(PHOTO - JAMES BOGAR admires his gelding JIMMY BOYZ CARTEL after a win last year at Ajax Downs. Bogar says the legendary Man o'War helped get him hooked on horse racing)
You may hear the name James Bogar a lot more at the Quarter Horse races at Ajax Downs this year and in the future.
Bogar and his family have stepped up from having a handful of riding horses to a barn of 14 equines including four runners for this year and three Quarter Horse three broodmares in foal. Two of those horses were recent purchases from the Heritage Place Winter Mixed sale in Oklahoma last month.
Bogar, president of Cameron Steel in Lindsay, Ontario, is in his third year owning racing Quarter Horses and he remembers reading a book when he was younger that helped him fall in love with horse racing.
“I read a book about Man o’ War by Walter Farley,” said Bogar, who recently bought a 118-acre farm in Cameron, ON. “I had riding horses at the time and I thought Man o’ War was completely awesome, I also read all of Mr. Farley’s
Black Stallion books too.”
Man ‘o War, born March 29, 1917, almost exactly 100 years ago, is considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time, winning all but one of his 21 races, one by 100 lengths. Man o’ War won under 130 pounds as a 2-year-old and defeated Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race in Windsor, ON at Kenilworth Park.
“That story, that horse, had a big impact on me,” said Bogar.
There was one runner in the Bogar stable in 2016, Jimmy Boyz Cartel, who won his maiden in May and was trained by Lynn Farrell, who usually trains a private stable.
Bogar has hired Barry Wood as his trainer for 2017 and has two new prospects to race this year: Zing Dynasty, a winning 4-year-old filly, cost $22,000 (US) and is a full sister to multiple stakes winner ZZ Dynasty and he paid $6,700 for Flaming Lips, a daughter of champion Separatist.
“I figure my balance of horses will be about 20,” said Bogar. “I love Quarter Horses and in my mind, Quarter Horse racing is a bit more affordable [for me] than Thoroughbred racing.I love the pedigree and breeding aspect as much as the racing."
Bogar does a lot of the barn work himself and the married father of two said his daughters are already showing an interest in riding horses.
Just wait until they read magical stories of great racehorses such as Man o’War.
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