John Bax, one of Canada’s most accomplished and respected Standardbred horsemen, reached a career milestone earlier this year when he surpassed $20 million in lifetime earnings as a trainer.

His longtime home track, Kawartha Downs, celebrated Bax’s achievement on Saturday night (September 5) in conjunction with the track’s inaugural Goodtimes Invitational Trot. The race is named in honour of one of John’s best trotters of all time, the now 24-year-old Goodtimes, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame after earning $2.2 million during his career.

An O’Brien Award winner as Canada’s trainer of the year, Bax is also a member of the Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame. He trained near Kawartha Downs for four decades, but shifted operations to Campbellville, Ont. earlier this year.

Some of the top horses that contributed to Bax’s $20 million in earnings include Riveting Rosie, Duke Of York, Northern Bailey, Define The World, Stubborn Belle, Hemi Seelster, Pepi Lavec, Natashas Kiss, Juanitas Fury, etc.

In addition to having standout performers on the racetrack, Bax – who is often referred to as one of the nicest guys in harness racing – has also given much of his time to helping the industry by volunteering for numerous committees and boards. He served as a director of the Ontario Harness Horse Association for many years and is now on the board of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association.

(Kawartha Downs)