by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — It’s not often a horse earns more than half the sum he was purchased for within 30 days, but 5-year-old Mc Ryan Michael did exactly that for his connections.

“I bought him in October 2008 a couple weeks after I drove him for Jay Sears at Pompano Park,” explained Joe Pavia, Jr., the gelding’s conditioner. “He went in (1):52(.4) with a last quarter in :27(.1) and I really liked him.

“We paid, I think about $65,000 for him,” he continued. “Then about two weeks after we got him, he won the Florida Breeders Stakes Final for $68,800, so he got most of our money back right away. Then we just turned him out and brought him back for his 4-year-old season.”

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Mc Ryan Michael lowered his mark to 1:50.2 on Jan. 30 at The Isle Pompano Park.

The Florida-bred son of Mannart Howard-Quadzzzena, who is owned by BJR Stables, ACG Stables, Steven Held, and Michael Rich has earned $147,640 in purse money and compiled a record of 14-9-10 from 51 race miles. The gelding’s 2009 campaign was blighted by illness, yet he has rebounded nicely in the early months of 2010. On January 30, Mc Ryan Michael paced his career mark of 1:50.2, which was also the quickest mile of the current meet at Pompano Park.

“He earned (nearly) $75,000 last year, but he was sick with a high liver count for about two months up at Pocono (last) summer and that really put a damper on his season,” said Pavia, who was the leading dash winning driver at Pocono Downs last year and has earned more than $26 million throughout his career. “We had a run of that with our stable up North last year and couldn’t figure out if it was the feed, digestive systems or ulcers, but we just turned him out, put him on medication and got him going again.”

Joe Pavia, Jr. will be sending Mc Ryan Michael into Saturday’s Bernard Goldstein Memorial.

Mc Ryan Michael’s current goal is Saturday’s $50,000 Bernard Goldstein Memorial at The Isle Pompano Park. The gelding will leave the gate from post three and has been installed as the 7-2 morning line second choice behind Cammabis.

“He’s very sharp right now that he’s healthy again,” Pavia explained.

Normally, the gelding would be entitled to a short vacation before Pavia’s 26-horse stable travels to Pocono Downs on March 20, but his trainer is reluctant to send Mc Ryan Michael out to the field while he is in such fine form.

“He is due for a little spell before we go back up North, but I don’t really want to stop racing him when he’s so super sharp right now,” Pavia said. “So we will keep an eye on him and continue to race him accordingly for the next two or three weeks. We are going to try and give him a couple weeks off somewhere down the line, then take him to Pocono and race him there as well as Chester this summer.”

The $50,000 Bernard Goldstein Memorial Invitational Pace
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML
1-Four Starz Bling-George Napolitano, Jr.-Raymond Vizzi-6-1
2-Vapor In The Wind-Ricky Macomber, Jr.-Richard Macomber-9-2
3-Mc Ryan Michael-Joe Pavia, Jr.-Joe Pavia, Jr.-7-2
4-Cammabis-Anthony Napolitano-Paul Holzman-3-1
5-Daley Deposit Only-Dan Daley-Dan Daley-4-1
6-Omaha Survivor-Matt Kakaley-Tom Harmer-12-1
7-I’ve Got The Power-Bruce Ranger-Stewart Nemiro-8-1
8-Sugar’s Pride-Wally Hennessey-Gerald Gree-10-1