by Greg Gangle, WEG media

Campbellville, ON — After capturing the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands last month, Broad Bahn will look for his next big win when he starts in the C$1 million Canadian Trotting Classic this Saturday (September 17) at Mohawk.

Lisa photo

Hambletonian champion Broad Bahn will look to add the Canadian Trotting Classic title to his resume.

The son of Broadway Hall is already the richest sophomore trotter on the continent so far this season with $1,042,311 in earnings for trainer Noel Daley.

Daley, a resident of Bordentown, N.J., is no stranger to winning big money races as he conditioned Mr Muscleman ($3,582,823) to a pair of Breeders Crown victories, as well as Explosive Matter ($1,510,542), just to name a few.

Despite finishing second in his elimination this past Saturday, Daley was pleased with Broad Bahn’s effort.

“I was really happy with the way he performed,” Daley said. “He was much stronger on Saturday and had a lot of fight in him.”

Although posting a victory in the $122,420 Zweig Memorial Stakes at Tioga and a fourth place finish in the $500,000 Colonial Trot prior to his trip to Mohawk, Daley knew his charge wasn’t showing his true potential.

“He wasn’t that sharp in his last few starts,” he said. “Sure, he won at Tioga, but he wasn’t racing against the top horses. In the Colonial he got used hard, but I thought he should have had more kick at the end of the mile.”

Daley, who has sent out more than 2,100 winners, believes that there is no standout sophomore trotter this year like there has been in the past.

“There are no superstars this year, there is no Muscle Hill or Deweycheatumnhowe (previous Hambo winners),” Daley said. “In my opinion, this is a solid bunch of nice horses and anyone could jump up and win on any given day. I looked at the entries for Saturday and I counted at least six horses that could win that race.”

When speaking about his trainee leading up to this Saturday, Daley admires Broad Bahn’s consistency on the racetrack.

“One thing about my horse is that he’s always going to be in contention,” he said. “He may not always win, but he’s always there and puts on a good show. Other horses this year have a weakness, whether it’s lameness issues or whatever, but my horse has no issues. He’s sound, has a terrific gait and shows up every start.”

Ole Bach (agent of owner Fam Alber Horse Racing LLC) selected Broad Bahn for $20,000 as a yearling and when Daley received the horse, he wasn’t sure what to make of his new addition.

“It’s not that I didn’t like the horse, I just thought he was very big,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love training a big trotter, but I thought he was maybe too big. The one thing that helped him out was that he didn’t grow much. He’s probably the same size now than he was as a yearling. He just filled out into a nice, solid animal.”

With the better half of the racing season completed, Daley is hoping Broad Bahn will return for another year of racing.

“I hope he comes back next year,” Daley said. “He’s such a big strong horse and that only bodes well for him next season. I can see him having just as good of a year as this one, if not better.”

George Brennan will steer the bay from post four in the seventh race.

Racing fans will also be treated to Customer Appreciation Night on Saturday apart of the CTC card. The first 1,500 customers will receive a free pizza slice and pop voucher. Racing fans will also get a chance to meet top U.S. driver Tim Tetrick. He will be on hand at 6:15 p.m. to sign autographs and provide his thoughts on the 12-race program.

WEG has also beefed up its featured wager with a C$75,000 guaranteed early Pick-4 pool, which includes the Classic.

The lucrative final will be televised live on The Score, in a special one-hour program from 9-10 p.m. (EDT), with post time for the Trotting Classic scheduled for 9:38 p.m.

Also on Saturday’s program, 2-year-old trotters will be in the spotlight contesting the C$469,000 William Wellwood Memorial final for colts and geldings and the C$447,000 Peaceful Way final for fillies.