Tough 14-year-old getting final send-off

November 25, 2013 at The Raceway in London – Tomitta Bayama (Camluck-Korinna Bayama-Goliath Bayama) would hit the winner’s circle, with Trevor Henry aboard, after leading all the way and holding on to win by a head in 1:56.4… It would mark his sixth career victory, but it would also be the pacer’s first of many wins for his current and long-time trainer Tom Hamm.

Since then, the now 14-year-old shows (from 291 lifetime starts) 56 wins, 49 seconds and 34 thirds – good for $300,398 earned lifetime. His richest payday would come back on July 9, 2012 – in winning an $18,000 event at Mohawk Racetrack, with Sylvain Filion on board, in 1:52.2. He’d return $11.60 on the nose while breaking his maiden, as a three-year-old, for trainer Justin Filion.

Fun Fact… Tomitta Bayama would never earn more from one race and never pace faster than he did in winning that first one – but he would win 55 more times and bank $286,203 after that first career victory. And for a horse that was pretty good at winning races – he wasn’t much for standing around afterwards for his winner’s circle photo. Most of those would have seen him raring up or pacing on through and heading straight for the paddock.

His front-end style has gotten him to that winner’s circle, on most occasions, but back on January 25, 2016 – the pacer found himself sitting next to last, in a full field of ten, at Mohawk Racetrack. With James MacDonald, in the race bike, the gritty pacer would pace home like a bandit and score the upset where he’d pay $82.40 on a $2 win ticket – the highest win price return throughout his career!

Owned by Strathroy’s Tom Hamm and Jordan Hamm, of London, tonight marks the final career start for this blue-collar warrior… Most of his starts and wins would come right here in London. His latest victory, of course in gate-to-wire fashion, would see him returning $10.30 to his backers on November 27 – here on his home turf – with Samuel Fillion aboard.

January 1, 2024 will be Tomitta Bayama’s Birthday… Age 15 is the mandatory retirement age for standardbreds in Ontario and we’re so happy to have him with us tonight – here on his home turf – one last time! Race 10 is the Auld Lange Syne feature for older horses and he is the lone 14-year-old in the race – so he’s been assigned the rail for this final start. Best of luck to his connections and congratulations on a job well done with him over the years… Enjoy your retirement old boy!

From The Raceway at the Western Fair District