February 2008
Volume II, Issue 1
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Newsletter
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
April 2008
Associate Members Only
Benefit
Take a behind the scenes tour of
Woodbine Racetrack and a
guided tour of the Hall of Fame
with Managing Director, Louis
Cauz.
June 2008
Wine and Cheese,
Woodbine Racetrack
New panels honoring Jockeys,
Trainers and Drivers/Trainers will
be unveiled in the Canadian
Horse Racing Hall of Fame. If
you are an Associate Member of
the Canadian Horse Racing Hall
of Fame watch your mailbox for
your invitation to the Wine and
Cheese.
August 2008
August is Hall of Fame Month.
Watch for Canadian Horse
Racing Hall of Fame Day at a
racetrack near you.
Join us for the Induction
Ceremony on Thursday, August
28th at the Mississauga
Convention Centre. Tickets are
$150 per person and go on sale
on August 1st.
Membership Cards to be sent
to all Associate Members in
2008
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall
of Fame has developed a
Membership Card for Associate
Members. Look for yours in the
mail in 2008.
A LOOK BACK AT THOSE THAT HAVE ENRICHED OUR PAST AND INSPIRE OUR FUTURE
William "Buddy" Gilmour - Hall of Fame Inductee, 1988
William (Buddy) Gilmour was described by many of his peers as the best driver in the sport. His abilities were held
in the highest regard by both his competitors and fans. Born in Lucan, Ont., in 1932, Buddy along with his three
other driving brothers, gravitated to the sport at an early age. His formative years were spent under the tutelage of
the Hall of Fame’s legendary Clint Hodgins. Gilmour struck out on his own in the early 1950s and won his first
race of his career at Toronto’s Dufferin Park in 1952. His win record of 5,222 wins and over $40 million in purse
earnings signify that he indeed rank as one of the best. He recorded $1 million plus seasons, fifteen times during
his career, a mark which at one time put him fourth in this category. Gilmour has been fortunate to have teamed
with some of the sport's best horses over the years. On The Road Again, Follow My Star, Steinam, Joie de Vie,
Mirror Image and Millers Scout have all benefited from his fine touch. "Buddy" has always been very modest
about his many successes. "It’s just something you have a feeling for, I guess," he explained. "There's a
communication with the horse that's hard to explain". That soft touch is vividly apparent to anyone who has
watched him in action. His rocking/pushing action in the stretch, rather than an all out slashing, has been often
stated, a thing of beauty to watch. Of his many highlights, Gilmour says 1984 and 1985 will always hold a special
place in his heart. Those were the years he and On The Road Again teamed up to become an almost unbeatable
combination. The colt was Canada’s Horse of the Year both seasons. He was the USTA’s Three-Year-Old Pacing
Colt champion and Aged Pacing Horse of the year in 1985. OTRA during his career with Gilmour in the bike won
the Cane, Messenger, Confederation Cup, Western Canada Pacing Derby, New Jersey Classic, Nat Christie and
Provincial Cup, Canadian Pacing Derby and the World Cup Pacing Championship. "He was the best I ever drove,
without question,” Gilmour said. “He danced every dance. He didn’t dodge anybody. He raced on all size tracks
and at all the distances, plus he was an absolute joy to drive. I'll never have another horse like him." In 1992, at
the age of 60, Gilmour formally retired, although he would continue to drive periodically in special events until
2003. During and after his career, spanning forty tremendous years, Gilmour always contended the same thing
about his chosen profession. “It’s been a great life and I can honestly say I never felt like I was going to work one
single day.”
Gil Rowntree - Hall of Fame Inductee, 1997
Few conditioners of thoroughbreds in Canada possess more impressive Hall of Fame credentials than those of
Gil Rowntree. His accomplishments include a Sovereign Award as Canada's Outstanding Trainer in 1975 along
with four Queen's Plate victories. He won with Royal Chocolate (1973), Amber Herod (1974) and Sound Reason
(1977) for owner Jack Stafford and in 1984 he captured the 125th running of Canada's glamour event with Key to
the Moon for Bahnam Yousif’s BKY Stables. The greatest horse he ever trained was Overskate, who lost the
1978 Plate race by a short neck to Regal Embrace. Robin Platts was aboard Overskate that day and also rode
Plate winners Amber Herod, Sound Reason and Key to the Moon for Rowntree. Overskate went on to a brilliant
career, culminating with his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1993. He twice was named Horse of the Year and
earned a record nine Sovereign Awards during an exceptional career, in which he won 18 stakes races in New
York, Chicago, Ontario and Manitoba. “He was the best horse I ever trained. No doubt. The Plate? It was a
combination of things that beat us. But on that day it was a great ride by Hawley; a mistake, or whatever you want
to call it, by Platts; and racing luck. The best horse doesn’t always have to win. That was the only time Regal
Embrace ever beat him. The Plate is one race, one day. It’s like the Kentucky Derby. Native Dancer lost one race,
the Derby. ”Rowntree also developed Canadian champions Ten Gold Pots, Deceit Dancer, Allan Blue, Key to the
Moon and Sound Reason. One of his best fillies was Tudor Queen, a stakes winner in the U.S., and the colt
Ambassador B. In 1973 he achieved an unparalleled feat when his Stafford Farms' entry of Tara Road, Good Port
and Royal Chocolate swept the board in finishing one-two-three in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, the
second jewel in Canada's Triple Crown. Born in 1934, the native of Toronto had a brief career as a jockey,
working for trainer Art Halliwell, initially as a hot walker and groom. When he became too big for the saddle he
became a jockey’s valet. He honed his training skills while working as an assistant to future Hall of Fame trainer
Lou Cavalaris Jr., and went to work for Stafford Farms in 1967. Prior to the 2007 season Rowntree has saddled
more than 1,000 winners. He runners had earned almost $19 million.
Take the Canadian Horse
Racing Hall of Fame Trivia
Challenge
Here are a few questions from
the Managing Director, Louis
Cauz.
Answers are on the next page.
1. Thirteen Kentucky Derby
winners have raced in Canada.
How many can you name?
2. Six honored members of the
U.S National Museum of Racing
Hall of Fame ended their prolific
careers in Canada. How many
can you name?
3. Who is the only horse to win
the King’s Plate twice? He did it
in 1948 and 1949.
4. He is a member of both the
Canadian and U.S. Harness
Racing Halls of Fame. He rode
and trained thoroughbreds and
steeplechase horses at Old
Woodbine in Toronto and also
drove and trained, Guy
McKinney, the first winner of The
Hambletonian. He was born and
raised in Whitby, Ont., and is
honored at The Meadowlands,
N.J., each year with a stakes
race for trotters. Who is he?
5. Can you name the stud farm
in Ontario that once stood a
winner of the harness racing’s
prestigious trotting event, The
Hambletonian, the North
American Cup, (formerly the
Queen’s City Pace) and the
thoroughbred sons of Northern
Dancer, Nearctic and Dr. Fager?
6. She finished 17th out of 23
starters in the first heat but came
back to win the next two heats
and the richest Hambletonian in
history at Goshen, N.Y. She
made history that day as it was
the first time a Hambletonian
winner, Hoot Mon, had sired the
winner of trotting’s most
prestigious event. She was also
the first Canadian-owned horse
to win the Hambletonian. Can
you name this trotting filly?
Don MacBeth – Hall of Fame Inductee, 1988
Don MacBeth dreamed as a child of making it into the "Big Leagues". The native of Red Deer, Alta., never
dreamed it would be the "Big Leagues" of thoroughbred racing rather than the National Hockey League. Although
he learned to ride in Western Canada, winning his first race at Lethbridge, Alta., in 1967, MacBeth was a bigger
name in the United States than Canada. He performed with great distinction in New York, Florida, New Jersey,
winning riding titles at Aqueduct, Monmouth Park, Atlantic City and Hialeah in the 1970s and early 1980s. During
his career he won 2,764 races from 22,435 mounts while amassing in excess of $40 million in purse earnings.
"I've always been proud of the fact I rode 100 per cent", said MacBeth. "Winning to me was everything. I played
hockey that way. I may not have been the best hockey player, but I played hard." He was respected for his
determination and honesty, combined with great athletic ability. In the inaugural Breeders’ Cup at Hollywood Park,
California in 1984 he earned the distinction of winning the first ever Breeders’ Cup race – aboard Chief’s Crown in
the Juvenile. Some of his more memorable mounts and wins were aboard Eclipse Award winners Deputy
Minister, who won Horse of the Year honors, and Chief's Crown. MacBeth also rode “The Chief” to victory in the
1985 Marlboro Cup. MacBeth was aboard Half Iced, the 1982 $1 million Japan Cup winner. He captured the
Suburban Handicap at Aqueduct, N.Y., three times in the 1980s --Temperence Hill, Silver Buck and
Vanlandingham. One of racing’s great ambassadors, MacBeth earned two of the most coveted awards for a
rider. In his last public appearance at a race track, the 37-year-old was presented with the George Woolf
Memorial Award, presented each year at Santa Anita to the rider who personifies the highest standards of
professional and personal conduct, on and off the track. Shortly afterwards, March 1, 1987, he died following a
year-long battle with lung cancer. That June at Woodbine he was awarded posthumously the Avelino Gomez
Memorial Award for significant contributions to Canadian racing. He was not only one of the best Canadian
jockeys but simply just one of the best ever.
William O'Donnell - Hall of Fame Inductee, 1986
Bill O'Donnell, a native of Springhill, N.S., was born into harness racing. With his parents being longtime fixtures
of racing in the Maritimes, it was only natural that Bill would gravitate towards the sport too. Born in 1948,
O’Donnell after graduation from high school journeyed to New England where he worked for Jim Doherty. In 1979
he moved on to Saratoga, N.Y., where he took horsemen by storm, setting a record for most winners at one track
in a single season with 279 wins. Nicknamed “Magic” for his innate ability to get the most from his horses,
O’Donnell’s talent was in constant demand. To attest to this, U.S. Hall of Fame driving great, Bill Haughton, took
himself off world champion Nihilator so that he could have the “Magic Man” drive the precocious freshman pacer.
In 1984 O'Donnell took his "Magic" show to The Meadowlands in New Jersey and the Grand Circuit. En route to
being named Harness Tracks of America's "Driver of the Year" in 1984 with record setting earnings of $9,059,184
for a single season, O'Donnell confirmed himself as one of the sport's all-time premier drivers. In August of that
year, O’Donnell experienced his single greatest day in the business. In the morning he set a world record while
driving trotting filly Fancy Crown at Springfield, Illinois. She later earned Horse of the Year honors that season. He
then flew to New Jersey where he won the Woodrow Wilson with Nihilator for a purse of $2.16 million, which at
the time was the richest payout in harness racing history. The following year he became the sport’s first $10
million man while driving both Nihilator and three-year-old champion colt trotter Prakas to single-season moneywinning records. Prakas won The Hambletonian. Nihilator was Horse of the Year. The brilliant son of Niatross
won 23 of 25 starts, capturing every major stake offered and setting a then world record of 1:49.3 score at The
Meadowlands. O’Donnell earned the reputation of excelling with trotters, even though he drove the fastest pacer
ever – Cambest – in a 1:46.1 time trial in 1993. “It’s too tough driving three or four horses a week and competing
against drivers who drive eight or 10 a night. You can’t stay sharp doing that. I should know, I did it for years,”
said the 52-year-old O’Donnell in an interview in The Canadian Sportsman in 1999. “For now I’ll drive a couple of
trotters I have and put someone else up to drive in the pacing races. It’s a young man’s game out there for
pacers. Among the numerous horse of the year or divisional champions that O’Donnell steered to victory are
Little Brown Jug and Cane Pace champion Barberry Spur; Governor’s Cup and Presidential Pace winner Redskin;
Camtastic, Valley Victory, Sweet Reflection, Cayster, Delinquent Account and Canadian Pacing Derby winners
Artsplace and Staying Together, who also won the Breeders Crown. He has driven almost 5,700 winners with
earnings of more than $97 million and trained another 94 winners. After 25 years racing in the U.S., O’Donnell
returned home to his Canadian roots in 2001 to resume his driving career north of the border, building a house
and establishing a farm near Acton, Ont. He also began to train a small stable of horses. For all the spectacular
things he accomplished on the track, Bill O’Donnell will forever be known as one of the best there ever was. He is
also a member of the U.S. Hall of Fame at Goshen, N.Y.
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Inducted Nine New Members in 2007
A crowd of more than 300 flocked to the Mississauga Convention Centre on August 23rd to attend the 2007
Induction Ceremony and Silent Auction. Nine new members were formally entered to the Hall, now in its 31st
year. The class of 2007 was headlined by Windfields Farm’s broodmare Natalma, whose first foal, Northern
Dancer, was the foundation of a global thoroughbred dynasty and by one of Canada’s greatest pacing colts,
Bettors Delight, a winner of the Little Brown Jug. They joined four other horses, Queen’s Plate winners Jammed
Lovely, L’Enjoleur and Canadian Champ along with standardbred champion racing filly and stakes producing
broodmare, Cathedra.
In the Builders’ category Russ and Lois Bennett of Kelowna, BC, the leading thoroughbred breeders for two
decades in British Columbia, became the first ever husband and wife team to be inducted into the Hall. Jack
McNiven of Ingersoll, Ont., who headed Killean Acres one of the leading standardbred breeding operations in the
country for over 40 years was also elected, as well as Sovereign Award winning jockey, Chris Loseth of
Vancouver, BC.
What would you like to
see in future editions of the
Canadian Horse Racing Hall
of Fame Newsletter?
Answers to the
Canadian Horse
Racing Hall of Fame
Trivia Challenge
We welcome your comments.
Contact: Bridget Bimm
The Jockey Club of Canada.
Telephone: 416-675-7756
Email:[email protected]
1. Thirteen Kentucky Derby winners have raced in Canada. Here’s the list and the year they won the Derby.
Lookout (1893), Meridian (1911), Donerail (1913), George Smith (1916), Exterminator (1918), Sir Barton (1919),
Whiskery (1927), Decidedly (1962), Northern Dancer (1964), Secretariat (1973), Sunny’s Halo (1983), Sea Hero
(1993), Funny Cide (2006).
2. Six honored members of the U.S. National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame ended their careers in Canada.
They are: Cigar (Woodbine, Toronto, 1996), Exterminator (Dorval, Montreal, 1924), Grey Lag (Dorval, Montreal,
1931), Man O’ War (Kenilworth, Windsor, 1920), Northern Dancer (Woodbine, Toronto, 1964), Secretariat
(Woodbine, Toronto, 1973).
3. Last Mark is the only horse to have won the King’s Plate twice. Last Mark, owned and trained by “The Squire
of Cainsville” – J.G. (Jim) Fair. On May 24, 1948, his colt won the Plate at Woodbine Park. The following year
Quebec’s version of the King’s Plate was run on July 23 at Blue Bonnets in Montreal and it was open to older
horses. Last Mark, now four, defeated Exploiter. The Quebec version of the Queen’s and King’s Plate was than
Ontario’s. It was first run in 1836. The race was discontinued in 1954.
Stop by the Hall of Fame
the next time you are at
Woodbine Racetrack
Take some time to look at
improvements your donations
have allowed us to make over
the last few years. New Panels
have been erected for each
Builder and Horse that has been
inducted into the Hall of Fame
since its inception.
Virtual Tour Coming Soon
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall
of Fame is in the process of
making improvements to the
website and will be launching a
Virtual Tour of the Hall which will
enable fans across the country
and around the world to take a
tour at their leisure.
4. Nathaniel Daniel (Nat) Ray.
5. Nashville Stud in Kleinburg, Ontario in the 1970s.
6. Helicopter, overcame her starting spot of 17th in the second heat, was owned by Ted and Elgin Armstrong of
Brampton, Ontario. Helicopter went on to produce multiple Canadian champion Armbro Flight and is the granddam of Hambletonian winner Armbro Goal.
Items Needed for the Silent Auction in August 2008
The Planning Committee of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame requires horse racing related items and
memorabilia for the annual Silent Auction which takes place during the Induction Ceremony in August 2008. To
donate an item for 2008, please contact, the Hall of Fame today.
Approximately $20,000 was raised at the 2007 Silent Auction through items donated by race horse enthusiasts.
We would like to thank the following for their contributions to the event: Antonacci Clothing, Bear Stables Ltd.,
Canadian Horse Defense Coalition, Colangelo Veterinarian Services, Equilease Corp., Great Canadian Gaming
Corp., International Vans, Jim Bannon, John Stapleton, Kent & Company Ltd., Marie Pinon, Mark Casse/Lane’s
End Farm, KY., Mr. & Mrs. Frank Stronach/ Adena Springs Farm, KY., National Museum of Horse Racing, Ontario
Harness Horse Association, Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association, Overbrook Farms, KY., Peloso &
Associates Vet Services, Reade Baker, Rogers Media Inc., The Canadian Sportsman, The Jockey Club of
Canada, Tie A Knot Fashions, Wayne Tanenbaum, Windfields Farm Limited, and the Woodbine Entertainment
Group.
Mailing Address
555 Rexdale Blvd, P.O. Box 156
Toronto, Ontario M9W 5L2
Contact us:
Louis Cauz, Managing Director
Phone: 416-675-3993 ext.2399
Directions to Woodbine
Racetrack:
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall
of Fame is located by the West
Entrance of Woodbine Racetrack
in Toronto, Ontario.
For more detailed info you can
call Customer Service at:
1-888-675- RACE (7223).
________________________
Dear Horse Racing Enthusiast,
For over 200 years, racing has been a popular sport in Canada. But it is only since the creation of The
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1976 that the memory of those who have made a significant
contribution has been perpetuated with the annual induction of legendary names to the Honour Rolls.
These names represent the key categories of the racing fraternity – Builders, Thoroughbreds,
Standardbreds, Jockeys, Trainers and Drivers/Trainers.
Over the years, the Hall’s collections have been expanded, exciting displays and exhibits created, a
permanent home designated and donated and our Legends of the Past program introduced. This was all
made possible by the financial support of our industry and supporters.
This is a solid foundation on which to look to future development. However, donations, on which the Hall
is dependent, are not keeping pace with rising costs and the need for exciting new elements. The vitality
and continued success of the Hall will be possible only through the renewed support of its existing
sponsors and members and the enlistment of new supporters from all areas of the sport, and, in fact,
from the public at large!
Those who have devoted their energy, time and resources to fulfill our common dream to grow, innovate
and maintain the sport of thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing in Canada, will now have an
opportunity to enjoy recognition for that conviction and commitment. So, too, will the legions of fans who
have been racing’s mainstay.
The introduction of a new “Associate Member” Hall of Fame Category will allow the Hall of Fame to
further expand its stake in history. By investing in the Hall and nurturing its very concept, the “Associate
Members” will be racing new heroes, standing beside the legends of the past in a worthy shrine.
It will be a shrine which Members can help move into the 21st century with new initiatives that will engage
new audiences and build on its existing strengths. The development of an interactive Canadian Horse
Racing Hall of Fame website will feature the national history of the sport, for inclusion on the websites of
all major racetracks in Canada, supplementing each track’s own history.
An area in the Hall will be designated as the Associate Members’ Wall of Fame, where the name of each
donor of $1,000 or more will be listed for 12 months from the time of the donation.
We see the future of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as the opportunity to present racing’s
legends in tandem with new ideas and new insights that will connect people with their passion for racing.
We need your support to connect the past with the future. Be an integral part of the Hall by making your
contribution and taking your place on the Wall of Fame. Be part of the building. Be a part of racing
history. Become an associate member today.
Thank you!
Become an Associate Member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
I enclose $______________as my tax deductible contribution to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Name________________________________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________________________________
City_________________Province_____________ Postal______________Email address______________
Please charge my membership to: Cheque Enclosed
MasterCard
Visa
American Express
Card Number __________________________________________ Expiry Date______________________
Cardholder’s Signature___________________________________________________________________
Yes, please include me on your mailing list.
Please send your contribution to: The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Attn: Associate Members, 555 Rexdale Blvd., PO Box 156, Toronto, Ontario M9W 5L2
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS –
SELECT YOURS
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
$ 100.00 – In
the Money
$ 250.00 – Out
of the Gate
$ 500.00 –
Stakes Placed
$1,000.00 –
Championship
$1,500.00 –
Triple Crown