SC Rewind: The Unbreakable Record

In this week's rewind Robert Smith recalls an unbelievable winning season by a horse named Victory Hy. His single season record for most victories is unlikely to ever be broken.

Despite the ages old saying "Records Are Made to be Broken" there are apparently some sport's records that will never be broken. I think a lot of them are in the world of baseball but there are undoubtedly a few sprinkled throughout all areas of sports. The 56-game hitting streak of Joe DiMaggio in 1941 and the back to back no-hitters thrown by Johnny Vandermeer in 1938 have to be at the top of the list considered "unbreakable".

As for harness racing, I am not about to make a list beyond a total of one, because with my knowledge what I pick may very well not be a suitable candidate for such a list. One record that I do believe is valid is one that has been around and unbroken for some 65 years. The single season record for most wins I recently found out stands at an incredible 66 and there is even reasonable doubt that number is understated but never proven.

Way back in 1950, an amazing horse (perhaps appropriately) named Victory Hy scored an incredible 66 wins in a single season. One must remember that in those days heat racing was in vogue which meant that a horse could rack up 3 wins in a single afternoon. That coupled with the frequency that a horse raced meant that the totals could count up rather quickly. That year was a banner season for a then six-year-old son of Victorious Hal out of the mare Crusanna. He was owned by a gentleman named Stan Blewett who listed his home as Indian River, a small dot on the Ontario map in the Rice Lake region near Peterborough. Mr. Blewett raced many horses over the years and at one time ran a successful livery business in the area.

This horse who possessed U.S. breeding started his career the property of Mr. W.J. Hyatt of London, Ont., hence the name included the suffix "HY". It is believed that Mr. Hyatt purchased the mare in foal from a U.S. farm. He was later sold to Mr. D.H. Farrington of Brantford who in turn sold him for $300 to Mr. Blewett. It was under his ownership that Victory Hy's greatest successes were enjoyed.

An amazing aspect of this horse's story was that throughout his racing career, beginning as a two-year-old, the horse was blind. This fact raised a number of questions over the years but many believed the concerns came from those who could not defeat him on the track rather than those whose concerns were safety-based. Apparently he was at times barred from racing but it must not have been too effective based on the number of wins he recorded.

A number of people drove Victory Hy during his career with two people heading the list. One was Jimmy McIntyre, a well-known Peterborough-based horseman. Another who often drove him as well was Orville Fallis, a barber by trade but when there was a chance to race a horse the "closed" sign was hung out at his shop. Also during his record setting season of 1950 Keith Waples drove at Thorncliffe and also Herb Payne was the pilot for eight wins at Belleville and Port Perry.

While this horse was a prolific winner in several campaigns it was in 1950 that he really "clicked". A 66 win season in 1950 was followed by another highly productive 1951 campaign that saw him win another 41 races. While not often mentioned as a record, 107 wins in two seasons is probably a candidate for the books as well. Despite these huge win numbers the purses were so low that money winnings were scarcely mentioned. In 1950 his 66 wins netted a paltry $3,219 -- less than $50 a victory!

After several seasons of racing in Eastern Ontario, Victory Hy was sold by Mr. Blewett to Maritime owner Lorne Ratchford of Sydney, N.S. He ended his racing days in that area and sadly at the age of 10 broke a bone in his leg which signalled the end. Despite his lofty numbers Victory Hy ended up with just a bit over $9,000 in lifetime earnings and a record of 2:11. Such were the times.

Like all heroes of the track, many tales usually surround their careers. The story is told that at one time during his glory days in Eastern Ontario his regular driver Orville Fallis was "lifted" by the judges prior to the start of the day's races. It was their feeling that Mr. Fallis had perhaps begun the day's celebrating a bit too soon, hence the decision. However when post time arrived, the horse refused to leave his stall for the substitute driver. Based on the horse's tremendous fan following, those same organizers reversed their decision. As one might guess, another three heat wins were added with Mr. Fallis at the helm.

There are not too many people left who remember this horse nor the era. One who does is veteran horseman Ray Lowery of Millbrook, Ont., who was barely in his teens and not yet fully into the sport, but already a regular spectator. In a recent conversation he said "there were a lot of tough horses in those days; they raced multiple heats and often several days a week. There were not many tougher and none better than Victory Hy. He was just an amazing horse."

Summary of 1950 Season
Beaverton - 3 starts - 3 wins
Belleville - 6 starts - 5 wins
Brooklin - 3 starts - 0 wins
Campbellford - 3 starts - 2 wins
Colborne - 3 starts - 3 wins
Lindsay - 6 starts - 6 wins
Madoc - 3 starts - 3 wins
Markham - 3 starts - 3 wins
Norwood - 3 starts - 3 wins
Orono - 2 starts - 1 wins
Oshawa - 2 starts - 2 wins
Peterborough - 9 starts - 5 wins
Port Perry - 3 starts - 3 wins
Picton - 3 starts - 3 wins
Roseneath - 6 starts - 4 wins
Sunderland - 3 starts - 3 wins
Sutton West - 3 starts - 3 wins
Thorncliffe Park - 6 starts - 3 wins
Uxbridge - 6 starts - 5 wins
Wasaga Beach - 6 starts - 6 wins
Totals - 82 starts, 66 wins

Wins By Month
May - 2
June - 3
July - 10
August - 18
September - 18
October - 15

Victory Hy is pictured here with Peterborough horseman Jim McIntyre in the sulky for owner Stanley Blewett of Indian River.

For many years an annual race was held at Peterborough to honour Mr. Orville Fallisa great promoter of racing in the area and one time driver of Victory Hy. In this 1984 photo his son Ira Fallis (left ) is shown presenting a trophy to the owners of that year's winner I'm The Skipper. The driver of is Doug Hie.