Leave it to Meadowlands Racetrack Statistician Bob 'Hollywood' Heyden to dig up some of the most interesting and obscure facts for this Saturday's $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic and $500,000 William Wellwood Memorial
Trot at Mohawk Racetrack.
In addition to facts for the trotting events, Heyden has also unearthed a few tidbits regarding the Milton Stakes, which will be represented Saturday at the Campbellville, Ont. track via a lone elimination for the aged pacing mares.
To view the entries for Mohawk's Saturday card, click here.
William Wellwood Memorial Trot
• The race was called the Campbellville Trot until 2005
• The richest ever edition of the Campbellville was won by Andover Hall in 2001
• This stakes event was raced in divisions for the first 13 years; Raced with one final for the last nine years
• The winner has also won divisional honours in the US seven times
• 27-72, as in age 27 and age 72; twenty-seven-year-old Tim Tetrick won the race last year with Il Villaggio; he late Carl Allen was 72 years old when he won the race in 2002 with Vrahos
• Brothers Jim and John Campbell won the Wellwood Memorial in 2008 with Tom Cango
Canadian Trotting Classic
• Muscles Yankee won his very first race (the Champlain Stakes) at Mohawk (1997); he's now looking to sire his third straight winner of this race (and fourth overall)
• SJs Photo is a two-time winner of the CTC as a stallion (SJs Caviar in 2001, Classic Photo in 2005)
• This is the last million-dollar race of the year
• September 18 is the busiest stakes night of the year in North America (37 stakes, 16 $100,000+ races -- both 2010 highs)
• 1976 debut: the first two editions of the CTC were won by fillies
• John Campbell (driver of Lucky Chucky) has only won this race once, all the way back in 1983 with Joie De Vie
• Driver Ron Pierce has captured three of the last seven CTCs (Mr Muscleman [2003], Classic Photo [2005] and Donato Hanover [2007])
• Lucky Chucky's trainer, Chuck Sylvester, has never won the CTC
• Lucky Chucky was a $10,000 yearling purchase, as was 2006 CTC runner-up and Triple Crown winner Glidemaster
Milton Stakes
• There were just two winners of the Milton Stakes from 2001 to 2005 (Eternal Camnation, Loyal Opposition)
• A mare has won this stakes event back to back three times (Eternal Camnation, Loyal Opposition, Shady Daisy)
• The race has never been won with a sub-1:50 clocking
I agree with not showing
I agree with not showing Holly up but u came up with the best tid bit yet! Frank Salive was even choked up that nite calling Was It a Dream as he crossed the wire first. Very cool scenario to have Paula win the very firt Wellwood Memorial for sure!
Not to ever try to upstage
Not to ever try to upstage "Hollywood" Heyden but one interesting, though definitely not obscure, fact about the "William Wellwood Memorial" that I think he could have included is that the first one in 2005 was won by "Was It A Dream" who was trained by Billy Wellwood's daughter - Paula!!