It is with a touch of sadness that I reflect on the news announced earlier this month that Hippodrome Aylmer has been sold and will likely never host a live harness race again. There are certainly many people in the National Capital Region – on both sides of the Ontario-Quebec border, whose memories of racing in Aylmer date back to the days when the track was known as Connaught Park. (You would never hear anyone at the track actually refer to it as “Hippodrome Gatineau” or “Sulky Gatineau”, names with which Attractions Hippiques attempted to rechristen the track. It was always “Connaught Park”, “Hippodrome Aylmer”, or just plain “Aylmer”.)
My memories of Hippodrome Aylmer do not go that far back. I only moved to Ottawa for my current job in 2007, and before that my other stint in the nation’s capital was in 2002-2003. Throughout all that time, however, Hippodrome Aylmer was my Saturday afternoon retreat: a place to unwind and watch harness racing in the cozy setting of a modest grandstand fronted by a half-mile track, all just minutes from downtown Ottawa. For me, the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon at Aylmer was to take in the live races, complete with Richard Proulx’s bilingual race calls, keep an eye on all of the thoroughbred simulcasts between live races, and enjoy some chicken wings during the late afternoon happy hour.
Live racing at Aylmer was a true spectacle. In warmer weather, trackside was the place to be. This was especially true after the recent renovations, when there was an outdoor patio right at the finish line and a grassy area next to that, of which a lot of families with young children took advantage. In all kinds of weather, the grandstand was the place to have a beer, enjoy racing on the big screens, perhaps enjoy a reasonably priced meal in the dining room, and just hang out and have fun. On top of all that, there were always promotions such as handicapping contests or the weekly invitation to fill out the ballot in your program and guess who would be the first driver to record a hat trick that afternoon. On track, the occasional 13/16 mile and 1 1/16 mile races added some variety to an afternoon of racing. Overall, the atmosphere at Hippodrome Aylmer reflected a genuine effort to make live racing a true sporting event that everyone could enjoy and to which you would want to return.
Unfortunately, all the efforts made at the local level to reinforce Hippodrome Aylmer’s place as an entertainment destination in the Ottawa-Gatineau area could not save the track from falling victim to the crisis that has befallen the Quebec racing industry. The current economic situation certainly did not help, either. That said, the fact that those who expressed interest in buying the Aylmer site have considered it to be valuable only for development, and that no one was willing to try to revive racing at the site, is a sad statement indeed.
In the meantime, Hippodrome Aylmer continues to operate as a simulcast facility, and the video lottery terminals still attract quite a few devoted players. Fans continue to cheer for their horses and chat over beers, and the service at the mutuels and concessions is as friendly and welcoming as it ever has been. If you go to the track these days, you would not know that the place is on its last legs - until you look out at the racing surface and realize that the horses are not coming back.
Hippodrome Aylmer was not the first track in recent years to join the ranks of defunct ovals. We have seen Orangeville Raceway and Kingston Park Raceway go by the wayside in Ontario, Sackville Downs out east is no more, and Garden State Park south of the border is but a distant memory. Other businesses in other industries come and go as well. Start-ups and failures are a part of the cold, hard reality of business, even in harness racing.
However, we must learn from the troubles that plague the Quebec racing industry and brought about the demise of Hippodrome Aylmer to try to avoid watching a similar fate befall other tracks in other provinces. The success of harness racing is the business of all stakeholders involved, including horse people, track management and staff, the fans who support the sport, the general public at large and governments at all levels in the jurisdictions in which harness racing is conducted. We must work together and ensure that each of these categories of stakeholders is committed to the success of the sport. There may be different views as to the cause or causes of the Quebec crisis, but I believe that most will agree that the support of one or more of these constituencies was lacking.
I have just one last thought for Hippodrome Aylmer, borrowed from the licence plates of most of the cars you would see in the parking lot: “Je me souviens” – I remember. To Hippodrome Aylmer and all of the great people who worked to make it what it was: thanks for the memories!
Adam, thanks for reminding
Adam, thanks for reminding me of old Connaught Park. I had a stable racing mostly there and at Rideau Carleton called Miway to Glory Stable. Indeed we had the horse of the year Ace Lauxmont in 1988 and received a great photo of Ace winning an open pace at the annual dinner of the Quebec racing industry in Montreal. I am sure that photo still hangs in the living room of our trainer Gord Stader. As you noted, it was a great place to come and watch races and on one glorious Sunday I even had three winners even if it was 20 below! It is also sad to think that my two partners, Wayne McKee and my Dad, Richard Herring Sr. have both passed away. Today as we bask in the year that Muscle Hill has just completed it also worth noting that Greg Peck, a good friend and former partner, also raced at Connaught Park. He had just come up from Nova Scotia and had a few horses to keep his hand in while he was working as a media relations consultant. It was in this capacity that took him to Philadelphia where he continued to dabble in horses until it has now become pretty much full time including the training of the world champion and perhaps the best trotter ever, Muscle Hill. Indeed Greg may go on to be one of harness racings' best ever trainers. Thanks again for bringing back the memories, and watch out for Holiday Road next year.
richardinaiken
I saw my first horse race at
I saw my first horse race at Connaught Park, back in the late fifties, when children weren't allowed in. We snuck through the fence, helped by our parents, and sometimes got caught.
It was never a very glamorous place, but it was a great place to watch a horse race.
I saw Albatross and Stanley Dancer win the Connaught Cup back when.
I saw Silent Majority and Bill Haughton win a stake there, as well as Handle with Care.
I remember the drivers, who also trained in those days - My friend Dr. John Findley, Russ and Pem Caldwell, Ross and Neil Curran, Bill Habkirk one season, all the Filions, the Demers, Bob O'Dwyer, Andre St. Amour, J.P Charron, and many more.
Lots of great memories.
It was a big part of my growing up years.
In reply to I saw my first horse race at by dabear48
from Aug 5, 1970 Harness
from Aug 5, 1970 Harness Horse mag.
Super Wave Wins Connaught Cup In 2:00 2/5 Track Record
Dr. George K. Boyce's Super Wave, with Jack Kopas at the helm, won the $7,500 Connaught Cup Sunday afternoon, July 19, in 2:002/5 to obliterate the Ottawa, Canada area half-mile track's standard of 2:013/5 established almost two years ago to the day by Replica Herbert.
The 4-year-old son of Shadow Wave-Savilla Song dogged pacesetting Commander Dell, through the first threequarters of the mile while that Poplar Dell gelding cut out fractions of :294/5, 1:004/5, and 1:312/5.
Super Wave sprang into the lead turning for home, and covered his last panels in 29 seconds flat to gain a 2-length score. Little Jerry Way, handled by Herve Fillion, moved out of third at the same time Super Wave launched his and he too overtook Commander Dell but was unable to endanger the eventual winner.
Canny Choice finished fourth, one-quarter of a length behind Commander Dell with Earlylakes John fifth and last.
It was one of the biggest days of the year at the Aylmer, Que. course, which is rapidly approaching the end of its 1970 meeting. Although he missed in the feature, Herve Filion pleased a record throng of 4,870 with a triple, winning the fourth with Coppersmith, the fifth with Dark Flash, and the eighth with Keystone Song, his 199th, 200th, and 201st victories of the season which put him ahead of his own World's Record pace at this juncture in the 1968 campaign when he wound up with 407 winning drives.
Dark Flash, Filion's second winner, trotted in 2:064/5, the best effort at the lateral gait during the meeting.
The state of Canada's depressed economy has been mirrored somewhat in the mutuel statistics at Connaught. Despite a record crowd on Sunday the total mutuel handle amounted to $155,978, more than $44,000 off the track's record handle.
(Photo text-NOT included) read:
Jack Kopas, Super Wave and the Connaught Cup after Kopas guided Super Wave to a track record 2:002/5 in the $7,500 Connaught up Invitation Pace Sunday afternoon, July 19 at the Ottawa, Ont. area raceway. The race attracted a record 4,870 fans.
from the June 24, 1953
from the June 24, 1953 Harness Horse mag.
Rublee Race Secretary at Ottawa
The first Canadian harness race meeting under the lights will open as scheduled on the evening of July 1. This Inaugural meeting will extend through July 18. An extension was announced on June 15 of racing from July 22 to August 8, with other extensions under consideration.
Glenn W. Rublee of Wallingford, Vt., is the race secretary of this new racing plant in the capital city of Canada. The main offices of Connaught Park Raceway are at the Auditorium in Ottawa, with the race plant across the Ottawa River in Hull, Que. Race Secretary Rublee is well known in both the United States and Canada, having acted as race secretary at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland for more than 20 years, also race secretary at Batavia Downs and Freehold Raceway.
He also worked at the early California race meetings and in Maryland when Edwin T. Keller, general manager of Vernon Downs, was race secretary of those race meetings.
The early closing events drew a goodly number of entries, and with the extension of dates just announced it should be one of Canada's finest race meetings for trotters. Ottawa is very centrally located for the horsemen in Ontario, Quebec, northern New York and New England.