After he completes scheduled drives in at least 16 of 20 races this Friday and Saturday at the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, 46-year-old reinsman Dan Clements is
headed home to his native Ontario.
"My wife Mary actually went back to our farm [Prince Lee Acres] at Uxbridge, Ontario over a month ago but I hadn't had enough of Florida yet so I stayed on longer this year," Clements says. "Overall I'm happy with what I accomplished here this meet because this driving colony from November through March is as tough and talented as you're going to find anywhere. It's like a drivers' challenge out there every night in the height of the winter season here," he adds.
Heading into his busy final weekend, which will see him appear in all but one race on Friday night, Clements has amassed 37 winners from over 320 drives for purses of over $250,000 in South Florida this campaign. His involvement at Pompano dates to the early 1980's when he was still a teenager with a top Pompano invitational performer of that era named Ludell Hanover. Clements recently surpassed $13 million in career driving purses and it's probable he'll mark the occasion of 2,000 wins in the bike later this year.
"I was in a bad wreck in Ontario at Grand River Raceway almost five years ago when Don McElroy and I got hurt really badly," he recalls. "The six weeks off from the serious neck injuries I had really gave me time to think about things and what was really important. I decided the time was over to stop living my life out of my car and out of a suitcase. For the past three years I've focused on working from an Ontario home base at the farm and Georgian Downs in the summer season and on catch driving the rest of the year in Florida. I may have made some sacrifices financially but my quality of life has actually gone up," he says. "When I get back to Ontario I'm not really sure whether I'll get much work. Because of the difficulties of commuting I won't be going to Grand River Raceway very much or to Kawartha Downs either but this is the choice I've made at this stage of my life and career," he says.
"Dan won't have to worry about getting drives next week back home in Ontario," says trainer Marty Fine, the lead conditioner for the Onlineharnessowner.com Stable, which is a public racing syndicate Clements was the guiding force behind starting. "Already the race office at Georgian Downs has been asking me about when Dan is coming back. He's the ultimate professional and discusses horses with the trainers after they've raced, which is something many of the younger drivers don't do enough of. Plus he takes the pressure off me in the mornings around the farm here at Prince Lee Acres and I'm anxious for Dan to get back too," Fine adds.
With focusing on driving in two jurisdictions Dan also has some specific insights into some of the differences in the rules between Ontario and Florida.
"I have no problem with not hitting a horse and I don't have trouble remembering that when I get back to Ontario where they've really curtailed whip use in recent years," Clements says. "As for flak jackets, they're not compulsory in Florida but they are in Ontario. I'll only wear one up there because it's in the rules. I think there would be a lot of push back from the drivers in Florida because the inventors of them are finding it really tough to make one that can cope with the heat here," he added.
The last decade has been dotted with great memories for Clements in both Ontario and Florida. At Pompano his top performers in recent years included numerous victories piloting track record holder Railee Possible in the track's top trotting class in 2007. In 2008, Clements guided Goldstar Rosie to victory in the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners championship final. His achievements in Ontario were topped in 2002 by the emotional Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Super Final win with three-year-old filly trotter Corinas Mission and a victory in the Masters Series at Georgian Downs with Mr Saratoga, who also secured a long sought win for the Clements' connections in Woodbine's Cam Fella Series. Dan is the son of Norm Clements, a name etched forever in the sport's history as a co-owner of the legendary Cam Fella.
"I've made a lot of positive changes in my life in recent years and I have a great friendship with Pompano's top driver Bruce Ranger," Clements says. "It was a sad day last Monday when Bruce shipped out to go to Tioga Downs. We work out with a great group of guys here and run at least three times a week. When we work out, we really work out hard too. It must be working because I weigh the same now at 46 as I did when I was 19 years old and that can only make me a more alert and better driver," he said.
(Pompano Park)