Rewind: Remembering Homestead Dan

In this week's Rewind Robert Smith recalls the career of a great trotting gelding from yesteryear named Homestead Dan and how he helped advance the careers and the lives of both his owner and long time trainer-driver. I am pleased to have some good pictures and first hand information to assist in putting this story together.

An artist's rendering shows Homestead Dan, the champion trotting gelding in motion at Montreal's Blue Bonnets track in 1958 with his trainer and driver Jack Gordon in the sulky

The long and colourful history of Canadian harness racing does not belong to a precious few. It might be likened to a huge patchwork quilt with each tiny square added by a separate person or family. From the smallest deed to the exploits of the world champions, everyone who ever raised, raced or owned a horse has contributed in some way. My story today is about a couple of fellows who were about to leave a pretty indelible mark in the sport that would be around for "quite a spell" as the old saying goes.

Way back around 1957, a fellow by the name of Osler Burrison, a cattle dealer and farmer who listed his hometown as Cobourg, Ontario (even though he lived near Rice Lake) was just getting started in the sport of harness racing. That season he had two horses in his stable; one a very seasoned nine-year-old pacing gelding named A P Grattan and the other a very green two-year-old trotting gelding Homestead Dan. Mr. Burrison was pretty much a "two-man show"; himself and a 15-year-old groom named Nelson White. (And yes, that was the Nelson of Armbro Nadir fame.)

I'm not sure how AP Grattan was acquired but I do know how he became the proud owner of Homestead Dan. Around 1955 Osler was out on his cattle buying rounds when he paid a visit to a farmer he had often dealt with in the past. This gent's name was Jimmy Herr, who resided on a farm near Warkworth, Ont. When the question was posed as to what livestock he had to sell Mr. Herr said "No cattle today, but how would you like to buy a Standardbred mare with a colt by her side?" To make perhaps a longer story short, Osler eventually loaded the mare and colt in his cattle truck after handing over the princely sum of $75.00, and headed for home. Here is where the "fairy tale" begins.

Soon realizing that he wasn't really in the market for a broodmare Burrison sold Fannie for $40.00 soon after the colt was weaned. The youngster, who now cost just $35, would eventually take the name of Homestead Dan. Royally-bred he was not; his sire was Tim Hanover 2:07 a trotting-bred stallion who was around 20 at this time. His dam had the simple name of Fannie and she had a pedigree to match. Her breeding and year of foaling had not been recorded thus making her NS or "Non Standard". I believe this may have been her only foal.

Back to the 1957 season. Homestead Dan made seven starts that year and won just one race earning a rather meagre $390.00. That one win was in a stake race held at Beamsville, Ont. in the inaugural edition of the fledgling Peninsula Stakes. Perhaps based on the colt's showing that day Osler Burrison decided that the 1958 season would take on a different approach.

The colt was placed in the stable of Jack Gordon of nearby Cobourg. A conditioner of more than a few respectable performers, Gordon had enough stock to race on the very tough Montreal circuit which was split between Blue Bonnets and Richelieu Park. After a fourth-place finish to start the season "Dan" won his second start, trotting his mile in 2:14 flat in a D Trot for a purse of $500. With win number one in the books his slow climb up the ladder began. After a few starts in Montreal the horse was shipped back for the summer meeting at Old Woodbine where he added several more wins.

By late September after continually moving up in class at the Montreal tracks, Homestead Dan had won a total of 10 races. His wins included a three-year-old stake that carried a purse of $6,450 which added substantially to his growing bankroll. On October 14th, with Jack Gordon in the sulky, Dan established a new Canadian record for three-year-old trotters when they toured the Richelieu Park oval in an amazing 2:06.2. No sophomore trotting colt had ever gone that fast. In late October, the horse and driver were honored by Richelieu officials. This was regarded as a very special achievement. That same season another trotting milestone was recorded in Montreal when the sensational two-year-old filly Dalyce Blue became the first freshman to ever trot a mile in 2:10 or less. The filly and her owner-trainer Dr. John Findley were also honoured by Richelieu officials.

Trainer/driver Jack Gordon holds the latest edition of the Harness Horse magazine as Homestead Dan checks the happenings in the world of harness racing. (Harness Horse)

The 1958 racing season ended in near fairy tale fashion when Jack Gordon took this phenomenal trotting colt to far off Yonkers Raceway in New York. Racing against aged performers in an A Trot he scored his 14th win of the season and took his season's mark of 2:06 flat. In two other starts in the Big Apple he added a pair of third-place finishes as the great season ended. The season totals showed 28 starts, 14 wins, three seconds and seven third-place finishes. His earnings totalled $14,616 which converted to 2021 dollars amounts to around $135,000.

Georges Giguere left presents a silver tray to Homestead Dan's owner Osler Burrison while the horse's trainer and driver Jack Gordon smiles his approval. This was taken at Richelieu Park in 1958.

At age four and now an aged trotter, Dan remained in the Gordon stable and turned in another very productive season racing against the best trotters in the country. His season's earnings amounted to an almost identical amount as he earned as a three-year-old, $14,500. That season he was an entrant in the famous Maple Leaf Trot and was credited with an overall third place finish based on his two heat performances of 3-2. He also made his only start on U.S. soil when he competed in the Merchants Trot at Wolverine Raceway. Garth Gordon, son of the horse's driver, recalled being allowed to take the trip to Detroit. This time it was "first class" as both father and son enjoyed their first ever ride in an airplane. The outing was a success with a two-heat standing of 2-7. Some "big time" names were present as Wayne "Curly" Smart reined the race winner True Tilly.

In 1960 at the age of five it looked as though Homestead Dan would establish himself as a long-term reliable aged trotter capable of adding to his owner's bank account year after year. The season started with a bang as Dan won his first two starts in convincing style. He was racing with the elite trotters then on the Montreal circuit. He was defeating the likes of Philip Frost, Wee Irish, Nathan Hanover and Helen Brooke K. With a big series for aged trotters on tap, more and better competition was flooding into Blue Bonnets each week. After just nine starts and those two early season wins, the season was over for Homestead Dan as he suffered a broken coffin bone.

Homestead Dan in the winner's circle following a win in the Drummond Stake at Richelieu Park in 1959. Track officials are at either end while Dan is flanked by the father son duo, Garth Gordon just 15 on the left and father Jack to the right.

It was a season-ending but not a career-ending injury, and Dan did come back after a year off and race again. He was never quite the same horse and had sporadic signs of his old self but he never regained his top class status. He raced off and on for several seasons, mainly trained and driven by his owner. He still won some races but the glory days were just a memory. He retired from the racing wars with a record of 2:04.4 taken over a half-mile track at age five, and had a lifetime bank account of $49,782. The untold joy he brought the family was the icing on the cake.

What did a three-year-old trotter covering the mile in 2:06 over a half-mile track mean back then? Coming into the 1958 season, the world record for a gelding of that age and gait was 2:04.2 and belonged to the famous Darn Safe (Benny Schue) set in 1954 at Delaware, Ohio. In 1958 the world standard by a gelding was again lowered to 2:04.1 by a roan gelding named Shell Bomb set at Yonkers. I would say Homestead Dan was in pretty good company.

Georges Giguere on the far right presides over the winner's circle festivities at Richelieu Park. Homestead Dan's owner Osler Burrison and his wife Laura next, proudly displays the silver tray given to recognize the record setting mile. The driver is Jack Gordon.

Eventually Dan was granted a full retirement. His remaining years would be spent grazing at the Burrison farm in close proximity to the family home that he had provided for the Burrisons. Unfortunately this rather idyllic plan did not last too long. While grazing in the pasture Dan stepped in a groundhog hole and severely broke his leg. He had to be humanely destroyed.

The good fortune brought about by Homestead Dan enriched the lives of both his owner and trainer-driver. Although Osler and his wife Laura and their four daughters (Shirley, Sandra, Pat and Shelley) had a comfortable and enjoyable life before, this horse made it even better. Mr. Burrison took around $9,000 from the horse's earnings and built a lovely home overlooking Rice Lake that also backed on a wooded area. The family home would remain there (with a stay in a senior's home) until his passing while in his 90's.

This horse also helped his trainer and driver Jack Gordon. This was the first real good horse Jack had in his stable; good enough to be a record holder as Canada's fastest ever three-year-old trotter. He was also voted three-year-old trotter of the year for 1958. It elevated Gordon's status as a top level conditioner and driver.

The story of Homestead Dan has been a fun one for me to do. When you think of a lowly $35 horse attaining almost world class status and still not changing the lives of the people around him except in a positive way it has to make you feel good. Gone are the days, but still here are the memories.

Starting in 1958 as a three-year-old, Homestead Dan was a favourite at BB and also Richelieu Park. Here he is being shown off by his trainer and driver Jack Gordon (right) to an admiring Bill Habkirk, both long-time participants at the big Montreal tracks.

The history of the Burrison family is deeply rooted in their home area of Rice Lake, a popular tourist area. The family's patriarch Chas. Burrison is mentioned prominently in the history of this part of Northumberland County. The seasonal campground and trailer park called "The Old Burrison Homestead" has been in existence for over 100 years and continues to be a favorite destination for vacationers.

Closing Note: My thanks to Rewind follower Garth Gordon for his inspiration and assistance on this week's story and for sharing his first class photographs.

Quote For The Week: "I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone's golf game: it's called an eraser." - From Arnold Palmer

Who Is It?

Can you identify this horse and driver during a training session shown in two poses, both the same subject? Sorry no helmet or silks to help on this one.

Who Else Is It?

Can you figure out who this fellow is? Don't be afraid to think outside the box.