SC Rewind: Years Ago – The 1940s

This week's Rewind recalls some of the people and events of the decade of the 1940's in the ongoing monthly feature "Years Ago"

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1941 - Bargain Horse Showing Great Promise

Gus Morrissey, a livestock buyer from Crediton Ont., has high hopes for a horse he recently purchased at auction for the sum of $14.50. The bay gelding named Winston Churchill Grattan, sired by Unko Grattan, is currently in training at New Hamburg, Ont. and is the talk of all local horsemen. He recently paced a training mile in 2:18 free legged. Mr. Morrissey is described as "past three score and ten, wears no specks and is a typical entertainer of the real old Irish stock". His theory on purchasing this unknown horse was that if he would not race, he would be useful at pulling a cutter through the countryside while buying cattle and pigs. If all continues to go well this speedster will be racing May 24th as the season opens.

1945 - New Owners Having Early Success

A couple of young owners are having considerable success with their first purchase and introduction to the local racing scene and have already assembled a small stable. Russell Miller of Dutton and Carl Smith of Harrow have their star Argot Dillon in fine form. The chestnut gelded son of Dillon Mc has been a winner at several meetings including New Hamburg, Glencoe, Stratford, Clinton, Tillsonburg, Aylmer and Wallacetown. Longer range plans call for taking him to Northville Downs in Michigan where racing under the lights is planned for this September.

Currently the stable is headquartered at the Wallacetown track where caretaker Hank Schnekenburger handles the daily duties. Several drivers have been employed including Marshall Moore, Alfie Moore, Lew James and Duncan Campbell. Both of these new owners have been dealing in draft horses for many years in their own separate businesses, supplying the needs of farmers and the logging industry and just recently decided to try their luck in the harness sport.

1946 - Mobile Starting Gate Makes Its First Appearance

May 24,1946 - Roosevelt Raceway. One of the great innovations of the modern era of harness racing was introduced here this evening on opening night. The mobile starting gate under the direction of Steve Philips Of Xenia, Ohio was used to start the entire eight heats, and drew rave reviews from all parties. The horsemen were extremely pleased as all of the fields were sent away quickly and without the rigors of recalls. Raceway management feel that the use of the mobile gate will soon lead to increased attendance as fans have expressed increasing displeasure with the lengthy delays under the old starting system.

The gate is mounted on a Chrysler chassis and is the result of at least a decade of experimentation by Mr. Philips. His first model using a 1930 Ford was proposed for use at the North Randall track in Ohio but was denied by the management. Mr. Levy, the head of Roosevelt has fully endorsed this new idea and has no plans to revert to the old open scoring system.

P.S. - Mr. Phillips was inducted into the U.S. Hall Of Fame in 1967 in recognition of his tremendous contribution to the sport of harness racing.

1948 - Canada's Top Horse Off To A Great Start

The Count B., a three time winner of the sport's top annual event The Canadian Pacing Derby, started his year off early and successfully. On the afternoon of January 1 he faced the trotter Billy Stout in a two heat match race at Dufferin Park and won both ends for owner Jim Brown of New Liskeard and driver Cliff "Chappy" Chapman. Billy Stout is owned by Frank Plaunt of Brantford and handled by Johnny Mullin. The purse for this event was $200. ‘The Count’ has been a participant in match races in the past, most notably when he defeated Blue Again at Dufferin in 1946 during the summer meeting.

P.S. - The Count B. later in the year won his fourth and final Derby with a youthful John Chapman in the bike at New Hamburg's Fountain Park. It was the end of a phenomenal dominance of the Country's premiere event. It is difficult to imagine that the Country's top Pacing horse would be racing for a $200 purse and facing a trotter!!

1949 - Kingston Horseman On A Winning Trail

If anyone is hunting for Kingston horseman Henry Corcoran this season, they might try looking in the winner's circle wherever he and his mare Lucy Lester are racing. The six-year-old mare by Orcus Grattan has faced the starter a total of 48 times and ended up winning a phenomenal 40 heats, was second six times and once third. She raced at 15 different tracks, some on several occasions. Her best time was hung out at Port Hope when she paced in 2:09 flat on October 8th. The smallest purse she competed for was $100 at Colborne and the largest $1,000 at Strathroy on Dominion Day. This ambitious pair closed out the season at Roseneath on Thanksgiving weekend with yet another three-win day; kind of "old hat" as the saying goes.

Photo above: Other horses and drivers are Sonny Boy (Jack Baker), Judy Patch (Wilbert Hopkins) and Bruce Henley (Ken Thompson).