This week's Rewind looks back at the decade of the 1980s as Robert Smith recalls many names, happenings and recollections from that time period in his regular monthly Years Ago feature.

1980–1989 - Canadian Drivers Dominate Messenger Stakes

Ralph Hanover and driver Ron Waples capture the Messenger in 1:57 to claim the first victory on the quest of The Triple Crown. (Photo courtesy of The Standardbred)

The Messenger Stakes was first held in 1956 at Roosevelt Raceway, and the first-ever winner was the great mare Belle Acton. Billy Haughton trained and drove the inaugural winner and went on to train eight winners, a record that still stands despite his passing more than 40 years ago. The record for most driving wins belongs to John Campbell, who had eight trips to the winner's circle.

In the 10-year span of the 1980s, Canadian-born drivers captured nine of the 10 Messenger Stakes during that time period. It was an amazing accomplishment and showcased some memorable performances. Shown below is a list of race winners along with their trainers and drivers.

• 1980 – Niatross – Driver and Trainer Clint Galbraith
• 1981 – Seahawk Hanover – Driver Ben Webster (*); Trainer  Samuel Lewis
• 1982 – Cam Fella – Driver and Trainer Pat Crowe
• 1983 – Ralph Hanover – Driver Ron Waples, Trainer Stewart Firlotte
• 1984 – Troublemaker – Driver Bill O'Donnell, Trainer Gene Riegle
• 1985 – Pershing Square – Driver Bill. O'Donnell, Trainer William Haughton
• 1986 – Amity Chef – Driver John Campbell, Trainer Blair Burgess
• 1987 – Redskin – Driver John Campbell, Trainer Jerry Smith
• 1988 – Matts Scooter – Driver Mike Lachance, Trainer Harry Poulton
• 1989 – Sandman Hanover – Driver Bill O'Donnell, Trainer Ken Seeber

* - Driver Ben Webster was the only winning driver who was not Canadian-born.

1982 - Clark Smith Records Victory No. 2000

Clarkie Smith and Rose Robin (photo courtesy of P.E.I. Sports HOF)

"Clarkie" Smith attained the 2,000-win plateau at Saint John’s Exhibition Park Raceway on June 13, 1982, becoming only the second Maritime reinsman to achieve this lofty mark. His feat was even more phenomenal because, for much of his driving career, the racing season lasted only six months.

Many years later he told a reporter, "The biggest thrill I had was when I won my 2,000th race. That was a pretty big deal. And it took me at least 10 races to get from 1,997 to 2,000. It seemed the more I tried, the harder it got. After I got to 1,999, I had three more races to go on the same day. The next two were disasters. Then I had a horse I didn’t think had a chance at all, his name was Regal Time N, and I ended up winning with him."

Clarkie Smith reined his first lifetime win during his first-ever drive in 1952 at Chatham, N.B., when he scored behind Bobby Hunter in an early-closer race. "In the ensuing years, he had hundreds of horses, from nickel plugs to free-for-allers, from cripples to perfectly sound stake colts, and the way that Clarkie Smith handled them all earned him a reputation that ranks him among the all-time greats in the sport," says his P.E.I. Hall of Fame bio.

He passed away at the age of 87 on March 22, 2025, at Oyster Bed Bridge, P.E.I.

1985 - O.J.C. Announces New Publicity Hire

In June 1985, the Ont. Jockey Club announced the hiring of a very young new person into their publicity department. Shown above is a copy of the announcement as it appeared in the Standardbred magazine issue of June 1985. A real close look may reveal a person who stayed for quite a while in various capacities in the sport.

1984 - Pat Crowe Wins Eight Races at Kingston Park

On Sunday, December 30, 1984, Ontario horseman Pat Crowe journeyed to the Eastern Ontario city of Kingston. His visit was at the invitation of track officials and, needless to say, local fans were thrilled to see a horseman of his calibre make this appearance.

When his day's work was done after the 11th race was completed, he had accomplished something that few drivers could hope to experience in a lifetime. He established a new track record at Kingston Park Raceway and equalled the all-time North America record for most wins on a single raceway card by driving eight winners in 11 races.

He won the first and second races, the fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh.

Quote for the Week: "All cigarettes are the same; fire on one end and a fool on the other." Spoken by a coworker many years ago who was a lifelong smoker.

Who Is It?

Can you identify the horse and driver in this photo? If it helps, this race was mentioned elsewhere today.

Who Else Is It?

Can you name these three folks who were together in 2014 to celebrate a milestone birthday of the fellow on the far left? If you recognize this trio, let us know who they are. (Photo courtesy of Wm. Galvin, a great writer, historian and all-around friend to the world of harness racing.)

Where Was It?

Can you identify the location of this once popular track? This photo was taken several years after it closed. It is always sad to see a photo like this.

(The correct answers to the above photos will be posted here by Robert as a comment in a few days.)