Writer Robert Smith recalls the 1949 season of an amazing pacer named Amber Grattan 2nd
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One thing has remained constant in racing throughout the years. Winning means EVERYTHING ... If you want the lion's share of the purse, if you want to get your picture taken and receive a rousing round of applause; the secret is simple ...WIN. While it is the ultimate goal to win every race, horsepeople learn early in life that not winning is not losing, it's just part of the game.
I have no idea what the single season record for most wins by one horse is, nor do I know a quick way to find the answer. I am aware though of a certain horse who had quite a single season, one time . I think by any standard, 49 wins in a season is "not a bad piece of work." This actually did happen to a horse named Amber Grattan 2nd and it was coincidentally 60 years ago in 1949. Amber Grattan 2nd was owned and trained by a gentleman who participated in the sport throughout his lifetime. His name was Tom Yearly, a resident and native of Crediton, Ont., a small hamlet just north and west of London in Huron County.
While Mr. Yearly was an accomplished driver and often drove his own, on most starts during this season one of the best drivers on the circuit, Lloyd Turvey handled the driving duties. Needless to say this threesome were pretty popular figures wherever they appeared. To give some perspective to what winning 49 heats in a season represents, consider that in that same year the leading dash winner in the U.S. was Canadian born "wizard of the reins" Clint Hodgins. In all of his 1949 drives he racked up 128 wins.
The season started late by today's standards and was over in just under five months. That's the way it was back then . The five-year-old chestnut gelded son of Lord Grattan started off the year on the May 24th race program at Sarnia. His standing for the day was a familiar 1-1-1, which meant the winner of all three heats. From here the season moved pretty much week by week. At season's end the rugged performer had appeared on 21 dates, several tracks on two occasions. In all, he visited 13, mainly small Southwestern Ontario towns.
After the May start came visits to Wallacetown, Ridgetown, Rodney and Dresden. In July it was on to Strathroy, Tillsonburg and Exeter. The wins kept piling up, even a dead head for win with Silver Peter at Exeter. On to August and trips to Stratford, New Hamburg, Palmerston and back to Dresden and Tillsonburg. September was the busiest month with 15 trips postward, six at London in a three-day period resulting in five wins and a second. The season closed out in October with a visit to Teeswater and two returns to Rodney and the Strathroy fair.
When all the totals were tabulated, the results were nothing short of incredible. Amber Grattan 2nd made 61 starts. He finished first 49 times, five times second and three times third. On only one occasion, that being when he faced the country's best at that year's Canadian Pacing Derby, did he fail to earn a cheque. His fastest mile and season's record was hung out at Dresden in early September when he stopped the clock in 2:08 2/5. His season's earnings amounted to $3,754.92!! Not exactly a princely sum, but I am sure much of Mr. Yearly's reward came in non monetary terms, often the most special and lasting kind ...
In life and in fairy tales, all stories do not always have a happy ending. Little did anyone know when Amber Grattan 2nd stepped off the track at Rodney in October, after winning three straight heats that he would never return to the racing wars. The brilliant pacer who thrilled fans in so many places during 1949 lost his life in a barn fire a few months later.
The late Mr. and Mrs. Yearly still have family including a son and two daughters living in the Huron County area. Many continue their interest in harness racing and certainly recall that magical year.
Another great story from the
Another great story from the past Robert. Keep them coming! Although i wasnt born yet when Amber Grattan raced, i know he was a legend in my hometown of Exeter. I remember that his driver, Lloyd Turvey was a very controversial and popular character in the area as well. His wife, Elva was my 4th grade teacher. I remember Tom Yearly very well. I was very young and he was quite old at the time but i remember that he had a barn right behind his house in the town of Exeter. He kept one standardbred that he jogged or trained daily at the Exeter fairgrounds which was just about a block from his house. Tom was a very nice and friendly man who would take the time to talk to a young kid like me. I can remember going to his 2 stall barn and i can even remember the smell of it. When i read the Dan Patch book, it made me think back to Tom Yearly's barn and how similar Dan's first surroundings probably were. For some reason, my biggest recollection of Tom was that he always had 2 tobacco cans of goose grease sitting on the shelf in his barn. He would give me a can and say,use this on heals and hopple burns Jack, its the best. He would repeat it and say,dont buy those expensive salves at the tack shop,"GOOSE GREASE IS THE BEST"
Yet another great trip down
Yet another great trip down memory lane (although a little before my time.) Kind of an odd coincidence, I was looking through some old programs a while ago from the mid 70's. I announced the fair races at Exeter and the timer for the day was, Tom Yearly. I remember well, the first race they hit the quarter and as was the case in those days, the timer simply hollered the time for the announcer and judges to hear. Tom was right in front of me and hollered so loud I jumped straight in the air. Nothing like good stories from a great sport