SC Rewind: Years Ago - 1960s

In this week's Rewind Robert Smith presents his monthly edition of 'Years Ago', this time centering on the decade of the 1960's.  His offering includes old photos and short accounts of people and events occurring at that time in history.  The sport of harness racing was experiencing a prosperous era and Ontario was at the forefront of the growth then taking place.  

1960 - Young Horseman Starts Driving Career 

Race fans at the 1960 Petrolia Fair on Sept. 10 saw a lot of familiar faces competing in the three-race program that day. This old track had hosted racing for many years and a lot of horsepeople lived in this area of Lambton County. In this particular year a rather young "lad" of just 17 was appearing in his first ever public appearance in the sulky. He was no stranger to those who frequented the track on a regular basis beyond race days.  He had been jogging, training and tending to horses in his father's stable for quite a number of years; far enough back that he seemed even older than 17. 

Young Wes Coke was entered to drive in what would be the second and fifth race as each race went two heats. He was assigned to drive a horse named Chief Killean,  a three-year-old black colt by Favonian Chief out of Chica Mia, a product of a then fairly new breeding establishment run by brothers Jack and Don McNiven of Ingersoll, Ont. The horse's owners were Cecil Coke and Vern Evans, an automobile dealer from Brantford. 

The race went off without incident and while it did not have a true "fairy tale" ending, the young driver finished second in the opening heat and fifth in the second. The times were 2:18.2 and 2:15.2.  The major share of the purse of $210 went to a local horse named J G Grattan owned by Alf Weatherstone and piloted by a local horseman Cecil Stone, a man who had introduced the Coke's to the racing game. 

Other winning drivers that day included Tom Yearly, Lindley Fraser, Elmer McLean and Stu Simpson. 

1961 - Hi Acres Rudy Sets New Track Record At Connaught Park 

On the evening of Saturday July 1, 1961 the faithful at Connaught Park got to see a local favourite set a new track record and it was cause for celebration.  The winner was Hi Acres Rudy owned by the Pastime Stables of Smith Falls, Ont. and trainer driven by local "boy" Neil Curran and it was the highlight of the evening. Owners of the Pastime stable — Bert Soper and Dr. R.J. Walker were on hand to join in the festivities.  The finish really thrilled the huge crowd as "Rudy" took command at the three-quarter pole and soon swept past three horses for a convincing win. The new mark of 2:06 erased the existing standard of 2:07 set by Chester Brown. This was the feature race of the evening, an Invitational Handicap Pace with a purse of $1,000. 

The Saturday night crowd set a new wagering record with $113,680 finding its way through the mutuels.  It was the most that had been bet on a single card since the trotters and pacers first appeared here back in 1953 and only the second ever over the $100,000 mark with the previous high on Sept. 5, 1960. The setting was perfect with ideal weather and the largest crowd ever in attendance.  The companion Invitational Trot went to Robert Van and driver Don Corbett in 2:11.  Two drivers,  Ken Kerr and Yvon Plouffe turned in double wins on the card. 

P.S.: The track record set by Hi Acres Rudy didn't last too long.  Perhaps an update will be in a future Rewind. 

1962 - Interesting Time Trials at Lexington Red Mile

October 19, 1962 - Several interesting and unusual time trials were held at this year's time trials with varying successes.  While most time trials are staged for the purpose of establishing records for racehorses, broodmares and potential sires, a couple of other records were featured on this day. 

The sensational trotter Matastar attempted to break his own mile record of 1:55.4 set earlier this year but came up short in 1:56.1 for driver Harry Pownall Sr. This four-year-old son of Stars Pride had career earnings of over $200,000 for the Arden Homestead Stable. 

A new record for "Team to Pole" was set when Impish and Sprite Rodney, both three-year-old trotting fillies, toured the mile course in 1:59.2 for driver Frank Ervin.  This established the first record mile for fillies or mares while the existing team record of 1:58.1 set by Greyhound a gelding and Rosalind a mare remained in the books. 

Driver Frank Ervin handles the team of Impish and Sprite Rodney as they set a new world record for fillies and mares (Photo from Harness Museum and Hall Of Fame) 

A record which was set in 1915 was broken when Ben F White III rode his father's horse Rhodes Conklin, a three-year-old Tar Heel gelding in 2:09.4.  This particular record was listed as "Pacing Under Saddle".  The young trainer, driver and "jockey" was the son of Gibson White and the grandson of former Canadian Ben White, racing icon after whom the famous winter training centre at Orlando was named.  Interestingly this horse participated in a more traditional time trial setting a mile mark of 2:00.1 just one week previous to this.  

1964 - Winning Streak for Canadian Intrusion Ends at Six

July 4, 1964 - Canadian Intrusion, a six-year-old trotting son of the 1956 Hambletonian winner The Intruder out of Lady Pearl, was in the midst of a career year for owners Ross and Colin MacKinnon of Owen Sound, Ont.  Racing out of the Wilbert Hopkins stable, this speedster had reeled off a six-ace winning streak which started at Mohawk on May 15 and ended with a second place finish at Greenwood on July 4 in The Leaside Stakes event.  The dam of Canadian Intrusion was raised and raced by the MacKinnon's father Ken who was a long-time fixture in the sport. The family also operated Grey Motors, a GM dealership in Owen Sound.  A bit of irony surrounds the ending of this horse's win streak as the winning driver of Leaside winner Cadenza was Allan Walker, a long-time friend and associate of the MacKinnon connections dating back a couple of generations.  Friends off the racetrack is one thing; once on the track other rules apply. Mr. Hopkins would now try to begin a new win streak with this talented trotter. 

Note: Canadian Intrusion ended the season with 10 wins from 23 trips behind the gate and earnings of just over $16,000. 

1966 - Rocky Senator Retires 

Having reached the ripe old age of 14 the veteran performer Rocky Senator retired from the racing wars on New Year's Eve 1966 at Windsor Raceway.  With his regular driver Wilf Duford in the bike for owner Jerry Duford of Nipawin, Sask.,  the chestnut gelded son of Rocky Boy Worthy out of Frances Senator scored his 12th win of the season.  While the 1966 season was his last, it was also one of his most productive financially as he earned over $7,000 and seemed quite comfortable racing in the lower class claimers.  

Around late October the old fellow must have received word that his days at the races were coming to an end.  In his last 10 starts of the year, all at Windsor,  he won eight of them along with a second and a third.  Rocky Senator might be truly called "A Limited Edition"; his sire Rocky Boy Worthy was listed as being the sire of just Rocky and one other performer while his dam Frances Senator had a similar list of offspring; two. 

Rocky started his racing career way back in 1955 as a four-year-old near his birthplace in Northern Saskatchewan.  He toured a lot of places that first year, among them Regina, Beechy, Swift Current, Ponteix, Wilkie, Glenavon, Yorkton, Melfort and Kindersley. The season ended at a four-day meeting in Saskatoon.   By season's end he had earned $780.00, perhaps meagre by today's standards but it was a start on a career that would see him win $29,827 in his lifetime ($257,000 in today's dollars).  His travels eventually saw him race in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.  Always a consistent performer he took a lifetime best of 2:05.4  at the age of 11 back in 1963.  At one time he was good enough to race in the Free For All ranks at Connaught Park. 

Veteran horseman Jerry Duford appears with his up and coming performer Rocky Senator at the Regina track around 1955.  Mr. Duford of Nipawin, Sask.  was followed in the sport by his son Wifred as well as his grandsons Rod, Jerry and Dennis and his great granddaughter Ashley.  (Photo courtesy of the Duford family archives) 

Quote For The Week: "In a world where we can be anything we want, please be kind."  

Who Is It? 

How many people can you identify in this old photo? Clue: It was taken during the 1960's.  (Canadian Sportsman photo)

Who Else Is It? 

Who is this chap? He is wearing an old style silk cap so he must have been around before the days of helmets.  (Ottawa Citizen photo) 

Blast From The Past 

Shown above is an old time photo of a small town baseball team.  While baseball has little to do directly with harness racing,  at one time many people who followed the harness sport at the local level also loved to watch their favourite baseball team as they travelled to area diamonds.  Very often they were situated at the same location.  As a youngster growing up in a small town I can recall spending many a Sunday afternoon at the old ball yard.  Times were different then, and if a couple of foul balls took that day's shiny new baseball out of play, the game was often stopped as kids ran to retrieve the lost ball. Once found, the game resumed. 

Often during the game a hat was passed to take up a collection to help defray costs.  As I recall what was referred to as "Sunday Blue Laws" prohibited charging admission.   Lots of memories remain.