SC Rewind: Remembering The 1984 Canadian Pacing Derby

In this week's Rewind Robert Smith recalls the 1984 Canadian Pacing Derby and its outcome at Greenwood Raceway. Always an annual fan favourite, this race added yet another chapter to its long and interesting history on that day now close to 40 years ago.  

Mr. Dalrae Wins Canadian Pacing Derby  

Photo courtesy of The Standardbred by Steve Tambosso 

The 1984 edition of the fabled Canadian Pacing Derby was the 42nd renewal.  This great race started way back in 1936 and was then held at the small town track at New Hamburg, Ont.  Of all the great racing this classic had witnessed, this edition became the fastest ever.  U.S. invader Mr Dalrae was the winning horse and the new all-time speed mark was 1:54.  It not only set a new track record for Greenwood,  it was a world record for aged horses over a five-eighths mile track.  The new clocking dropped two-fifths of a second from the existing record formerly held by Perfect Out.  

The Derby attracted a choice field of 10 of the best aged pacers currently competing.  At one time mainly Canadian-owned horses competed annually in this classic but by this time harness racing had changed drastically.  The purse structure and the competition level attracted a wide range of entrants.  The Derby purse had witnessed a steady rise in recent years with this year's pot reaching $138,000.  This was the largest purse ever up to that point in time.  

As the 10-horse field left the gate the free-legged Joule made a serious break thus removing himself from contention.  Dave Wall, who was sitting in for Eddie Davis behind Glen Almahurst, immediately grabbed the early lead.  He proceeded to carve out the fastest quarter the Greenwood track had ever witnessed as he clocked a :27 second sprint.  As the field passed the stand and reached the half, even money favourite Mr Dalrae was out and moving for driver Dave Magee. 

They retained command from there home, arriving at the wire with a comfortable 1-1/4 length lead.  When the time of 1:54 even flashed on the board a cheer went up from the crowd sensing that a new record had been set. The Derby win was the 12th win in 20 starts that season for Mr Dalrae,  a homebred product of owner Bill Smith's A La Carte Stable of faraway Los Angeles, California.  The victory raised his season's earnings to $266,575.  Unfortunately Mr. Smith missed the race because he was on an ocean cruise which his wife had won in a contest.  

Winning the prestigious Canadian Pacing Derby was not exactly a first-time experience, in fact it was the owner's second success having won it in 1973 with Sir Dalrae — a half brother to this year's winner.  Jim Dennis, who was the trainer of this year's winner and also trained and drove Mr. Dalrae in 1973, had a third connection.  The winner of the 1979 Derby edition Try Scotch was his trainee but was driven by Shelley Goudreau. 

Mr. Dalrae and driver Dave Magee finish out the fastest mile ever in the 43rd edition of The Canadian Pacing Derby at Greenwood. Magee was a top driver in the Chicago area at this time and drove a number of horses for trainer Jim Dennis, who had decided to reduce his driving duties. 

Photo courtesy of The Standardbred by Steve Tambosso 

In a somewhat unusual turn of events all of the purse money for this year's $138,000 Derby travelled out of the country. Energy Burner (Tom Merriman) was second,  Umbrella Fella (Ray Remmen) third,  Caramore fourth and Glen Almahurst (Dave Wall)  fifth.  I did find out that Caramore is Irish for "big friend" and that this horse was bred and owned by a Catholic priest, Father Thomas J. O'Connor, who was born in Ireland but had been living in New Jersey for many years. 

A Short Historical Recap Of The Canadian Pacing Derby 

An early racing scene at New Hamburg Ontario as the horses reach the first turn.  The leading horse was Peter Chilcoot owned by the Hon. Earl Rowe and driven by Clint Hodgins.  Thousands of fans jammed into Fountain Park each year to watch the Canadian Pacing Derby. 

The famed Canadian Pacing Derby was first held in August of 1936.  It was the brainchild of a loosely knit group of individuals whose sole interest was the establishment of an annual race for top class horses.  The originating group included a medical doctor,  a butcher,  an insurance salesman and various others.  The location was chosen because the New Hamburg track, known as Fountain Park, had a very good half mile track and a decent grandstand and grounds to host such an event.   

In August of 1936 the first edition of the Canadian Pacing Derby was held at New Hamburg, Ont. It drew an estimated 8,000 fans who watched the first of 21 consecutive Derbies held at the fabled Fountain Park. The first ever race was won by a horse named Better Times, owned by Mr. J.W. Koch of London and driven by the great Canadian reinsman Floyd Milton who originated in that area. It soon became the most popular event of the season for harness racing in Ontario and perhaps all of Canada. It was a memorable day in Canadian harness racing history and members of Mr. Milton's family are still involved after all these years.  Thanks to gate receipts, entry fees and contributions from local interests, a purse of $1,275 was offered for the inaugural. That was considered a lot of hay! (and maybe even some oats) 

A vintage picture of the very first Canadian Pacing Derby winner Better Times and driver trainer Floyd Milton of Drumbo, Ont. 

The inaugural race was an instant success and in each succeeding year the race prospered.  It drew top horses mainly from Ontario but also from Quebec and a few from neighboring U.S. states.  In total the race lasted at this location for 21 years and parts of three decades.  Just once during that time did a winner from the U.S. take home the top prize.  In 1954 a horse named Warpath from the stable of Saunders Mills located at Perrysburg, Ohio won the big event.  Don Hall, a popular U.S. horseman, was in the driver's seat.  The purse that year was $5,000,  the highest it ever reached during the New Hamburg era. 

In 1957 race organizers announced that the Derby would no longer be held at New Hamburg.  Declining interest in the race was cited as the main reason for the decision.   Only four horses were entered in that final race. The winner was an outstanding horse of the time named Captain Wright.  Owned by the up and coming Armstrong Bros. Stable,  this horse was a double heat winner for veteran driver Vic Rowntree and thus closed the New Hamburg era. 

The race was not held again until 1965 when it was revived and moved to Greenwood Raceway. With an increased purse of $15,280 on the line the first winner of the modern era was the three-year-old Jerry Hal. Owned by John and Audrey Langford of Chatham, On. and driven by Waldo McIllmurray,  the horse was groomed by Keith Quinlan.  That was a longer distance event contested at 1-3/16 miles. 

Many years ago I can recall talking with one of the original Derby organizers, Dr. T. C. Kilpatrick, a local medical doctor who along with a handful of other caring citizens organized this race. He said one of the main reasons it was started was to raise the morale of the people who were so downtrodden at that time due to the lingering depression.  Attending a day of racing was a good way for everyone to forget about their cares and woes at least for a day.

Quote For The Week: Beyond his managerial achievements, baseball legend Jim Leyland is also acknowledged as a great story teller.  Many of his humorous tales are short and sweet.  In a recent appearance at a Detroit Tigers ballgame he told this one.  "I recently asked my wife a ticklish question. I said, 'after I die will you give my golf clubs to your boyfriend?' She quickly answered, 'No,  he's left handed.'" 

Who Is It?

Can you identify the gentleman pictured above? He was a familiar figure at the O.J.C. tracks for many years.  He left us not too long ago. 

Who Else Is It? 

The above horse and driver were once winners of the Canadian Pacing Derby, shown above winning by several open lengths.  Can you correctly identify the driver and perhaps the horse?