While he was able to keep one of harness racing's longest win streaks alive, the Saturday card of harness racing at Century Mile was a bittersweet one in a bittersweet year for Rod Hennessy.
The longtime horseman made a rare appearance in the sulky on Saturday, winning the ninth race of the evening card with Ivar. Rod noted that he was "pressed into action" after his son Mike opted for another horse in that race and the Alberta driving colony is short at the moment for a number of reasons.
That win was his first of the year, and a glance at his racelines on TrackIT would indicate that Hennessy has now won a race as a driver in 44 consecutive seasons. When asked about the streak, Hennessy figures that 44 year span is surely short.
"I started driving when I was 16, so I started around 1969 or 1970," Hennessy told Trot Insider. "I'd say I've won a race [every year] since I was 16, I'm 66, so you can say [the streak is closer to] 50 years."
Hennessy, who picked up his first win for his father Owen with Cash Counsel, now sports 2,830 driving victories in his career. Sadly, a mare he's recently enjoyed success with in western Canada made her final start later that night. Open class pacing mare Thats It passed away on Saturday (Dec. 12) as, according to Hennessy, she suffered a heart attack and passed away after the race.
The six-year-old daughter of Dragon Again - Thats No Lady was a 25-time winner for Hennessy and co-owners Lorne Duffield of Edmonton and Jean Crochetiere of Beaumont, Alta. In 124 starts for her connections, she amassed a summary of 25-23-22 with earnings of $256,434. Her biggest win came in the 2018 Lady Elements Final at Fraser Downs, winning both her elim and final of that $50,000 event for trainer Gord Abbott and driver Paul Davies.
Thats It was a regular competitor in the fillies and mares open classes in both Alberta and B.C., even racing against the boys in a pair of 2018 open events and mustering top-three finishes on each occasion.
Saturday's marathon day of harness racing -- 23 races spread out over two cards -- definitely didn't end the way Hennessy would have liked but he gave credit to track management and the horsemen's associations for organizing what will be Alberta's final card of 2020 given that Century Casinos, Inc. has temporarily closed all four Century Casino locations and its Century Sports location in Alberta effective December 13, 2020 until further notice and in compliance with the directive by Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta.
"It's unfortunate about the mare but they did a hell of a job getting us one more day of racing."
Hennessy noted that the roller coaster of Saturday's card was part and parcel as the kind of year it's been for him, suffering highs and lows both on and off the racetrack. His son-in-law was involved in a motor vehicle accident a few months ago, and in July he had to shut down the undefeated Alexas Queen after she cut a tendon in a race at Century Downs while offstride.
"It's just one of those years. It's 2020...and there aren't many days left in it!" he added with a laugh.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Thats It.