One of the recurring 2-year-old ICF stakes on the harness racing schedule is the Fox Valley Barzgar, slated this year to be raced at Maywood Park on July 10.
The freshman event for state-bred pacing colts and geldings honors one of the fastest two-year-old pacers of all time, Fox Valley Barzgar, who took his record of 1:50.2 with Tony Morgan in winning the 2006 edition of the $410,000 Woodrow Wilson at The Meadowlands.
A son of Incredible Finale, out of the Sportsmaster dam Slammin Annie, Fox Valley Bazagar’s front-end victory by three lengths made him the first and only ICF pacer to capture the most prestigious 2-year-old colt stake at The Big M.
Fox Valley Barzgar was an $11,500 yearling purchase at the 2005 Fox Valley Standardbred Sale in Sherman by Illinoisans Shawn Nessa (Du Quoin) and John Boyer (Fairfield).
The colt began his career winning a $750 purse at Du Quoin in late May with a 1:56 clocking and was sent to Hawthorne to compete in their $41,500 World Series where he was knocked off stride by a breaker as the even-money choice.
After a dominating 8-plus length win his Balmoral qualifier in 1:55.2, trainer Tom Harmer purchased Fox Valley Barzgar for his Loudonville, New York owner Michael Polansky.
The youngster immediately because a success for Harmer. On July 8, 2006 Fox Valley Bazagar drew away to a 1:52 flat mile in a $29,000 division of a Hanover, pacing the last quarter in 26.1 for Dave Magee.
His next start was three weeks later in his Woodrow Wilson elimination. He was sent to the front by driver Tony Morgan and cruised to a 1:51 victory by three-plus lengths.
A week later was his record setting 1:50.2 mile in the Wilson Final.
After that memorable race Morgan told the media: “He’s a good colt and he was well prepared. I was so shocked that he was so relaxed tonight. He was on the bit last week. He felt like he’d do whatever you wanted to do tonight.”
Fox Valley Bazagar came back to Illinois for the $40,000 Governor’s Cup at Du Quoin where he was again impressive, scoring by 7 lengths in 1:51 with a last quarter in :26.4.
“Barzgar” stayed perfect for the Harmer Stable by crushing his Orange and Blue elimination field by 6 and 1/2 length in 1:52 with Magee. However, it was a different story in the $285,000 O&B Final.
The 4-5 favorite was parked out through sizzling fractions 26.2, 54.1 and 1:22.3 and ended up a non-threatening third to the 2006 O & B champion Home Bed Advantage (Ryan Anderson).
That mid-September stake was “Barzgar’s final race as a 2-year-old. The colt wouldn’t win again until the summer of 2009 and “Barzgar” didn’t make a pari-mutuel start as a 3-year-old.
The son of Incredible Finale had a very imposing 16-plus winning qualifier (1:55.3) at Pompano Park in mid-April but then got sidelined “with a serious bacterial infection in intestinal track,” trainer Tom Harmer revealed.
The horse qualified in mid-June at Maywood in 1:56.2 with plans to enter Hawthorne’s $60,000 Chicago stake on June 28 but the start didn’t materialize.
“Barzgar” made a there unsuccessful starts in 2008 at the age of 4. After a half-dozen unproductive starts in 2009 the horse was shipped out East where he had 7 wins in 2010 while banking over $50,000 and added 4 more victories in 2011 including a 1:51 mile at Chester.
The horse joined Walnut Hall LTD in Lexington and began standing stud there for the 2008 breeding season.
Staying Hot: Sunday’s third race 8-1 longshot winner Hotmones (Kyle Wilfong) was an $18.40 Mike Paradise Price Shot selection.
By Mike Paradise