The horse tested positive for an EPO-like performance-enhancer in Ontario before being acquired by Harris and his co-owners.

by Melissa Keith

Despite facing a difficult situation with a recent stable acquisition, Andrew Harris is having a strong season so far in 2024. The 39-year-old trainer is based at Gaitway Farm in Manalapan, NJ, where his stable is currently home to nearly 40 horses, including the top older pacing stallion in North America, Abuckabett Hanover (p, 5, 1:47.2s; $1,512,866).

Harris began his training career in 2004, recording his first victory on Nov. 19, 2004 at Grand River Raceway with Dr. Huw Llewellyn’s homebred mare Blotto (p, 6, 1:56.4h; $154,606). Blotto was previously trained by Harris’ father, Jack. While his twin brother J Harris pursued a driving career, Andrew spent two years working for four-time O’Brien Trainer of the Year Bill Robinson, then made the move to work for five-time O’Brien Trainer of the Year Casie Coleman.

Andrew went on his own in 2015.

“I went on my own at the end of 2015,” he said.

By 2019, Andrew was top trainer at The Meadowlands’ fall meet. It was his stable’s third consecutive $2-million season. This year, Andrew was off to another promising start with the support of co-owners Bruce Areman and William Pollock, both of Freehold, NJ. Unfortunately, a six-figure purchase quickly went sideways into a situation Andrew said, “is going to be a mess.”

Funtime Bayama (p, 3, 1:49.1s; $322,108) debuted for new owners in a July 7, 2024 Meadowlands Pace elimination, finishing second to elim Nijinsky. It was his first start for new trainer Andrew, who co-owns with Pollock and Areman. The Canadian and Woodbine Mohawk Park track record holder for 2-year-old pacing geldings subsequently struggled late in the July 13 final, fading to a distanced 10th in the stretch.

The AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) indefinitely suspended Funtime Bayama’s previous trainer, Richard Moreau, effective July 22, 2024. Funtime Bayama himself was also suspended (from June 24 to Dec. 24, 2024) after testing positive for the prohibited performance-enhancing drug DPO (darbepoetin alfa) in a June 10, 2024 out-of-competition test.

Asked about the situation on Friday (Aug. 2), Andrew said, “I’m not allowed to comment, because that’s what I’ve been advised to do.” He confirmed that he received that advice from a lawyer.

Andrew was able to verify that Funtime Bayama had come out of the Meadowlands Pace unscathed, and the gelding was still stabled with him in New Jersey.

“Yeah, I still have him,” Andrew told HRU. “He’s still good.”

Despite the uncertainty about Funtime Bayama, Andrew remained optimistic about his stable.

Millie May Hanover (Bettors Delight—Mayhem Seelster) was about to make her fourth career start on Monday (Aug. 5) in the Battle of the Belles final at Grand River Raceway, in Elora, ON. A $300,000 purchase at the 2023 Harrisburg sale, the filly is also owned by Andrew, Pollock and Areman. She finished second at Mohawk in two Ontario Sires Stakes Gold legs before a show finish in her July 29 Battle of the Belles elim at Grand River.

“We bought her as a yearling,” Andrew said. “She’s got a royal family, and the OSS program is obviously one of the best in North America. So, she was one that we really liked, and Billy was actually one of the ones that really liked this filly, so that made it easier to go after her.”

While still a maiden, Millie May Hanover drew well (post 3) for the “Belles” final.

“Last week, she came first up into some wicked fractions, and that’s not her game,” Andrew said. “She needs a target for a little bit longer than that, but she still hung tough and hung on for more than I thought she would, off that trip. I was happy with her.

“I think that we’re racing her against the type of competition we want to be in with, and she’s holding her own. I don’t think she’s had her kind of trip just yet, so I’m hoping that we’ll see her [get that kind of] trip for the final. That would be amazing.”

He also trains Twin B Fresh Bet, the 2-year-old Bettors Delight half-brother to superstar mare Twin B Joe Fresh (p, 4, 1:47.3m; $1,740,815). The colt was a $500,000 purchase at the 2023 Harrisburg sale, under original name Twin B Euchre. He is currently awaiting his third start at Mohawk.

“Yeah, he’s a nice horse, but we’ve got Abuckabett Hanover, Seven Colors, El Rey, and other strong contenders, and we have some nice babies coming up,” Andrew said. “We haven’t had the best of luck with the babies yet, and I’m hoping that turns around here, but the first half of the year hasn’t been what I wanted it to be, so hopefully we continue to grow and get stronger in that department.”

The undisputed stable star is Abuckabett Hanover, who raced Saturday (Aug. 3) in the Sam McKee Memorial at The Meadowlands.

“Oh yeah, by far,” Andrew said about the star pupil he co-owns with Pollock and Areman. The horse was purchased online for $530,000 and joined Andrew in late 2022.

The 6-year-old stallion had his first 2024 victory on June 8 in the Mohawk preferred handicap pace, and has followed it up with wins in the Dave Brower Memorial and William Haughton Memorial at The Meadowlands.

“I think what everyone would probably pick as his strength is his last quarter,” Andrew said. “He’s got such a wicked last quarter and closing speed. But I would say this year he’s developed a bigger set of lungs, where he can be involved much earlier in the race than he was able to be before, so that has made him the overall weapon that he is now. You know, before he always had to get away eighth and ninth, and then come closing. This year, it seems that you can leave with him and still have a closing kick, and that makes him a very versatile weapon.”

Following a nine-place finish in the McKee, “the Canadian Pacing Derby will be his next one,” Andrew said of Abuckabett Hanover. Eliminations are Aug. 24 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

“Abuckabett’s” stablemates in the older pacing division also have a busy schedule.

“El Rey [p, 3, 1:48.3m; $656,130] is in the Kentucky Sires Stakes and then going to the Dan Patch [Aug. 9 at Hoosier Park] next week,” Andrew said.

“I’ve also got Seven Colors [p, 3, 1:48.1h; $757,683] going to the Dan Patch next week, and hopefully the Canadian Pacing Derby after that, so we’re quite strong in that division. I feel like we’ve got a real good group in that division, so I’m pretty happy with those ones.”

World champion Seven Colors is getting over what Andrew called “4-year-old blues” issues.

“He’s a very nice horse and for the most part, I just think he’s been dealing with some 4-year-old things and adapting to the new type of racing, of not being able to just bully all the other horses around, and having to just learn to race a different style, a little bit,” he said. “But his speed is still there and he’s an excellent horse, just when he gets in with the [older] horses, you’re not the big, bad wolf. You’ve got to chase a little bit.”

Andrew said he would like to see more stakes races restricted to 4-year-olds, because of younger horses gradually adapting to the tougher older ranks.

“Against 4-year-olds, I think [Seven Colors] is as good as any 4-year-old in the country, but against [older] ones, I think it’s a big difference for him,” Andrew said. “For most of them, it is. The only one I haven’t seen it affect is Voukefalas. But other than that, all the other 4-year-olds have all seemed like they struggled against these aged horses.”

Andrew added that more for 4-year-olds would encourage more owners to keep young stallions racing.

“If people want to see them keep coming back to the racetrack, you’ve got to give them options,” he said. “If you want people to bring those type of horses back to the races, they can’t suffer through a 4-year-old year where they’re in too tough, and then they gave up a stud deal… In order to see these horses continue to keep coming back to the track, there has to be opportunity.

“The Graduate Series is a great opportunity. The Kentucky Sires Stakes program for the 4-year-olds is a great opportunity. But I would love to see some other states, and Ontario even, throw a 4-year-old division together, and that gives more people a reason to bring them back. It makes them worth more money, because there’s an area for them to race.”

Some years, certain divisions are dominated by stars who make it difficult for talented rivals to reach the winner’s circle. That’s the case with Andrew’s top 3-year-old filly pacer.

“I’ve got Asweetbeachhere [p, 3, 1:50.3f; $234, 282] who’s been going really nice in the 3-year-old filly division, and she’s in with some bearcats, Geocentric and My Girl EJ,” he said.

The Ontario-born horseman said he is currently New Jersey-based because of his training center’s proximity to top tracks, including Mohawk.

“If you want to follow the Grand Circuit, then the best central location for that is really [New] Jersey,” Andrew said. “In the next couple of years, I think the central location will probably be more Kentucky, and people will start seeing more of the top stables move to Kentucky, but right now, it’s still Jersey, because you can still go right to Canada, you can go race in the Midwest from here, so it’s just been a central location.”

Despite inheriting the Funtime Bayama drama, which did not involve him, Pollock, or Areman, Andrew said he is otherwise having a good season.

“I can’t really complain,” he said. “I’ve got a great team behind me, and I can’t thank Bill and Bruce enough for giving me the opportunity, and hopefully we can capitalize for them, get them a few awards along the way, and everybody can be happy.”