Robert Smith recalls some memories of Derby Days past and the 1949 classic then held at New Hamburg, ON in this week's Rewind
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The date of this year's Canadian Pacing Derby is fast approaching. It is not Canada's richest race as it once was, but it does have a lot of history, tradition and a colourful past to call on that none of the other big events have. For 27 straight years it was held at New Hamburg's Fountain Park and at the time was Canada's banner harness racing event and one attended by the thousands each year.
By 1949, the Derby was completing its second decade and this year's edition was the 14th to be held in "Derby Town" as it had come to be known. With the depression years well past and the burdens of WWII now lifted, the race had really come of age. First contested in 1936 for a prize of $1,275, this year the organizers came up with an astounding $5,000 purse. It was the largest by far that any race had ever offered and was undoubtedly one of the main reasons such as large field was entered. A total of 13 entrants had paid the entry fee and would face the starter. For many of the Derby years as part of the pageantry, the horses were paraded to the post by young Miss Jean Magee on horseback.
This year was memorable for something that was missing. After five straight years of dominance, four of them as the winner, The Count B was not in this year's renewal. While he was still around and racing, the stress of the years had taken their toll and he was no longer racing at this peak level. His owner Jim Brown of New Liskeard had another entry this year named Lee Reynolds but he was no where near the caliber of the great roan. He was brought back to Canada by trainer-driver Johnny Chapman from Buffalo where he was racing with
moderate success.
This year the race also underwent another radical change. The official name of the race had been changed to "The Canadian Trotting And Pacing Derby". This change was brought about by a special entry that year. Clarence "Shorty" Lockhart of Collingwood was having a phenomenal year with his trotting mare Make Believe. She was winning wherever she travelled and his assertion was why shouldn't he be able to take a crack at this huge purse? Apparently the event's organizers agreed with his thinking.
While the thinking and the theory was sound, the outcome is always on the track. In the three heat affair Make Believe was not a factor. After finishing 11th in the first heat she was again a dismal ninth in the second trip. The decision was made to scratch her from the third and final. While it made for an interesting phenomenon and probably drew some fans, it was, I believe, the only time a trotter ever started in this great pacing event.
The favourite and eventual winner of the 1949 Derby was a great American-bred but Canadian-owned pacer named The Diplomat. He started his career in the U.S. and was purchased by London hotel owner and long time Derby official Alex Parsons for a reported $12,000, which was a pretty good sum in those days. While the day ended in victory, it was not without a long afternoon of work and thanks to a couple of clever steers from the canny reinsman Lew James the job was finally done.
The opening heat went to Hi Duke owned by Lloyd Cummiford of Delhi, ON and driven by Peter Miller in a brisk 2:06.3 nosing out Dillon Flicka. It was evident that something was amiss with "The Dip," especially to his driver as they finished fifth. Once off the track he was checked over and a large roofing nail with the head worn shiny was removed from his hoof. What a difference, in the next two skirmishes it was all Lew James and The Diplomat as they grabbed both heats, the second in 2:05.3 and the thirrd in 2:07.1. Only five horses in the 13-horse field failed to earn a cheque.
The huge field of 13 starters all went in one race. Just why divisions or eliminations were not held is unknown to me. The fields were sent away in three tiers, quite a rare formation then or now for that matter, due in part undoubtedly to the narrower tracks of that day and time. Many years ago I had the privilege of discussing this day's race with one of the competing drivers that day, Sarnia's Marshall Moore, who drove Dixie Lee Hy. In addition to being one of the finest our sport has ever known, he possessed a keen memory for detail. He related a portion of his memories and they went something like this as I recorded in a story many years ago.
"I was in the third tier beside Dick Scott of Toronto, just the two of us... It was like looking into a sea of horses and bobbing driver's heads." It also provoked the question, "What am I doing here?" His day's work was later rewarding as he finished the afternoon with two seconds and a third, and a respectable piece of the purse for his efforts.
The 1949 Derby was a thrilling one. It gave owner Alex Parsons, who had been a participant since the original, his second victory. He and driver Lew James also took the 1943 event with Pine Ridge Alex. It was another great day for Canadian racing and served as a tribute to a lot of hard working people, mainly volunteers such as secretary Earl "Katzy" Katzmeier, who worked tirelessly throughout the year to make this Canada's greatest single day of racing at that time.
Each year a special race series is staged at Woodbine called "The Diplomat Pacing Series" inspired by this memorable horse, who again won this great race in 1952.