SC Rewind: Years Ago - 1980s

This week's Rewind is the monthly edition of Years Ago, a regular feature. Robert Smith has found some old short stories and pictures, and this time around, it's all based on people, events, and anything to do with the decade of the 1980s. That means 40+ years ago. Hope you find something of interest.

1983 - Stampede Park Installs New Safety Rail

In late 1983, Stampede Park in Calgary became the first Canadian track to install a new type of hub rail. Known as the Fontana Safety Rail — named after its creator, Rick Fontana, it was referred to as a "real life-saver" for jockeys and harness drivers in the United States. Nationally known jockey Chris McCarron was spared serious injury (or perhaps death) when he was recently involved in a serious spill at the Del Mar racetrack in California, where this new invention had been installed.

Stampede Park race manager Tom Gorman promptly approved the installation after presentations from groups representing raceway participants. Bruce Phelan, western manager of the Jockeys' Guild, was the main supporter and convinced track management of its many benefits.

Estimated cost of the new system was about $100,000. Mr. Phelan stated, "Once other tracks can see the Stampede Park rail in operation, the safety advantages will be obvious." He viewed this initial conversion as the forerunner for tracks across the continent.

Also endorsing the idea was Hank Cunningham, Stampede Park operations manager. He was quoted as saying, "It's an idea whose time has come."

My thanks to Doug Abraham for some good reporting way back when.

1984 and 1986 - Lachance Keeps On Winning

Mike Lachance spent a lot of time in various winner's circles during the 1980s, and he also provided quite a few jobs for sign painters as shown in the old photos displayed below.

Here is one from 1984.

Here is one from 1986.

Mike has enjoyed a long and highly successful career. He has won nearly every major race in the sport in both Canada and the U.S. The following paragraph was copied from his bio in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (Class of 1993). It tells a heartwarming story:

One of Gédéon and Francoise Lachance’s eight children, including five boys that were harness racing drivers, Mike learned his earliest lessons from Gédéon while driving the family’s horses in the winter. "I remember my father coming to the house and picking me up in the wintertime and we were going in the sleigh with the horses and he would stop on the side of the road and would give me his pocket knife and say, ‘Just cut a little branch there.’ When we were coming back home with the horses he used to teach me to touch them (with the branch) to make them go faster. I was five, six years old and I was getting all the snow in my face. I’ll never forget those things. Wherever he went he would always bring me along with him."

1986 - Ainsworth Scores Big at London

The evening of Monday, April 21, 1986, was a special one for a young, up-and-coming London-area horseman. Jim Ainsworth, a 23-year-old son of Petrolia, Ont., owner and trainer Larry Ainsworth, had a career night at the Western Fair track. In four trips to the post, he recorded three wins and a second — quite a feat for a young fellow who was still sporting a "C" next to his name on the program, indicating a provisional licence.

His first win came while driving Chief Rider, a pacer he also trained for his father. The next triumph came behind Niaflite, owned by Jim and Don Robely of Sarnia, also trained by Jim. After finishing second with his father's Jam Collins in the eighth, he got his third victory with Riddlemaster, a horse he also trained for the senior Ainsworth.

Jim Ainsworth

The young horseman told veteran writer Harry Eisen, “I've never had more than a single win on a program before. In fact, I've only had two trips to the winner’s circle altogether.” Jim was a fourth-generation horseman, following in the path started by his great-grandfather Nate Neely.

1988 - Smallwood Closes Out Record Season

As the curtain fell on the 1988 Maritime racing season, Joey Smallwood, a 48-year-old trainer and driver, accomplished a first for the region. His stable's earnings for the season became the first ever to reach the $100,000 mark. In recent years, a large number of horsemen from the area had made the decision to move elsewhere due to the low purse structure, but he chose to remain.

The decision to stay and compete close to home was made a bit easier for Smallwood when increased money for stakes races — particularly for two-year-olds — became a reality, thanks in large part to the Rothmans Company. Listed among his better performers that year were Acton Stinger, Island Invader, and J K Crown.

Prior to this year, 1981 was Joey's most memorable year, when he won the Gold Cup and Saucer with local favourite Sauls Pride. The Smallwood name was a popular one in this area, as two of Joey's brothers — Henry and Edward — were also trainer-drivers.

About seven years ago, longtime horseman Joe Smallwood of Stratford, PEI, passed away on June 7, 2018, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He was 80 years old.

TRIVIA QUOTE QUESTION

What famous horseman is often credited with uttering the following statement?

"I don't want to win every race; just the ones I'm in."

Who said it? Maybe more than one person has, but I’ve heard it was used by a certain individual.

Quote for the Week: "Every kid can be somebody if they have somebody to show them the way." – NFL Super Bowl ad, 2025

Who Is It?

Can you correctly identify either or both of these two gentlemen?

Who Else Is It #1?

Can you identify at least some of the folks in the above photograph? A clue: it was taken at Dresden Raceway following a Supertest Stakes race in 1961, I believe. Undoubtedly, some of the folks involved in the presentation were reps from the Supertest Co. Let us know how many you can identify.

Who Else Is It #2?

Can you name this well-known driver on the right? This photo has not been used before, but just maybe this fellow has been in the Quiz a time or two in recent years.

(The correct answers will be posted here by Robert as a comment in a few days.)