As the son of a National Hockey League legend, Stephane Larocque can recognize greatness when he sees it. As a standardbred trainer, he is witnessing greatness in his own barn. By Chris Lomon
“My father…” started Stephane Larocque, a tinge of emotion audible in his voice, “he would be so proud, for sure. He would just love all of this.”
The 2015 standardbred season was a career one for the 41-year-old conditioner, headlined by Wrangler Magic, a now four-year-old mare whose performances justifiably garnered her recognition as an O’Brien Award finalist in the sophomore pacing fillies category.
For the man who guided her through that stellar campaign, not much was missing. He posted career-best marks with 51 wins, accompanied by over $1.2 million in purse earnings, and a well-earned reputation as a horseman on the rise.
Yet, for Larocque, there is one significant regret amid all of the success, specifically, the loss of his father, who passed away from brain cancer in 1992, at the age of 40.
“My dad loved horses and he loved harness racing,” recalled Stephane. “He owned a couple of horses over the years. He’d love to go out to the races and he loved the horse racing guys. He’d go see the guys he knew and he’d have a beer with them at their barn. He loved to go to the races, but he didn’t have a lot of time for it.”
Hardly any time for anything else, really. That came with the territory when you were a member of the National Hockey League’s most storied franchise.
Born in Hull, Quebec, Michel “Bunny” Larocque was selected sixth overall by the Montreal Canadiens at the 1972 Amateur Draft.
He was a part of the Original Six club’s four consecutive Stanley Cup wins between 1976 and 1979. Beginning in 1977, he shared the Vezina trophy for three straight years with future Hall of Famer Ken Dryden.
Larocque also suited up with Toronto, Philadelphia and St. Louis. In all, he played in 312 NHL regular season games and 14 post-season contests.
When he retired from the NHL, he handled GM duties for the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, winning the league’s executive of the year award in 1989-90.
“He was a great father,” noted Stephane, who turned 18 five days before Michel died. “I can remember the days when he would take me to the Montreal Forum, lace up my skates and take me on the ice. I met a lot of great players and I got to take shots at my dad. He also coached me when I played Bantam and Midget hockey. He had a strong temper, just like me, and we would have our battles, but he was a hell of a coach. I had some talent for hockey, so he would push me, but never too far. And he did that out of love. He always knew when to stop.
“When you are young, 15, 16 or 17, you think you know everything,” he continued. “But, he taught me about discipline, hard work and commitment. He was a goalie and I was a right-winger, so it was never about competing against one another.”
The younger Larocque would eventually carve out a solid hockey career of his own as a journeyman tough guy. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 10th round of the 1993 NHL Draft, a class that included future big-league stars like Chris Pronger, Paul Kariya, Saku Koivu and Todd Bertuzzi.
Stephane played professional hockey for a little less than a decade, and during that time, bounced around the United States and Canada competing for various teams in the minor pro leagues. His best two years statistically, coming in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-nineties. In 1996-97 Larocque tallied 80 points in just 59 games, while amassing 354 penalty minutes. The following season the point total jumped to 104, in 65 games, while the penalty minutes dropped to 275.
So how does someone go from chucking knuckles with heavyweight hockey players to picking up the reins as a standardbred trainer?
“I guess being around the racetrack on weekends with my dad, it just stayed with me,” said Stephane. “I retired from hockey when I was 28, and I knew what I wanted to do. I spent four years in the U.S. working with Patrick Lachance. He taught me a lot about horses and so much more. I then went on to be head guy for Mark Kesmodel at the Meadowlands for two years. After that, I moved back to Ottawa.”
Through his friendship with O’Brien Award-winning driver Sylvain Filion (a finalist once again for the 2015 honour), Stephane met his Sylvain’s father, Yves, a successful Quebec horseman who continues to play a prominent role in developing horses.
It was Yves who broke and developed Wrangler Magic before sending her to Larocque, his Ontario-based associate.
Yves, who owns a quarter-share in Wrangler Magic, typically chooses his own stock, but he welcomed her as a yearling because he knew breeder and co-owner Maurice Stewart from their time at Standardbred Canada. He’s also owned horses with Quebec City’s Brian Paquet, a friend (and also co-owner, along with Thomas Kyron) who approached Yves about taking her.
“Both Sylvain – who is a great driver - and Yves have helped me in so many ways,” said Stephane. “They have been a huge part of any of the success I’ve experienced.”
There’s been no bigger success – at least for now – than Wrangler Magic.
In 2015, the bay daughter of Mach Three notched four wins, banked $574,465 in earnings, and posted her mark of 1:50.2 in winning the $479,000 Fan Hanover Stakes, her richest payday of the campaign.
“She showed she was good when we got her,” recalled Larocque. “She started to really get impressive near the end of her two-year-old campaign. When you watched her, you saw a horse with good size, gait and speed. At three, she just started putting it all together.
“I have to thank Yves,” he continued. “He is the one who made this horse. For the last four years, he’s been working with them, making sure they are at the top of their game, and then he sends them to me. I’m very lucky to know Yves and Sylvain. They are great horsemen and great people. My girlfriend, Valerie Fournier, does an amazing job taking care of the horses, too. It’s a good team.”
Pacing colts Runnymede Lobell and Goliath Bayama each became millionaires with Yves responsible for training, as well as some driving. He also bred, owned and trained pacing mare Rebeka Bayama, a multiple stakes winner who won 27 races and over $731,000 during her career, while taking a speed badge of 1:48.3.
The highly respected horseman knew Wrangler Magic would be in good hands with Larocque.
“He’s a really nice person, very polite and he has a big heart,” said Yves. “He is always working hard and he loves his horses. Along with Valerie, the horses we send them get the best care any horse could get. I’m never worried when they go to him. Stephane and I talk almost every day. He tells me everything.”
Wrangler Magic is always a topic of conversation.
“She’s one of the best mares I’ve ever had,” offered Yves. “I had ‘Rebeka’ (Bayama) and she was a great one. Wrangler Magic, she’s a great one, too. She is the type of horse that makes you dream.”
Her biggest fan is one that Larocque never expected.
“My mom, Helene, she is an unbelievable person,” he praised. “She’s truly amazing. When I first started my harness racing career, she wasn’t too big on it. But now, she follows the horses I have and she is so proud. That means a lot to me.”
There’s one more person Larocque knows would have loved to watch Wrangler Magic work her magic.
“Later in life, you start to realize what your parents did for you, the lessons they taught you and how they helped you be a success. My dad, I really wish he could have seen all this. I know he would love it.”
