Funtime Bayama purchased by Pollock and Areman

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Funtime Bayama (He’s Watching-Tymal Sugrbabydoll), the third-place finisher in Saturday night’s North America Cup, has been sold for an undisclosed amount to the connections that have recently put some serious green into the game by acquiring harness racing horses such as Abuckabett Hanover and Seven Colors.

‘Funtime’ will now be trained by co-owner Andrew Harris for his primary owners William Pollock and Bruce Areman.

“His name came up the other day when we were having a conversation about top 3-year-olds,” said Harris. “But I never thought they’d actually sell him.”

Harris, who acquired Seven Colors at a similar point in time last year, knows how fortunate he is to be connected with Pollock and Areman.

“I sit there and see these amazing horses and they become available and with the support of guys like Bill Pollock, I literally get to sit here and play with all of these fancy ponies; I’m a little kid in a candy store,” said Harris, adding with a laugh, “I’m sure I’m the most hated guy in all of the sport when it comes to the other trainers but at the same time, I’m literally getting to live the dream.”

Sylvain Filion, who has driven the 3-year-old gelding in all but two of his 13 career outings for his owner-father Yves, is both happy and sad about the sale.

“My father had already been approached twice before about possibly selling the horse,” said Sylvain. “I have mixed emotions but they made an offer we couldn’t refuse. At the end of the day, I think my dad is pretty happy.”

Funtime Bayama, who was racing out of the Richard Moreau barn, is a lifetime earner of $381,948 with eight wins from 13 lifetime starts. He has never raced outside of Ontario in his career, but will in a few weeks in the Meadowlands Pace, which will have its eliminations on July 6.

“He’ll get here sometime this weekend once the paperwork goes through,” said Harris. “And now we have two weeks to prep him for the Meadowlands Pace. We know we are buying a ready-made horse.”

As for who will drive the horse, Harris said: “We are in conversation about that right now.”

by Dave Little, for the Meadowlands