SC Rewind: The Madawaska Mile

In this week's Rewind Robert Smith goes back 60 years ago to recall a memorable race that still has some very real ties to the present day. He recalls an exciting time in our sport's past when fast times and big money were yet to come, but the level of enthusiasm and fan enjoyment was the order of the day. This edition of Rewind will be covered in two parts.

​Courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen

​In the process of putting together these weekly Rewind columns (Yes, they don't just appear out of nowhere) ​I often encounter some interesting old newspaper accounts. After all that's how we used to get all of our news. I find reading them has the effect of taking one back in time and almost recreating that time long ago. I recently found one that particularly piqued my interest for a number of reasons. It seemed like it would be a fitting inspiration for today's story.

Back in 1953 after many decades of presenting thoroughbred racing at Connaught Park in Aylmer, Que., the Gorman family decided to stage harness racing. A sort of "trial" meeting was held that included 14 nights of racing. The experiment was soon deemed a success and grew with each passing year. Racing at this locale became more of a sort of niche market that suited itself well for a lot of the horses and horsemen then available. The higher purses and larger crowds congregated at the much bigger Montreal tracks, but Connaught soon found its place.

Good competition didn't always require fast times as exemplified by a conversation I had many years ago with Walter "Butch" Srigley, a regular at the Aylmer track back then. He said he had a horse that pretty much trotted at the same 'clip' every time out. He recalled that regardless of how the race played out, his horse trotted every quarter in 34 seconds. "If nobody else went better than 2:16 I got a cheque." Walter left us a few years back but the moral of his story lives on.

Back in the earlier days of racing a rather non-flattering term -- the "Leaky Roof Circuit" -- was often used to describe certain places where the backstretch facilities especially left something to be desired. Connaught Park would have been fairly high on that list from much of what I have been told by those who raced there. Nevertheless it survived for many years and provided great entertainment in the process.

Dr. John Findley of Arnprior, the man responsible for bringing the new headline race to Connaught Park, ​is shown here in a 1958 photo.

Early in the track's history the management realized that holding feature races was a great way to draw fans and at the same time please the horsepeople. In 1958 a then 34-year-old Dr. John Findley, who was competing regularly at the track, approached Mr. Tom Gorman and Race Secretary Lew James with an idea. He and others who staged a couple of days of racing each year at Arnprior, Ont., had already started an annual race that was attracting attention. The local watering hole and meeting place aptly named "The Madawaska Hotel" in Arnprior had been putting up a sum of money (perhaps $200) and a cooler for the race. Dr. Findley suggested moving it to Connaught Park as part of their featured events.

The idea soon became a reality and the first edition at the new location was put on the racing schedule. It was advertised as The Madawaska Mile, a catchy name for sure. Its eligibility requirements were pretty simple. It was open to either trotters or pacers, and for non - winners of $200 lifetime. Back then for sure there were a lot of horses who fit those conditions. The date chosen for the inaugural was Saturday, June 13th.

The overall purse was set at an estimated $4,000, with the entry fees to be added. A total of 30 entries of both gaits were dropped in the box which meant that three eliminations would be held with the top four finishers in each returning for the final. Also a consolation would provide another heat and a chance at making a few dollars for those who finished back of fourth place. With a few weeks of action already in the books this spring, a few favourites were beginning to emerge much to the delight of the fans.

Two horses stood out somewhat above the rest. Perhaps the one that was drawing the most interest was a six-year-old mare named Baroness Atom. Owned by Pembroke Insurance man David Behan, this still green horse was the talk of Connaught. Previously tried on the trot she had been recently converted to the pacing gait, a change that was yielding huge rewards. She had just won four in a row and was showing no signs of letting up. Another hopeful was Miss Angus owned by J.J. Stewart of Ottawa as well as Pot Of Gold C.

Another horse drawing the interest of everyone was a nice three-year-old pacer named Leezoff owned, trained and driven by the aforementioned Dr. John Findley. This fellow had also won four in a row and would be part of a two-horse entry sent out by Doc along with a filly named Sadie Sue, also a three-year-old. Most of the current top drivers all had entries. The track's leading driver Almer Holmes, Herve Filion, Vic Lutman, Ross Curran, Pem Caldwell, Don Cox, Walter Grant and the list went on....Things were certainly shaping up.

In a very short span of time this race had suddenly become the talk of everyone interested in harness racing in the area. It was destined to become the premiere event of the young season.

Tune in on an upcoming edition of Rewind to read of the results of The 1958 Madawaska Mile.

A list of eligible starters as posted the day before the race.

Who Is It?

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Can you put a name on this gentleman? The correct answer will be given during the coming week.