Mike Graffam registers 1,000th training win at Plainridge Park

Plainville, MA — When Happy Hooligan won the 11th race at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Aug. 5) afternoon, it was the 1,000^th training win for Mike Graffam.

Mike Graffam’s first year in harness racing was 1981 when he began driving and went 0-24 that first year. But things soon got better and as he continued to drive full-time for over 40 years, he has posted 510 wins, 592 seconds and 708 thirds with earnings of just under $2.4 million.

Graffam’s training career kicked off in 1991 and has come to fruition with this marquee victory. Graffam currently has 1,146 seconds and 1,209 thirds to go along with his grand total of wins and has earned just shy of $8 million ($7,968,333), which will be his next milestone.

Graffam’s most prolific win years were in 2021 and 2023 when he sent 63 winners postward and his most fiscally solid season came in 2023 when his students earned $837,110.

Racing has always been a family affair for Graffam, who has operated and trained out of the historic Norton Farm in Falmouth, Maine since the 1990s, a pre-Revolutionary War site that has been in Graffam’s family since before Loring Norton, Mike’s grandfather, began training horses there.

And the family has been running the stable as Mike Graffam’s second trainer is his daughter Bethany and his driver is his son Nick. And the majority of the horses they race are home-breds who compete in the Maine and Massachusetts state series before earning their way in overnights as older horses.

Graffam’s best stake horse was the home-bred 25 time winner Wolverina, who was the Maine champion pacing filly at both 2 and 3, registered a win percentage of 30%, was in the money 50% of the time and deposited $367,328 into Graffam’s coffers.

Mike Graffam’s 1,000th career training win was also a major family affair as his son Nick drove and the winner, Happy Hooligan, who is owned by his daughter-in-law Natalie and was paddocked by his daughter Beth.

Moni Man, Busting With Pride score wins at Plainridge

A pair of $21,000 trots were featured at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Aug. 5) afternoon and both features come from behind winners.

First in the conditioned trot for 6-year-olds and under, the 3-year-old Massachusetts-bred Moni Man (Walner) got his second win of the season off a perfect trip.

Moni Man (Nick Graffam) followed Apple Fritter (Mitchell Cushing) through quarters of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26 before the race entered the final turn. It was there that Graffam tipped Moni Man and brushed down the lane to win by one-half length in 1:55.1.

Moni Man ($8.00) is owned by his trainer Paul Kelley, in partnership with Matthew Lamont, Go For Glory Stable and VIP Internet Stable. Moni Man will be competing in the Massachusetts Breeders Stake that begins in September at Plainridge Park.

Then in the mid-level condition trot, Busting With Pride (Resolve) also followed cover to his second consecutive victory.

Cruising Tom (Matty Athearn) led the field through quarters of :28.1 and :57.3 before and outer flow led by Stonebridge Bomber (Kevin Switzer Jr.) formed and had Busting With Pride (Drew Monti) one out and one back in the breeze and loaded with trot at three-quarters. As the race entered the stretch, Monti tipped Busting With Pride three deep and flew some the lane to the wire and won by two lengths in 1:55.2.

BUSTING WITH PRIDE REPLAY

It was the fifth win of the year for Busting With Pride ($6.80) who is owned by his trainer Jackie Greene in partnership with Kellogg Racing Stables.

There were some big prices paid out at The Ridge on Tuesday led by Sangria Girl (Drew Campbell, 1:56.1) who won the fifth race and paid $93.80 to win and triggered a 6-4 exacta that paid $522.69, a 6-4-2 $1.00 trifecta that paid $3,028 and a 20-cent 6-4-2-1 superfecta the returned $1,777.30.

There was also a 20-cent Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta combination of 4-6-2-1-7 in the ninth race that paid $2,902.32.

Driver Nick Graffam scored a hat trick on Tuesday.

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday (Aug. 7) at 4 p.m.

Free full past performance programs and race replays for all live racing days at Plainridge Park can be found at plainridgeparkcasino.com.

For complete race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park