Quebec toasted three new O’Brien Award winners this weekend, but the thoughts of Hall of Famer Benoit Cote were with a champion from the past.
Cote was the trainer and driver of Semalu Damour, Canada’s champion pacing filly in 1984 and 1985 and the best horse ever owned by Dr. Lucien Paiement, who passed away last week at age 80.
“He bought her at Lexington in 1983. She was great at two, winning about $350,000, and she made another $500,000 at three, most of it in U.S. dollars, when that was a real advantage,” said Cote.
Semalu Damour won 22 races over those two years, including the Mistletoe Shalee and Lady Maud finals, the Bronx Filly pace, the Lady Baltimore, and the Chapman Memorial Pace at Roosevelt. In Montreal, the Niatross filly captured several Perfecta events and set a track record. Her career earnings topped $880,000.
“He sold her at four, for $450,000, to Blue Chip Farm,” Cote said. “We planned to race her but a horse broke in front of her in a qualifier and she ended up breaking a bone in a foot.”
Cote still fondly recalls the mare and her owner. “I had a lot of pleasure traveling in the U.S. with him to all her races,” Cote said. “He was a charming man, very bright. He learned the business fast. Yves Filion is the one who suggested me initially and I trained for him about eight years. He was a real good owner, gave me the chance to race some good horses. After Semalu Damour we had Midi A Semalu, who made $500,000.”
Dr. Paiement’s interest in standardbred racing and breeding began after he lost his bid for re-election as mayor of Laval in 1981, and never waned. His stable name, 'Semalu', was inspired by sons Serge, Marc and Luc, who survive him, along with five brothers and his wife, Paulette.
Visitation is Monday, January 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Complexe Alfred Dallaire Memoria, 2159 St. Martin Blvd. E., Laval, with the funeral Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at St. Elzear Church in Laval.
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(A Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)