Aces Mark running to honor namesakes on 9/11

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.