Ontario-bred and owned Can I Say made headlines on Wednesday, May 3, as the Fourth And One mare went out and broke a track record in what was her 109th career start.

Can I Say, with Bruce Aldrich Jr. at the lines for trainer Doug Berkeley, started from Post 2 in Wednesday’s sixth race at Monticello Raceway, a $6,400 conditioned trot.

Sent off as the post time choice (30 cents on the dollar), Can I Say flew to the lead and was first to the quarter pole in :28.2. The brown mare continued to thrive on the lead. She got a solid breather in during the second quarter, as she made her way down to the :58.3 half-mile pole in a pedestrian :30.1.

Can I Say turned up the heat in Quarter 3, as she opened up a five and a half-length lead before spinning past the three-quarters pole in 1:27.

The eight-year-old mare rolled through the final quarter. She was seven and a half lengths the best as she hit the head of the lane. When all was said and done, Can I Say had utilized a :29.3 closing quarter and hit the wire 11 lengths the best.

Can I Say’s win time, 1:56.3, is now Monticello Raceway’s new track record for aged trotting mares. The win time eclipsed the prior record, 1:56.4, which held by Scottish Cross.

Berkeley trains Can I Say for her Ontario-based breeders, Terry Devos and Clarence Devos (of Langton) and Jim Whelan (Troy).

From 109 career starts, Can I Say has recorded 33 wins, finished second on 16 occasions and picked up the show dough 15 times. The mare has now banked $446,935 in career purses.

(Standardbred Canada)