Funtime Bayama wears his name well. His connections are having a blast.
The two-year-old son of Hes Watching is entering Friday's $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park on a four-race winning streak. He hasn't been worse than second in six career starts.
Hall Of Fame horseman Yves Filion, who bred and owns him, says he's the best two-year-old he's had since North America Cup winner Runnymede Lobell more than 30 years ago.
"I'm half-retired now, but I had a feeling I'd get another top one before I go, and it happened. It's him," said Filion, who'll be 77 in December, and has developed the likes of Goliath Bayama and Rebeka Bayama over his career.
Filion's granddaughters Amy, 15, and Stella-Rose, 10, named the horse, and they're his biggest cheerleaders.
"I told them early on they'd each get 10 per cent of what he made," he said.
To date, Funtime Bayama has collected $212,880, with his biggest (and final) race of the year still ahead.
"I'm going to stop him after. I want to turn him out good and fresh. We don't know — and I don't want to know — how fast he can go," said Filion, whose plan is to stake the horse to all the premier events for three-year-olds next year.
He's not thrilled with the inside draw in the Super Final, "but it's better than nine or 10."
Filion's son Sylvain will be the sulky again on Friday. He's undefeated with the horse. Yves drove himself in the first two starts because Sylvain was then handling Bob McIntosh trainee Do Better.
"We almost beat him in the second race except he was bearing in a bit at the end. We made an equipment change and he's been perfect ever since.
"I knew he was going to be good. That's why I sent him [to trainer Richard Moreau]. I qualified him myself at Rideau Carleton [in 1:56.3] and it's rare I go that much with a two-year-old first try. He did it like he was walking. He's like Runnymede — very smart, always ready to go — maybe even a little more aggressive."
His Bayama Farm in Lachute, Que., long one of the province's largest breeding operations, is down to a single broodmare now.
It's Tymal Sugrbabydoll, the dam of Funtime Bayama.
He bought her at the Harrisburg auction after having success with her half-brother Tymal Peacemaker, upset winner of the OSS Super Final for three-year-old pacers in 2017, but she never made it to the races.
Funtime Bayama is her second foal. She has a colt by Bettors Delight, a foal by Cattlewash, and is in foal to Leader Bayama. Next year — not surprisingly — Filion intends to breed her back to Hes Watching.
To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click on one of the following links:
- Woodbine Mohawk Park - Friday Entries || Friday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)
(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)