every ride, let me tell you. In a few weeks it will all be over and it’s just the memories that are left. I’m just enjoying it while it is there”.

The other day someone commented to me about the number of columns related to Bulldog Hanover that I have written for this blog. The suggestion was that I was turning into being a bit of a groupie. Aside from being insulted, it could not be further from the truth. I have few regrets about my career as a harness racing journalist but one is that I did not chronicle the life and times of Somebeachsomewhere back in 2008. I was there the day he arrived at Baycairn Training Centre near Carlisle, Ontario to launch his three-year-old campaign. I did write a fair bit on the horses accomplishments but not to the depth that should have been done. This spawned the idea to do a deep dive on Bulldog Hanover to see what we could learn and this is the next column trying to unravel the mystery of why he is the way he is. A few days prior to the Canadian Pacing Derby final, Jack Darling was gracious enough to allow me to measure the horse…as best I could. I had never undertaken such an exercise so it was a little bit of the blind leading the blind but this is what we came up with. HEIGHT Bulldog came in exactly at 16 hands but his caretaker Johnny Mallia noted something. He said that when preparing for battle this horse will puff up noticeably and likely was closer to 17 when like that. Many have noticed that he seems larger on the racetrack than when snapped into the crossties for brushing mid-week. But for the record he is 16 hands at rest. WEIGHT The most accurate way to weigh a horse or a large animal is with a stock scale but that was not available to us. Dr. Marc Desjardins of Milton Equine Hospital was very confident in recommending a simple equine measuring tape. He said these are reasonably accurate so one was found and we did the deed. The Bulldog came in at 953 pounds. Jack Darling was not surprised that the horse came in under 1,000 pounds. He noted that it takes a good chunk of a horse for a Standarbred to reach 1,000 pounds. He also said that it would not take much for Bulldog to gain 50 pounds if given the opportunity. LENGTH Length is something that gets discussed more relative to trotters than pacers but we thought we would do it anyway. From the point of his shoulder to his rump, we got 66 inches which makes him two inches longer than he is tall for whatever that could mean. GIRTH In earlier column, Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky of Hanover Shoe Farms talked about the tremendous girth that Somebeachsomewhere had but did not have an exact measurement. So we took on that task as well. Bulldog measured 172 cm (67.7 inches) which Jack says he considers to be larger than most. FOREHEAD WIDTH No one I spoke with seems to be clear on what the forehead width between the eyes should be other than most wanted to see width. The belief seems to be that it is a sign of intelligence. Darling declares himself to be one of those people. He did not want to see a narrow forehead. EARS One fellow trainer told me he is adamant that all the top horses have long ears. Not sure about that one. “I don’t see a lot of long eared pacers which might be related to the sire lines but it is evident especially with trotting fillies for some reason. I guess Bulldog is normal”. A KIND EYE Many years ago when the late Bud Fritz was at the peak of his career, I interviewed him about his preferences on yearlings. Of all the things he could have said the first thing he looked for was a “kind eye”. I had never heard that expression to that time which he needed to explain to me. “I know exactly what he meant. You look into the eye and there a certain calmness which means there is no wildness to the horse. I have seen some horses with an eye that just turns me right off,” says Darling. HAND UNDER THE THROAT Many, many trainers believe that successfully putting their hand under a horse’s throat is a good way to determine if there is good space for air to be taken in. Dr. Desjardins wanted me to ask Jack of this question but he said he knew the answer. Despite the fact there is no scientific proof in the least that is a good gauge, trainers including Jack Darling swear by it. “I’ve been doing it all my career. There are many I turn down due to a narrow space and I believe 99 per cent of those did not amount to being the kind of horse I need. I’m sure there has been the odd one but I believe that test has saved me a ton of money”. PASTERN Ray Remmen suggested I try to get Jack to explain what he means by a long pastern with the right angle as being desirable. He said he is sure Jack will be unable to accurately answer but he knows it when he sees it from having looked at so many horses over the decades. Remmen said that Jack Kopas, Bill Wellwood and Doug Ackerman were all cut from the same cloth. “Ray is right. Looking from the side of the horse I just know what the angle should be but I cannot tell you in degrees. Some are too straight and a lot are too low and weak in the pastern which is a sign of immaturity. That scares me. I also don’t want them overly long but can’t tell you in inches what that is. It is very important”. FEET One of my prize possession is a shoe worn by Cam Fella which Pat Crowe was kind enough to gift to me exactly 40 years ago. Cam was regarded by most as being a small horse although by the time he finished his first season at stud he was regarded as average. Just for comparison’s sake I brought that shoe and compared it to one of Bulldog Hanover’s which can be seem in the accompanying photo. One might say that Bulldog is one size larger in foot and certainly physique. “I put a great deal of value in a horse’s foot. The foot must match the size of the horse. Some bigger framed yearlings have feet that are too small. As for colour I would prefer that all are dark. I am one of those with a slight fear that white feet could be a sign of weakness. And comparing to Cam Fella’s shoe was interesting for me too”. TESTICLES Rest assured no attempt to measure Bulldog’s testicles was done. Instead, I called Ann Straatman at Seelster Farms assuming that a measurement had been taken in assessing him for stud duty. “We did not as generally it is done only when acquiring fertility insurance. He will be syndicated but even there I think it will not be necessary. The proof of his virility is the fact he bred 80 mares and got a 91 percent conception rate”. (Just as an aside Seelster Farms have 10 mares in foal to the Bulldog). Jack does not wear a stud support on Bulldog Hanover stating it is virtually a thing of the past. He has used them in years gone by but it was Ron Waples who convinced him they were of little value. “When I look at a yearling I do check quickly to see they look normal and I have seen some that are small to the point of being very small. I steer clear of riggings so would never have bought Cam Fella”. HOPPLES The morning that I went to Classy Lane Training Centre to measure Bulldog I ran into Paul MacDonnell. Spontaneously I asked him if Somebeachsomewhere could have raced free legged. If anyone would know it would be him. I asked that because the late Jack Kopas had declared to me that Somebeachsomewhere was the most perfectly gaited and efficient horse he had ever seen. “Absolutely not. There was an occasion I was asked to take him to go a mile and he had no hopples. Went right into a little gallop and I looked like a complete moron. I’m not sure if he just liked to feel the hopple when he extended or what but he had an enormous stride for a 60” hopple. But free-legged was not his thing”. Jack stated that Bulldog goes with a 61 inch hopple and might be able to go a bit longer but who would chance that? “I don’t think he could go free-legged though not given the speed he has to race at”. HEADPOLES Darling has two on The Bulldog but he puts it down to more his own preference. “I use headpoles a lot and probably more than some other trainers. I’m fussy about making sure they go straight but I’m sure he could race without them”. MISCELLANEOUS When asked if one could look at a yearling too many times Jack had this to say…”If I think I like one I will look at least three times and maybe five times. I like to have a good first impression that it is my type of horse. Is it the kind I look for and then I set about picking him apart”. “People have asked Dexter (Dunn) what it was like to be in that 1:45.4 mile. Had I been asked I would have said no different than any of the previous winning miles. The fastest ride I ever had was 1:52 aboard Beaumond Hanover here at Classy Lane two years ago. I believe that the top horses produce these crazy fast miles and the driver does not realize how fast that it because the horse does it so easily. Nothing really changes when you are aboard as they do it so easily”. “I’ve been asked about what mares I would suggest mating with Bulldog. It does not take much thought to think that daughters of Somebeachsomewhere and his sons like Capataintreacherous, Stay Hungry, Downbytheseaside and Huntsville would be a good place to start. And then there are a ton of Bettors Delight fillies. He is fortunate that he has all these options”. There still a couple other story angles that will be forthcoming about the extraordinary Bulldog Hanover. A groupie I am not but a great admirer I am and appreciative of having so much access to this brilliant performer.

If you have young trotters your goal is to have one good enough for the Mohawk Million. Imagine if you had four start to start in the $1 million affair on September 24. That is the potential scenario Matt and John Bax face. Saturday night they have three colts in the $665,000 William Wellwood and two fillies in the $362,000 Peaceful Way. It is unlikely they would consider filly Quite Fast to tackle the colts in the Million but stablemate Righteous Resolve looks every bit the equal of her male counterparts. A lot of good things have to happen Saturday but right now, this is a dream situation for the Campbellville, Ontario Stable. Righteous Resolve has to be the deadass favourite for the Peaceful Way. In last week’s elimination she stalked heavily favoured Heart On Fire like a hunting dog and left no doubt which is the superior filly. Built like a tank with the guts of a burglar, this girl has just one loss and if she is successful how can her American owners not go in the Million. Two year old fillies have shown they can mix it up quite nicely with the boys just as Venerable showed in last year’s Mohawk Million. Then there is the Wellwood where the team has their big three now led by Oh Look Magic. A very muscular colt, Magic has had some anxiety issues but raced beautifully in the elimination doing all the work in a 1:55.1 mile. Matt Bax was his pilot but has stepped aside in favour of James MacDonald which would appear to be a smart business move as well as a character one. As long as this colt gets away from the gate without incident, the rest are going to have to take him down for the prize. Through the winter, Snowpiercer was the leader of the pack for Matt Bax who developed him. But he has been a little scratchy of late not quite responding to the challenges he faced. But he could turn on a dime, catch a trip and be last man standing. Southwind Coors is maybe the most interesting one. He’s still a maiden but has been improving every start and has a big finishing kick. If a hot mile emerges off the gate he could be lying in the bushes salivating for the last quarter mile. It would be quite a thing if a maiden were to snare the big money. If the three colts all race reasonably well and place, there is every argument that the respective owners have to go for broke next month. There are people sitting out there with slots for the Million looking to carve whatever deal they can to have a horse in the race. It’s just so hard for anyone to conceive possibly having four starters drawing behind the gate. For the Bax family this is a business from start to finish but for the people involved maybe not so much. One has to dream big in this game otherwise why be in it. It will be hard to improve on last year’s Mohawk Million which was as exciting as it gets. The filly Venerable just managed to hold off the Bax entrant Duly Resolved. That also means the team has some unfinished business in this race. It is a stellar card on Saturday at Mohawk but the storyline of the Bax stable is centre stage. They started out with 21 yearlings and to get four into the richest race in the game for two-year-old trotters is beyond extraordinary. Still a lot of good things have to happen. But can you imagine…. 

When Johnny Mallia was in grade eight elementary schoo, he already knew his life’s work would be with race horses. What he did not know is that it would be nearly 50 years before he hit the motherlode as assistant trainer/caretaker of the fastest horse in the history of harness racing. Bulldog Hanover is the signature horse in Mallia’s career which has saw a goodly number of quality horses come his way but nothing quite like The Bulldog. He has received virtually no attention for his work with the horse which he says does not bother him but he would not be human if it did not wrankle him a bit. Johnny relates this one day last week while The Bulldog was enjoying his lunch. “I just finished high school to please my parents. All I wanted to do was be with the horses. My father was a part-time hobby trainer at Western Fair Raceway in London. That set me up for my first real job with Terry Kerr at Flamboro Downs. That was when Terry had Dapper Dillon and Beau Jim who were good horses for the time. I learned a lot with Terry in my four years there”. His next step came with Trevor Ritchie at Windsor Raceway when he operated a stable and had designs on moving to the Ontario Jockey Club. “Trevor gets credit for only his driving but he was a great trainer and I mean great. I got the chance to own a few with him. Again, a lot was learned and I distinctly remember making $200 a week - big money” he recalls. “The plan then was to take a few to Florida for racing at Pompano. Jack Darling was going which is where I first got to know Jack. But something happened and Trevor could not get there so he said just stay there for the winter which I did and liked it. That led me to come back and open my own stable at Mohawk. I began claiming a few with a small barn that I could pretty much do myself. The most I ever had was eight but as happens, things went bad”. This was right about the time Classy Lane Stables Training Centre opened its doors in 2003. He then came on board with the Mark Harder stable. “I stayed a year but didn’t like the atmosphere of a big barn. I switched over to Mike Vanderkamp who was hooked up with Noel Daley but it was an identical scenario. Then Jack Darling moved in after selling his farm near Windsor. I’d known him quite a while by then and liked Jack so I came on board there in 2008 and been here ever since”. Mallia loves the modest size of the operation which sent out a steady stream of notables including Big McDeal, Carnivore, Write Me A Song and Beaumond Hanover to name a few. But then things changed with the arrival of Bulldog Hanover. This blog has chronicled at length the path that led Darling to buy Bulldog Hanover. His strategy for several years has been to send his yearling purchases to a group of Western Ontario Mennonite trainers to break them in before returning to the stable for development. Bulldog followed that path. “I never saw the horse until then. I remember thinking he was a little plain - not a great big, powerful horse like Jack tends to go for. I’d say medium size and immature with no instant bang in looking at him. Even now when he is relaxed he just doesn’t wow you but when he puffs up he’s all horse”, says Johnny. Darling also likes to winter vacation for two months in the United States. Johnny is left behind to manage things so Bulldog was among his pupils. “It took him a little while to get gaited and he’d make the odd break which is hard to believe the way he goes now. When Jack would call to check in I talked more about the others than him for a while”. It is never mentioned but Bulldog Hanover actually began his career in a Grassroots event at Woodbine Mohawk Park and got beaten but it was a case of just laying the foundation for the future. He raced just six times but put a huge exclamation mark on his final appearance when he won the OSS Super Final by 9 lengths in 1:50.2. That served notice he was one to watch closely for 2021. “Jack could not have laid out a better plan for him. He was not raced out and everything looked just about perfect until September when the roof fell in”. September 11, 2021 to be exact and the occasion was the $1 million North America Cup. It was his race to lose in the minds of everyone and he did. A 28 second final quarter was nowhere good enough and he faded to fourth after having the lead at the head of the lane. “To this day we do not know what happened. He was so good the week before in the elim. Jody (Jamieson) gave a perfect drive but I knew when another horse got to his wheel he was in trouble. We had him fully checked out after the race and nothing showed. Maybe the elim stretched him but I don’t really think so. Still a mystery”. Two more losses followed before the team headed to Indiana. Four starts, four wins and $180,000 in the till marked the end of the season. It was a $682,000 season plus an interest in the horse being sold to Brad Grant but somehow it was disappointing. “I went to Indiana with him and this was during all the Covid drama and the border crossing. Jack was going to Harrisburg shopping and it worked out but we were and are still wondering about the Cup race”. Bulldog got two months off before the decision was made to breed a collection of mares (80 ) in the off season with Seelster Farms. The double duty agreed with him. “Jack went south again and one day he called and I said Jack, this horse is three seconds better than when we stopped with him. I said he feels that good. He had become a powerhouse”. A gameplan was worked out starting with the Juravinski Cup (Confederation Cup) at Flamboro Downs. That proved be a mistake and the half-mile track proved his undoing. But the Bulldog rebounded winning the Graduate Series leg and a week later the $65,000 Free For All. “No one talks about that FFA win. Allywag Hanover was all the talk but the Bulldog ate him up along with a very, very good field of older horses. That was a terrific effort over Mohawk to send him to the Meadowlands on’. But Johnny did not go. Arrangements were made to send him to Noel Daley’s barn and hopefully convince Dexter Dunn to take the drive which he did at the expense of Rockyroad Hanover. “I cannot tell you how much I hated the idea that Jack did not send me with Bulldog. I knew he was the best horse in the world and just hated to let him out of my sight. But that was the plan and it all worked out. Despite a couple issues he overcame everything”. Those issues included a Hopple hanger letting go in the 1:46.1 mile and then losing a shoe in the 1:45.4 world record. “I could see the shoe missing when he came into the winner’s circle. That and the hanger are just things that happen. As I said he is just one that seems to overcome everything. I probably was the least surprised of anyone by the miles he went. That’s why I wanted the experience of being there with the best horse in the world”. When Bulldog Hanover returned to the Darling barn the day after the WR Haughton Memorial Johnny was taken back at the toll those races had taken. “He was noticeably down in weight but he had every right to be. There were no ribs showing but it was a very hard period and I can only imagine what the other horses he raced against looked like. No reflection on Noel or his help. I’m just saying people maybe do not realize what happens at that level”. That insight reminded me of the 1993 NHL season when the Toronto Maple Leafs made a playoff run with Doug Gilmour leading the way. Over the course of the playoffs Gilmour who never had a robust physique, lost 12 pounds which he could not regain until the season was over. The physical toll was not unlike what Bulldog endured when put to the test. Darling’s plan astutely called for the team to miss the Sam McKee Memorial on Hamlbetonian Day. It would have been just too much to ask. Instead Bulldog got a three week pass before heading back to Indiana for the Dan Patch. “He was absolutely perfect for that race. I got to go with him and it was just a wonderful experience. The track and the crowd was unbelievable. They could not get enough of him. And the funny thing is he showed he loves women. They were gushing, hugging and kissing him and he just ate it all up”. It proved a short night. The race did not go off until a ridiculous 11:15. Bulldog and Johnny were on the van leaving Hoosier at 6:00 am the following morning and home by 4:00. “He likes his stall and his paddock at home but he is pretty accepting of everything. When he leaves to go to stud it will be a very empty place here. There are enormous shoes to fill which likely no one ever will”. Bulldog Hanover did not make Johnny Mallia the best caretaker in the game. Most who know him will say he’s been a top man for a long time but like many just hidden in the shadows. There are still races to be contested by Bulldog Hanover starting with the Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations this weekend. It will be two weeks since his last test and one cannot imagine relishing the task of taking on The Bulldog in his own backyard. Johnny makes his home in nearby Waterdown, Ontario. He describes himself as the most eligible bachelor in the game. No way to confirm that one but he will get credit for his role in the saga of Bulldog Hanover. A job very well done indeed.

It’s no secret that the Matt and John Bax Stable has been experiencing an extraordinary season. A very fine point was put on that early this week when the draw came out for Saturday evening’s card of racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Campbellville, Ontario operation has no less than five two-year-old colt starters in the eliminations for the William Wellwood. If that was not enough, the team has two fillies challenging in the accompanying elims for the Peaceful Way. That abundance of talent is a reflection of an unbelievable statistic few are aware of. The father/son act went into the winter with 21 yearlings, six with John at Palema Trotting in Florida while Matt care for 18 back on the farm. Ever since one showed up in qualifiers although one broke stride and was turned out. The rest made it through. Now how many times has anyone produced a similar result? This also marks the coming out party for 32-year-old Matt. He ran the whole show at the farm with John never coming north until April. He had to keep things at the farm ticking over and all the while developing the youngsters he had taken on. He lives in the shadow of his father no more. The Bax name has been a fixture for over 30 years in Ontario but this season it has hit a new level. Heading into the weekend the barn had earned $729,000 in purses. It has not been perfect. There have been a few speed bumps but overall there can be no complaints. Righteous Resolve is arguably the big gun in the barn. The full sister to Duly Resolved has won $135,000 with three wins in four starts. John says the only thing wrong with her is that the stable does not own her. She is one of the few they do not which in itself is remarkable. Sound Advice is a ways behind but she may be finding her sea legs and will be trying hard to make the rich final. Lowry, a Father Patrick colt is going faster every start. He raced two starts in Lexington and did not disgrace himself. He looks quite at home in this Wellwood field. Deadline Hall earned himself a tick to the second elimination after a strong runner-up showing in the last Ontario Sires Stake. A bit of a surprise to everyone but maybe he is just getting the hang of it. Stablemate Oh Look Magic is built like a tank and can rattle but also has shown he can be anxious behind the gate. Matt is driving here and hoping to be a calming influence. This is a tough division but the race has to be run. Snowpiercer has been the stable star among the colts but was disappointing with a third place finish his last start. However, some minor health issues are being worked on and we should look for a bounce back effort. Right beside him on the starting gate is stablemate Southwind Coors. This is an interesting horse that is showing improvement every start. He’s been raced under wraps as part of his educational program but this could be his coming out party. Word is he can follow like a CRA investigator. They all have to go out and walk the walk but the seven of them have been most encouraging to this point. There is a lot of money on the table in the coming weeks and one has to think some of it is going to be staying in Campbellville. At age 67, John is seeing the road ahead is shorter than the one behind. But it seems to be all coming together for the operation. Quality horses, great contributing partner in his son and a core of owners that have to be happy with their lot in life. One cannot ask for much more than that.