Yankees star forms a special bond with ex-Aussie pacer

Nestor Cortes recalls being a high school student growing up near the famed Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Fla., pressing his forearms against the railings to watch the horses in action.

He was fascinated by their beauty, power and speed then, and he remains so to this day.

So when Cortes sensed an opportunity to own a horse, he knew that he had to try it. The left-hander has partnered with Joe Lee, a Yankees assistant equipment manager, to purchase Tam Major (Art Major), an 8-year-old harness racing horse foaled in Australia.

Tam Major was well known Down Under for his exploits on the track, with his 15 wins from 55 starts including a triumph in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series for four-year-old entires and geldings during 2019.

Bred and raced by Bruce and Vicki Edward, the son of Art Major was trained by Emma Stewart before being sold to the United States after his final Australian start in November 2020.

“You can say it’s yours, and go to the races and enjoy,” Cortes said. “You’re not only just betting on the horse, but actually watching your horse run. You appreciate the stress they go through every time they race.”

While Lee counts handling Yankees player gear and uniforms as one of his day jobs (he’s also a financial advisor), the 42-year-old is a decorated harness driver, frequently sliding into the seat at busy tracks like ones in Yonkers, N.Y., Monticello, N.Y., and East Rutherford, N.J.

“He saw me last year looking at horses on TV and on the apps, wagering some bets,” Cortes said. “He was telling me how he owned horses with [former Yankees manager] Joe Torre. I was like, ‘Man, I would love to own one.’ So this year, the opportunity came up, and we jumped on it.”

Tam Major was claimed by his new connections in April, and on May 14 Cortes wore customized spikes for his start against the Rays, depicting the horse’s number (3) and name. The outing did not go exactly as planned – Cortes fatigued late, permitting a grand slam to Yandy Díaz, though the Yankees rallied for a 9-8 win.

Soon, from a prime perch at Meadowlands Racetrack, Cortes’ attention was fixed upon the 10th race of the night. He hoped for another come-from-behind win. A long shot who had been moved up in class after a fourth-placed finish on the same track last week, Tam Major started strong but faded, finishing seventh in an eight-horse field.

Cortes might not have been celebrating that outcome, but he exited the track thrilled nevertheless.

“It was cool to be there as one of the part owners, being able to say that my horse was running in that race,” Cortes said. “I met the trainer for the horse and it was just cool to see that perspective, telling the jockey, ‘Hey, run it like this. Don’t push them too hard at the beginning,’ stuff like that. Right now, it’s just a fun hobby, but we’ll see where it goes.”

Edward, one of the state’s prominent breeders, couldn’t help but smile about Tam Major’s fame in the United States.

“It’s not as though Tam Major is a leading horse in the US – he’s doing very well and winning races – but it’s amazing that he’s done that,” Edward said.

“It’s an interesting thing to do, but apparently he does it quite often with different sorts of things.”

by Bryan Hoch with Tim O’Connor, for Harness Racing Victoria