SC Rewind: Remembering The 1970 Prix D'Ete

In the latest Rewind Robert Smith takes readers back to 1970 and recalls that year's Prix D'Ete race at Montreal's Blue Bonnets Raceway.  This race was Canada's premiere event at that time and was growing rapidly each year in stature which was reflected in increasing purses. 

When Montreal racing officials were planning the 1970 edition of the then fairly new Prix D' Ete race,  it was in just its fourth year of existence as it was not held in 1969.  It had already gone through a couple of name changes and had quickly become Canada's richest race in terms of purse size.  One only needed to look back  a short time to see how purses for top races had escalated.  As recently as early 1966 the then new Windsor Raceway staged its first Provincial Cup, the track's signature race.  The $15,000 purse for the inaugural was the highest amount for a Canadian race to that point in history.  

Later that same year the first Prix (then called Prix d'Automne or Autumn Classic)  carried the huge purse of $25,000 and was won by Bret Hanover.  Now just four years later that amount had increased to $75,000.  Little wonder that nearly the entire field was from U.S. stables, including a two-horse entry from the ever powerful Billy Haughton stable.  

A number of the eight entrants for the 1970 event, five to be exact,  were flown into Montreal which was becoming more of a regular occurrence when horses travelled from other tracks for a short stay.  This time instead of a sleek jet as you might expect would be used to haul millions of dollars worth of horseflesh,  the plane carrying the five entrants was an aging 30-year-old C-46 Cargo plane.  Raceway officials and customs officers heaved a sigh of relief as the plane finally arrived at the Dorval Airport; it was three hours late.  The horses eventually made their way to the track much to the delight of race organizers.   

It had already been a long and tiring day as the plane had been at Kennedy Airport since 5 a.m.  The tests by U.S. vets had taken three hours but the worst was yet to come. Sunnie Tar, a mare owned by the Canadian based stable of Armstrong Bros. refused to go on the plane and eventually had to be tranquilized.  She had been vanned at 3 a.m. from the Brandywine track in Delaware. Her groom Ken Crockett dismissed her erratic behavior by saying "Oh mares are like that sometimes; once they gave her a shot she settled right down." 

Sunnie Tar, the lone mare in the field for the 1970 Prix D'Ete, is shown in front of the plane that delivered five of the entrants for Canada's biggest race to Montreal's Dorval airport.  Caretaker Ken Crockett holds the mare with the rather ancient plane known as "T R B" in the background. Photo courtesy of Montreal Gazette archives 

These horses were quite used to travelling by air and their handlers were aware of their idiosyncrasies by now. Fulla Napoleon had to be at least two stalls away from Good Chase or they would be at it in a flash.  Good Chase didn't get along with Rum Customer so they had to be kept apart and to accomplish that the easy going Laverne Hanover was in a stall between them.  A truck had to be sent from Belmont Park to Montreal to provide a proper ramp for unloading the horses as no such vehicle could be found in Montreal.  The plane had quite a history behind it,  having been through WWII and had even flown through the Amazon jungle. 

The field for the 1970 Prix race was an impressive group with lifetime earnings of $1,285,000.  This was an unusually high figure for this era of racing.  One contributing factor was that this race included a number of aged performers that had already enjoyed long racing careers. 

The above photo was taken a few days prior to the 1970 Prix D'Ete race day as post positions were drawn for that year's Sunday afternoon affair.   L-R: Raymond Lemay, Blue Bonnets Pres.; Mireille Hotte, Miss Blue Bonnets; and presiding Judge Don Perfect

 The 1970 race was held on Sunday, June 7,  an afternoon affair which was traditionally the biggest race card of virtually every week at Blue Bonnets. It went as the ninth race on a 10-race card. The big race drew an overflow crowd of 22,985 eager fans and they wagered a rather healthy $948,442. The attendance figure failed to top the crowd of 24,454 that were on hand to see the first "Prix" race which as mentioned above was called Prix d'Automne (Autumn Classic). 

On race day the press were not at all certain who to back as a winner of this big race.  There were no Bret Hanovers or Nevele Prides who would be almost "shoe in" winners.  This field had several horses who had already beaten each other.  Harness writer Doug Gilbert said in a Montreal Gazette article, "This field has eight horses with a chance."

As the race unfolded it soon became evident that one horse was going to control things and that was Laverne Hanover.  He had not raced well in recent events leading up to this day but whatever was ailing him was not a factor on this day.  At the start Canada's top contender Super Wave and driver Jack Kopas quickly grabbed the lead from post position three. He was soon challenged by Good Chase and Del Insko and by the half a "fresh" Laverne  Hanover was out and moving.  Once he reached the lead many in attendance felt the race was over.  

Fulla Napoleon took a run at him on the backstretch but a healthy Laverne was not going to be beaten on this day.  The winning time of 1:57.2 was just a tick off the existing Canadian record set by another Haughton horse, Romulus Hanover, in winning this event in 1967.  A disappointed Dick Thomas driver of Fulla Napoleon grumbled a few minutes after the race, "the winner just jogged."  He was a bit upset at having to race against a tough two horse entry from the Haughton barn.  Winning driver George Sholty was all smiles and said "I knew turning for home I had a lot of horse left but I didn't want to use him until I had to but no one came." 

Winning driver George Sholty piloted Laverne Hanover to victory in the 1970 Prix D'Ete at Montreal's Blue Bonnets track for owner Thomas W. Murphy Jr. of New York City.  This four-year-old son of Tar Heel was an amazing horse who had been at the top of his class in each of his three seasons on the track.  

Thus closed another great day in Canadian harness racing history.  The Prix D'Ete was held for 26 years  (1966-1992) during Montreal's golden era of racing.  Each year seemed to bring out the best in racing talent and competition and the fans responded by turning out year after year in record numbers. A lot of great memories were created. 

Final Results - 1970 Prix D'Ete Race 

Laverne Hanover - 1

Good Chase - 2 

Fulla Napoleon - 3

Sunnie Tar - 4

Little Jerry Way - 5

Rum Customer - 6

Super Wave - 7

Tiger Wave - 8 

Photo courtesy of Montreal Gazette archives 

Quote For The Week: "Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you sow." William A. Ward, writer  

Who Is It? 

This fellow was not in the featured Prix D'Ete race described above but did drive two winners that Sunday afternoon.  Can you identify him? 

Who Else Is It? 

This horse and driver were in the 1970 Prix D'Ete race described today.  Can you identify them both? 

PRIX D'ETE TRIVIA QUESTIONS

Choices are shown in alphabetical order.

#1  - Who was the oldest driver to ever win a Prix D'Ete race in the Blue Bonnets era?  (1966-1992)

a - Stanley Dancer 

b - Frank Ervin

c - Keith Waples 

#2 - Who were the only father - son duo to register wins in the Prix D'Ete during the Blue Bonnets era?  (1966-1992)

a - Del and Gary Cameron 

b - Billy and Peter Haughton 

c - Keith and Gord Waples