ACES MARK (Gold Case) will be running for more than purse money when he steps into the
starting gate for Belmont Park’s
8TH race on Saturday.
The six-year-old gelding will be running to honor the memory of his namesakes,
Garnet “Ace” Bailey and Mark Bavis, two National Hockey League (NHL)
representatives who were aboard United Airlines flight 175 when it crashed into
the World Trade Center in 2001.
Lew Mongelluzzo, an Ottawa Senators scout, owns and operates Team Power Play
Racing, an operation he created to combine his two favorite interests and keep
the spirits of both Bailey and Bavis alive.
“Aces Mark was named to honor the memory of two extraordinary men who
tragically died on 9/11,” Mongelluzzo said. “Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis left an
indelible mark on the lives of everyone they touch.
“It’s all come full circle;
everything we did for all the reasons we did it. This will be a bittersweet day
for everyone involved as well as friends and colleagues. I know Ace and Mark
will be with us as Aces Mark crosses the finish line on Saturday. We will all be
smiling through our tears.”
Bailey, who was 53 at the time of his death, was set to begin his 33rd
season in the NHL as a player or scout. An 11-year NHL veteran, he won Stanley
Cup Championships as a player in 1969-70 and 1971-72 with the Boston Bruins.
During the 1978-79 season, he was a line-mate of NHL all-time leading scorer
Wayne Gretzky on the Edmonton Oilers. When his playing days concluded, Bailey
went on to become a successful scout, helping the Oilers win five Stanley Cups
in the 1980s. He later became the director of pro scouting for the Los Angeles
Kings.
Bavis, who was 31 on September 11, 2001, was entering his second season as an
amateur scout for the Kings. A native of the Boston-area, he played his college
hockey at Boston University, where his brother, Michael, is currently an
assistant coach.
Team Power Play Racing’s ownership group includes Joel Quenneville, head
coach of the current Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Aces Mark is 6-1 on the morning-line for the 8TH race,
a New York state-bred allowance going six furlongs on the turf. It will be the
21st start of his career, with a record of 4-3-3 and earnings of $81,687. In his
only previous turf start, he ran second in a claiming race at Philadelphia Park
on July 27. Team Power Play’s green and gold silks will be worn by John
Velazquez, leading rider at the recently concluded Saratoga meet. Aces Mark is
trained by Gary Gullo.