From having family horses in the 1970s to accompanying his grandpa to the track at eight years old, Cameron Mahlum has been around horses for as long as he can remember, and wants to keep it that way.
His luck at the track started at age nine. Mahlum was spending the day at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg when his grandpa gave him a $138 winning ticket. From that moment on, Mahlum knew the race track was going to be a place of incredible memories.
His family moved to Minnesota in the mid-80s, right in time for the grand opening of Canterbury Downs. After owning horses with his family for a surplus of years, Mahlum decided to venture off on his own 12 years ago. He now has two partnerships, North Star Stables and Bear Racing. North Star Stables is named after North Star Township, where his grandpa owned a farm. Bear Racing comes from White Bear Lake, where Mahlum is a high school American History and American Government teacher.
Between his two partnerships, Mahlum has three active horses: Lila’s Lucky Lady, Ray’s Angel and Bye Bye Bennie. He keeps the horses near and dear to his heart and loves to see the growth of each throughout the years, treating them all like family.
Speaking of family, Lila’s Lucky Lady is quite the big sister. Earlier this year, her little brother, who Mahlum refers to as Pacman, was taken into the clinic and racked up a large bill. That same day, Lila’s Lucky Lady finished first in a race with a purse of $36,000. It was her way of saying “I got you, bro”.
As if owning horses, teaching history classes, and coaching a Varsity girls’ basketball team isn’t enough, Mahlum also serves as President of the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association. The MTA’s mission is to promote, educate and support Thoroughbred breeding, ownership and racing in Minnesota and around the country. Mahlum has served as president for the past three years.
