Mr Brown Passes

With a heavy heart, yet with a lifetime of wonderful memories, horseman Mike Stoikopoulos has informed Trot Insider that 57-time career winner Mr Brown, a son of Bilateral, has passed away.

Mr Brown's 1:51.2 lifetime mark at Flamboro Downs was a North American record in July of 2002, and stood as the track standard for several years.

Among Mr Brown's 57 lifetime wins was a track record performance in the Robert Chappel Memorial at Dresden Raceway, as well as the Ray McLean Memorial at Clinton Raceway.

Bred by Dan Sergeant and owned by the Codon Stables of North York, Ont., Mr. Brown had the distinction of winning in 1:55 or faster at six different Ontario tracks during the summer of 2001, and was named Western Fair Raceway's Horse of the Year that same season.

He took on North America's best half-milers in three renewals of the Molson Pace and overcame bad posts and foot issues to record two third-place finishes and one second-place finish from 2001-2004.

Mr Brown's last race, which came in September of 2004, was a winning effort over Flamboro Downs.

"He was a once in a lifetime horse who will always be in our hearts," said caretaker Tonya Backus.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Mr Brown.