Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Driver of the Month
for March 2008

Mario W Baillargeon

Mario Baillargeon in action

"Super Mario" Baillargeon is consistently at the top of the driver's colony lists at the Canadian ovals of Woodbine and Mohawk Raceways. Born on July 27, 1957, Mario resides in Milton, Ontario, and his colors of Red, Green and White are quite well known throughout harness racing venues in North America.

Mario has been driving horses for 28 years and was regarded as one of Quebec’s top reinsmen throughout the 1990’s. As well, Baillargeon has also been among the leading drivers in California, Chicago, Detroit and Florida in the 1980’s

In the fall of 1999, he moved to Ontario and scored 373 victories that year, third among all Canadian based drivers. He scored his biggest career victory in 2002 with 2-year-old pacing colt Totally Western in the Breeders Crown, and was the runner-up to Chris Christoforou for an O’Brien Award as Canada’s Driver of the Year in 2002.

Mario recorded his 5,000th career win aboard Sinister Sam on February 1, 2002, and in June of 2003, Mario, along with six other local drivers, was presented with a ring commemorating his prestigious milestone achievement. During that same year, Mario missed a significant amount of time to recovery and rehabilitation from a broken clavicle sustained in an accident at Woodbine, but came back to assemble a solid year in 2004.

In addition to driving many horses for trainer Ben Wallace, Mario is also on call for his brother, trainer Benoit, who also re-located to condition horses in Ontario during the fall of 2000.

Mario notched his 6,000th career driving win aboard pacer Sweet Notion at Flamboro Downs on Dec. 2, 2006, making him the 34th driver in North American harness racing history to accomplish the feat.

Mario Baillargeon's Career Statistics Through March 1, 2008
Year   Starts/1sts/2nds/3rds     Earnings    UDRS
2008        349   49     51     40      $767,222         0.260
2007      1999 268 294 226      $4,719,578      0.253
2006      1714 214   212   210      $3,580,728      0.234
2005      1508 165   187   179      $3,223,713      0.218
2004      1919 188   211   255      $3,835,842      0.203
2003      1762 196   205   210      $2,968,604      0.216
2002      2288 276   286   285      $5,120,629      0.232
2001      2271 304   315   296      $7,461,680      0.254
2000      2277 274   288   285      $5,093,838      0.232
1999      2069 373 300   287      $2,851,842      0.307
1998      2014 352   305   272      $2,060,553      0.304
1997      2220 380 339   288      $1,983,297      0.299
1996       736 104   100 108      $501,084        0.266
1994       593 73     75     82      $484,639         0.239
1993       792   91   127 108      $777,737         0.249
1992      1538 231   217 224      $1,771,358      0.277
1991      1829 345   292   244      $2,133,280      0.322
1990      2280 401   381   311      $2,317,234      0.314
1989        379 80     48    55      $211,482         0.330
1988        921 149   114 117      $635,858         0.273
1987      1301 273   197   158      $1,548,373      0.334
1986      1318 296   211 193      $1,164,949      0.362
1985      1441 303 222 197      $1,126,415      0.341
1984        863 106   137   117      $586,023         0.256
1983       825 112   126   108      $610,690        0.264
1982        352 43     46     44      $242,661         0.236
1981        197 22    29     24      $162,625         0.234
1980      1379 192 208   215      $847,475        0.275
1979      1523 237 226   201      $1,098,568      0.282
1978      1276 212 191   185      $696,348         0.298
1977        116   22     22     21      $68,744           0.355
Total            6,331                    $60,653,069