Robinson Goes Out A Winner

Longtime Ottawa-based horseman Robbie Robinson made his last drive a winning one as he heads into retirement after a career spanning more than 40 years.

Making his 10,795th career start in the sulky, Robinson worked out a winning trip for his trainee McWicked Time in the eighth race on Sunday, April 27 at his home track of Rideau Carleton Raceway.

With a patient steer, Robinson waited until the backstretch to send McWicked Time first-over from fourth and the four-year-old pacer defeated the 1-5 favoured leader Flash Cube and Guy Gagnon by two lengths in 1:54.4, paying $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice in the $6,000 conditioned pace.

"I knew the inside horse was going to cut it, Flash Cube, so I got myself positioned fourth," said Robinson. "I waited as long as I could to come first-up with my horse and I ended up pulling down the backside and he cruised up real easy. I pretty much knew at the three-quarters he was a winner because he was so strong and I hadn't pulled the plugs yet. He just shot home in :27.3, which is a big last quarter over Rideau."

Raising his whip in the air in celebration just before crossing the wire, Robinson said he felt a sense of relief as he closed out his driving career a winner like he had always dreamed of doing since winning his first career start with Karens Happy Lad in 1984 at Kingston Park Raceway.

"I had it in my mind before the season started that my next win was going to be my last win," said Robinson of his decision to hang up the reins. "When I started out when I was 18, I won my first ever race and I wanted to make sure that I won my last race ever. I've been driving for 41 years and I just thought it was time."

The 58-year-old resident of Metcalfe, Ont. made his retirement official in a special winner's circle ceremony on Sunday evening as he took off his driving colours to the emotional tune of Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" -- just like when the great Wayne Gretzky played his final game. He was joined by his wife Jacqueline Dinelle and son Branden, as well as colleagues, including Rideau's all-time leading reinsman Darrell Coville and longtime friend John MacMillan, to celebrate the milestone.

Reflecting on his career, Robinson acknowledged two former horsemen who were influential early on.

"Ted Huntbach was a big influence on me. I worked there for five years. He was the first person that really gave me a chance to drive and it really helped me out. When he died, that was probably the biggest shock I've ever had in my life," said Robinson of the Kingston Hall of Fame horseman who died in an auto accident at the age of 38. "And my brother in law, John Murphy. He's retired, but he was a driver before that, and I always looked up to him.

"I actually claimed Karens Happy Lad off Ted Huntbach. Before I was getting my license, he wanted to sell him to me for $3,000 and then he had put him in for $2,000 and I said, 'Ted, I'll give you $2,000 for him.' He said, 'I won't sell him to you for $2,000, but if you want him, go ahead and claim him and I won't be upset.' So I claimed that horse, and in two weeks he paid for himself, and John Murphy was driving him and I said, 'John, you might as well keep driving him, you know, we're making money.' And he said to me, 'No. You have your license now, you're gonna drive him.'"

Robinson now holds the longest active streak at Rideau, winning a race every season for the last 40 straight years.

One of his highlights was winning an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold elimination at the Ottawa oval with trotting colt Tracs for Jimmy Massey on Aug. 15, 1999.

"That's probably my biggest win," he recalled.

And a maiden victory with his trotter The Magic Of Life on May 23, 2019 at Woodbine Mohawk Park marked another memorable achievement for the driver-trainer.

"I finally got my first driving win on the WEG circuit," said Robinson, noting he was 52 years old at the time. "That win and the next two that I raced there, I won with all of them, so I had three wins in a row there over a two-year period. So that was a real highlight for me." 

His trio of WEG winners included two-year-old filly trotter and future O'Brien Award finalist Warrawee Vicky, when she made her career debut the next month, then trotting colt Tokyo Seelster in his first start the following June. 

On the training side, a victory in an Open Trot at Mohawk on June 29, 2009 when Gutsy Volo went first-up and beat eventual Hall of Famer San Pail by a nose in rein to Mike Saftic was another race day to remember for the horseman.

Robinson completed his driving career with 1,126 victories and $5.22 million in purse earnings.

He also currently has 702 training wins with earnings of $3.88 million and will be winding down his stable's operation in the coming months as well.

"I'm still going to train for a little bit, probably the next couple of months. I've got three horses in the States to race in stakes races [Bitcoin Hanover, Smokin Hot Scott and Fear The Thunder] and a couple of two-year-olds [Ideal Rebel and Cleo Hanover]. Until we get the last ones going, I'm going to train, but then after that, I'm going to probably bow out on that part. Just be an owner maybe now. Let them work for me instead of me working for them," he said with a laugh, as he looks forward to joining his wife in retirement and watching his horses race this summer.

Please join Standardbred Canada in congratulating Robbie Robinson on his retirement.

(Standardbred Canada)