(PHOTO) LES BAKER (holding blinkers) is shown with his current racing star The Fdd Map. He credits Wranglers Advantage, a foal of 1985, as being the horse that changed his life - New Image Media photo
You would think that after almost 40 years into training Quarter Horses in Ontario, Les Baker would have trouble picking out just one horse that had a significant role in his career.
Baker, who owned the successful Red Oak Training Centre in Zephyr, ON and is well known in both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing in the province didn’t take long to talk about one horse.
“It was a horse named Wranglers Advantage,” said the now semi-retired Baker. “He was not only the best horse I ever trained but he was the nicest, well mannered horse I ever trained.”
That is saying quite a lot since Baker has been around dozens of superior racehorses including his current star The Fdd Map, a multiple stakes winner who ended 2015 with two consecutive allowance scores.
Wranglers Advantage, a grey son of Moohlah Wrangler, was foaled in 1985 and bought at auction by Baker for two women clients for just $1,500.
“I liked his breeding, my clients liked his breeding too,” said Baker. “And he was only 14.2 [hands high].”
He may have been on the short side but Wranglers Advantage was quicker than most of his bigger rivals and that helped him cut a swath through the stakes and allowance events at Picov Downs from 1987 to 1990.
“He won all the major stakes at Picov back then and we ran him in the States too,” said Baker. “He was a special horse to work with.”
Baker, who began racing horses on the track at Al Greco’s farm on Highway 27 in Kleinburg in the late 1970’s was really taken with the way the fleet gelding would behave around people, all people.
“He was just a really, really kind horse. He could carry around [any size of person] and he wouldn’t care.”
As for the upcoming season at Ajax, Baker is looking forward to getting back to action with his stable, headed by The Fdd Map.
“I look forward to this year, absolutely, and I hope Quarter Horse racing keeps continuing on for years to come. I know everyone at Ajax Downs is trying and working hard [to promote the sport]."
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