Trainer Pierre Touchette still recalls his first encounter with Quebec businessman Michel Flanagan almost a
decade ago.
"He came up to me at the races and said 'you don't know me, but I know you.' He wanted me to take a two-year-old filly he had, Douce Marie. She didn't look like much on paper. I said I'd try her a month. She turned out okay and we kept her. And Michel and I became close friends...like brothers."
When his friend complained of lingering stomach pain in January, Touchette referred him to the clinic he frequented.
That's where tests revealed inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Flanagan died May 1, age 65. Visitation will be this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Magnus Poirier funeral home, 6825 Sherbrooke St. East in Montreal, with a remembrance to follow at 8:30 p.m.
Flanagan had five daughters and many of his fillies carried their names. But it was a colt, Flanagan Dream, who provided him with his biggest thrill in racing, a victory in the $100,000 Coupe de L'Avenir final for two-year-old pacing colts in 2005.
The stretch drive was a classic, with Flanagan Dream and Sams Airborndancer matching strides right to the wire. In the end, the camera couldn't separate them. It was the first deadheat in Coupe history.
"It meant a lot to him. He always wanted to win a Coupe," Touchette said.
Among the other top horses who campaigned for Flanagan were Sexy Kim and Cristel Story, Flanagan Beauty and Kublai Pan.
"He bought a lot of horses, invested a lot of money in the game. It was fun for him, a social event. He'd bring the whole family for the big races," Touchette said. "I'm going to miss him. He was a good owner and good man."
(A Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)