During the winter racing season, a Woodbine Mohawk Park horseperson will regularly step into the spotlight to answer a handful of fun, offbeat questions, while giving readers a unique perspective into their personality on and off the racetrack.
Sylvain Descheneaux, who races under the ownership name Ecurie CSL, is looking forward to another strong racing season in 2023. Prior to his two-year-old trotter DWS Point Man winning the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final last year, the gelding finished eighth in the 2022 Mohawk Million. Descheneaux is excited to have another shot at the Million this year. When he’s not at his day job, you’ll find Descheneaux working in his barn in Sorel-Tracy, Que., where he can’t get enough of his treasured racehorses.
You have a slot in the Mohawk Million. Do you have any top prospects?
“Maybe. I have two two-year-olds that I co-own and I just bought another at the end of July. We’ll see. We know that for this kind of spot, if we don't have anything, there's always someone who would take it. The Mohawk Million is one of the most important races in Ontario. That's the reason why and we were part of it last year. Even though the race wasn’t good for us, it was something special to see.”
Looking back, what is your most memorable win?
“Last year, the OSS Super Final two-year-old trot was the most memorable because we won with DWS Point Man, a horse [trained by Richard Moreau] that I co-own with my girlfriend. It was really exciting. Another great memory is the time we spent with Big Rich, a trotter. He was not a stakes racehorse, but he was my best horse for years.”
If you could take another job in the industry for a day, what would you choose?
“Definitely a driver. I train horses every week, so that only makes sense.”
What are three things you can’t live without?
“My job first, and family, of course, and the third would be the horses.”
What is your ideal day off?
“I would get some exercise then be at the farm. On the weekends, I’m always at the farm that we’ve owned since last summer. I’m there as much as possible.”
(With files from Woodbine)