Trot Insider has learned that a couple of well known horses that perform on the Maritimes circuit have recently been retired from the racetrack.
Earlier this month, Pam MacKenzie, Dawn Ellis and Jeff Ellis announced the retirement of Lil Orphan Cam. The 14-year-old Camluck gelding boasts a resume that features 44 wins, 42 seconds and 39 third-place finishes from 275 career starts. The bay banked more than $187,000 in purse earnings over the course of his career and took his career mark of 1:54.2 while racing over Flamboro Downs as an eight-year-old.
The Ellis family is an avid supporter of Standardbred Canada’s Full Circle Program, which promotes retired race horses being connected with past owners, trainers, drivers or caretakers who might provide a retirement home.
LiL Orphan Cam will retire at Dawn’s own retirement compound and will join other retired stars from the Ellis stable. This past spring, Dawn took over an unused barn and turn-out paddock on the Truro Raceway grounds and refurbished them to provide a permanent respite for her own non-racing Standardbreds.
Standardbred racehorse owner Penny Wesley confirmed this week that eight-year-old Pasta Vera has been retired from racing to his ‘forever home’ with Angie VanKessel and family in Pictou. The Pennsylvania-bred son of McArdle loves to compete and enjoys treats of any kind.
After 182 career starts, Pasta Vera retires with 35 wins, 26 seconds and 15 thirds to his credit and $47,905 in purse earnings. He took his career mark of 1:57 over Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park as a six-year-old. In retirement, ‘Pasta’ will share quarters with fellow retirees Rum Tuff Customer and Saulsbrook Chief as a trail/therapy horse.