Burning Point and Invitro, two standardbred pacing mares with combined earnings of over $5 million, along with a filly that won the Queen’s Plate and the Woodbine Oaks in 2002, headline this year’s class of inductees into
Canada’s Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Standardbred electors were unable to separate the greatness of Burning Point and Invitro, as both mares gained admission in the Female category. Wesgate Crown dominated the Male Horse voting for the Simmonds brothers, Paul and John, of Toronto, Ont.
Burning Point, winner of O’Brien and Dan Patch awards, earned $3.1 million during her six-year career for the Cuzzins Stable of Delray Beach, Fla. She was bred by Fred Drouillard of Windsor, Ont. Invitro, bred by Gord Irwin of Cobourg, Ont. and Murray Ross of Norwood, Ont., retired in 2008 with earnings of over $2.3 million from 35 lifetime wins. She posted a lifetime best 1:50 clocking at Woodbine Racetrack.
Wesgate Crown enjoyed success both on the racetrack and in the breeding shed. He won the Dan Patch and O’Brien Award as champion two-year-old trotting colt in 1993. The flashy trotter went on to capture numerous major trotting races both in North America and Europe, including two Breeders Crowns, while amassing $2.5 million in earnings. His foals have earned over $15 million.
In the Veterans category Silver Reign, who ruled the pacing scene in the late 1980s before her successful broodmare career, was owned by Eugene Forbes. Steve Condren has put together three decades of remarkable performances while winning more than 6,600 races for earnings of over $109 million to capture the Driver/Trainer category. He’s an O’Brien Award winner and also winner of the North America Cup with Goalie Jeff. In the Builder category Robert Burgess, a renowned breeder and owner for more than four decades, is best known for introducing the great trotting sire Balanced Image at his Cantario Farms. His other outstanding horses include millionaires Frugal Gourmet, Amity Chef, Real Desire, Amigo Hall and Glidemaster.
For the first time since 2003, the Hall of Fame will be inducting horses and people into the Legends category. Standardbred pacer The Eel, known as 'The Grey Ghost' was one of harness racing's greats in the early 1900s, setting countless records both on the ice and on the half-mile tracks. W.J. Hyatt of Petrolia, Ont., was inducted in the Builders category. A groundbreaking entrepreneur, Hyatt was the man behind the founding of the Supertest Stakes for Canadian-owned and bred two and three-year-olds. His best horse was Bob Lee. Thoroughbred inductees include Mrs. Lily A. Livingston, breeder of two King’s Plate winners, and one of Canada’s leading breeders for more than 20 years at her Pontiac Stock Farm in Cobourg, Ont., and jockey Thomas H. Burns of Cedar Springs, Ont., who twice was North America’s leading jockey in the late 1890s.
The five members of the thoroughbred class include Dancethruthedawn along with her Sam-Son Farms connections – the late Tammy Samuel Balaz in the Builders category and Mark Frostad, who trained three of Sam-Sons’ Plate winners. Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold, owned and bred by Frank Stronach and partner William Holtsinger, earned the vote in the Male category while Square Angel, owned by the late Gen. Preston Gilbride, was elected in the Veterans category.
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, August 18, at the Mississauga Convention Centre on Derry Road.
I want to extend a hearty
I want to extend a hearty congratulation to Steve Condren. Admired by his peers, he is a true gentleman and has been a superior driver for 3 decades. He is also arguably the best handler of babies in the history of the sport. No one is more deserving of this award.