Filion's Hometown Remains Close To His Heart

The Quebec influence on Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) harness racing is well-documented. Some of the highest profile names on the circuit, Luc Ouellette, Ben Baillargeon, Richard Moreau, among others, all hail from "La Belle Province."

Another Quebecer enjoying a successful year on the WEG circuit is Sylvain Filion.

Filion hails from one of the most decorated harness racing families in the sport. His father, Yves, trained and drove 1988 North America Cup winner, Runnymede Lobell, while his uncle, Herve, is arguably one of the greatest drivers in the game.

"I never felt any added pressure growing up based on my father and uncle's success," Filion said. "I love racing so much and I've been around horses for as long as I can remember. I always dreamed of being a driver and with my father and uncles around, I had lots to admire."

Filion, a native of Saint-Andre-D'Argenteuil, Quebec, had a brief stint in Ontario when he relocated in the summer of 1998, but then returned home in 2000.

"I made the move to Ontario in 1998 because the purses were dropping in Quebec and there was a great opportunity in Ontario, especially with the purses at Woodbine and Mohawk," Filion commented. "The reason I left in 2000 is just the same, Quebec's purses grew, which allowed me to return home."

"I think it's safe to say that I will stay here in Ontario for at least another seven or eight years before I can even think about returning home to Quebec. I do believe that racing will continue to happen there but not at high enough purses."

When Filion returned home in 2000, he built his 'dream' house on a piece of land, which he purchased from his father on the family farm.

Filion's sister-in-law is currently living there, at least for now.

"It's tough to say, but most likely I will move home when I end my career, especially if my father is still around. He and I are very close so it would make the decision that much easier."

A major highlight in Filion's career came in the 2001 Breeders Crown aboard Goliath Bayama. That son of Abercrombie retired with career earnings over $1.6 million with a 1:48.1 record.

"Goliath Bayama is one horse that will always be special to me. He was foaled in the U.S. but came to my father's farm when he was about seven months old and that's when I first saw him. He was just a dream to look at; he was everything you would want a racehorse to look like.

"The one thing that stood out about him was the fact that he loved to race. He could leave 100 miles per hour and or race from off the pace; he was just a true champion. Every time I got to drive him, you could tell that he was meant to be a racehorse."

Another notable moment in Filion's career came in the 1999 World Driving Championship in Australia. Filion followed in his uncle Herve's footsteps and became the second Canadian-born driver ever to win the event. Herve won the inaugural event in 1970.

With the calendar year almost complete, Filion is happy with the year he has posted.

To date in 2010, Filion has recorded over $5.2 million in purses with 259 winners. His career year came in 2001 when he steered Ring Of Life to a $531,000 Confederation Cup victory and Goliath Bayama to the aforementioned $500,000 Breeders Crown score. He earned more than $5.8 million in purses that year with 463 winners.

Filion was also quick to admit that he faced some bad luck earlier this summer when he lost the drive on Big Jim, who won the Breeders Crown and Governors Cup en route to banking over $800,000 as a freshman this year.

"I think that most people know that I lost the drive on Big Jim, but it was just bad luck. I had another horse in the same race and he seemed very special too. I knew Big Jim had a lot of potential, but it was very early in the season for these two-year-olds."

Stuck Up, a $150,000 yearling purchase, was the horse Filion ended up choosing over Big Jim. The Dustin Jones trainee failed to register a victory this year from five freshman efforts and has made just $5,040 to date.

With the lack of racing in Quebec, Horse Player Interactive (HPI) branched into the province allowing all Quebec residents to wager online on many Canadian tracks.

Filion wasn't surprised by the support of Quebec's racing fans for the service and is buoyed by the positive response.

"I'm not surprised at all. I know that there are a lot of people in Quebec that simply love horse racing. They are true racing fans who love to bet and follow the races on a daily basis."

Filion also noted that he is looking forward to another year on the Woodbine Entertainment circuit where he can grow as a driver and maintain his production on the racetrack.

"Next year, my goal is to stay healthy and avoid accidents," he offered. "I have been very fortunate over my career to avoid a lot of major spills. I would also like to find a nice two-year-old to sit behind. That is every driver's dream, but with hard work comes success."

Something Filion is undoubtedly familiar with.

(WEG)