Dresden Raceway will be honouring Bill Core and Must Be Matt this Sunday for Horsemen’s Memorial Day.
Core, the founder of the legendary B Cor Stables was instrumental in Dresden’s harness racing viability as he was one of a handful of horsemen that stepped up in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s to help stabilize the track and save it from going under with money and management skills.
The local breeder, owner and trainer was a conditioner well into his 80’s and even before he passed away this year at age 95, the mention of horses brought a gleam to his eye.
Core had an international flare as he trained horses that raced in Canada the USA and even Sweden.
B Cor Jenny, B Cor Tamara, B Cor Renee are just a few of the B Cor brand that the local horseman started… in all, 131 B Cor horses were registered from 1977 until 2012.
Core will be honoured with a race in his name and his photo will go into the Dresden Raceway Hall Of Fame. Must Be Matt will also be honoured with a race in his name.
Must Be Matt earned $477,059 in purses and recorded 42 lifetime wins, including winning Ontario Sires Stakes races, Invitationals in Michigan and Ontario as well as competing in the Matron Stakes, the Exit 16W and the Molson Pace. As a three-year-old the Barnett Hanover gelding set the track record at Dresden Raceway with a time of 1:54.1.
At age 17, Must Be Matt is still frolicking in the pasture at the home of his only owners Joe and Bev Santarossa of Maidstone, Ont.
Post time for the 11-race card is set for this Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
(With files from Dresden Raceway)