Having now fully recognized and inducted those named to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as the Classes of 2020 and 2021, the Standardbred and Thoroughbred Nomination Committees have determined the categories and finalists to appear on the ballot presented to the Election Committees, from which the Class of 2022 will be selected.
Previously, The Board of the CHRHF agreed the Classes of 2022 and 2023 will each be comprised of four inductees per breed, per class. The individuals named to CHRHF Class of 2022 and Class of 2023 will be formally inducted in a double year ceremony in the summer of 2023.
A 20-person Election Committee for each breed will determine the one individual to be inducted in each of four categories, with the results to be announced on Wednesday, October 5.
The four categories selected by the Standardbred Nominating Committee for the 2022 Standardbred ballot are Communicator, Male Horse, Trainer and Veteran – Person or Horse. Categories and finalist names in each are presented below in alphabetical order.
In the Standardbred Communicator category, the candidates are Vance Cameron, Paul Delean, and Frank Salive.
Vance Cameron got his start at one of Canada’s oldest operational racetracks, Summerside Raceway, in Prince Edward Island more than 40 years ago. He grew up nearby, in a community and family with a passion for harness racing. While also announcing races at tracks in Ontario over the years, his calls of the Gold Cup and Saucer put him on the international map and he is frequently called upon by tracks throughout Canada to be a guest announcer. Known for his popular catchphrases such as 'Boom! Just like that' and 'Brouhaha', Cameron emerged victorious in 'Canada's Best Race Call' poll, conducted by Standardbred Canada and voted on by fans of Canadian harness racing in 2019.
North Bay native Paul Delean, began his career as a horse racing columnist in the late 70’s at the Barrie Examiner where he met Bill Rowe and was, in turn, introduced to Standardbred racing. He began working for The Gazette in Montreal 1981 and was once referred to as the “English language voice of harness racing in Quebec.” For owners, breeders, trainers, drivers and fans, Delean was the man on the front line telling them what they needed to know about the racing game in the province. In addition, Delean was a frequent and well-respected contributor to the many trade journals in racing.
Originally from Leamington, Ont. Frank Salive was known for over 35 years as “The Voice” of Canadian harness racing. During his career it is estimated that Salive has called close to 200,000 races, becoming a fan and industry favourite for his knowledgeable, informative calls and silky voice. Frank’s career as a track announcer began at Sudbury Downs in the late 70’s and continued at tracks throughout Ontario, including 14 years at Ontario Jockey Club/Woodbine Entertainment Group harness tracks with stints at Pompano Park, Western Fair Raceway, Clinton Raceway and Fort Erie Racetrack before his current role as the voice of Ocean Downs in Maryland. Salive was also a regular writer for the Canadian Sportsman for several years.
The 2022 Standardbred Male Horse Category ballot features Marion Marauder, Muscle Mass, and Shadow Play.
With $3.5 million-plus in the bank and 21 trips to the winner's circle, Marion Marauder boasts the resume of a racehorse that few can match. He won the Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity in 2016 to become just the ninth trotter to win trotting's Triple Crown. The son of Muscle Hill - Spellbound Hanover also won the Goodtimes Stakes and a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial at three, en route to a season that amassed more than $1.5 million in purses, topping the North American earnings charts for all trotters. As an older competitor, his stakes scores included the 2017 Graduate Final and the Hambletonian Maturity, the Cleveland Trotting Classic, 2018 John Cashman Memorial and the 2018 Caesars Trotting Classic. Marion Marauder was the recipient of the O’Brien award for three-year-old trotter in 2016. That same year, he was also named USHWA three-year-old trotter, USHWA Trotter of the Year, followed by the USHWA Aged Trotter of the Year Award in 2017. Marion Marauder is also a resident of the Kentucky Horse Park Hall of Champions.
Muscle Mass retired to stud duty as the fastest two-year-old son of super-sire Muscles Yankee, having established his world-record mark of 1:53.4 in only his second career start. He established himself as a leading trotting sire and was the leading first crop sire of Ontario Sires Stakes winners in 2012 following up with spectacular years in 2013 and 2014 as the leading Ontario sire of two-year-old trotters. He also earned the title of the overall leading trotting sire in 2014. After spending the 2014 and 2015 breeding seasons in New York, where he sired world champion millionaires Six Pack and Plunge Blue Chip, he returned to Ontario in 2016. Muscle Mass was also the leading Canadian trotting sire in 2021, with offspring earning $5.8 million and winning 386 races. Among his offspring are multiple Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Champions including Riveting Rosie 4,1:52.4 ($973,336), Adare Castle 3,1:52.3 ($943,066), On A Sunny Day 4,1:52.4 ($700,311) and Lovedbythemasses 4, 1:50.2 ($657,263).
Shadow Play earned $1,559,822 with 20 wins, nine seconds and five thirds in 49 lifetime starts, and took a record of 1:47.4 as a four-year-old. The son of The Panderosa, trained and co-owned by Dr. Ian Moore along with R G McGroup Ltd. and Serge Savard for most of his racing career, won several stakes events including the 2008 Little Brown Jug. As a sire standing at Winbak Farm in Ontario, and now owned by the Shadow Play Syndicate, he has sired the winners of more than $55.3 million, including six millionaires, the fastest Standardbred in harness racing history, Bulldog Hanover (1.45.4) with earnings to date of nearly $2 million, three-time O’Brien Award winner and double millionaire Lady Shadow, 2021 Horse of the Year and North America Cup winner, Desperate Man, and and O’Brien divisional winner, Percy Bluechip. Twenty horses sired by Shadow Play have records of 1:50 or better.
In the Standardbred Trainer Category, voters will select from John Bax, Jack Darling and Dr. Ian Moore.
Trotting specialist and 2001 Canadian Trainer of the Year, John Bax’s most prominent pupil to date is Hall of Fame gelding Goodtimes, a winner of 50 races and more than $2.2 million in earnings, making him at the time of his retirement the richest Canadian-bred trotter of all time. Other Bax trainees include 2001 Breeders Crown winner Duke of York, Define the World – Canada’s Three-Year-Old Trotter of the Year in 2008, and Riveting Rosie - OSS Super Final winner and O’Brien divisional winner in 2013 and 2014. In the 2014 Peaceful Way Stakes, a trio of Bax trainees -- Stubborn Belle, Juanitas Fury, and Southwind Champane – finished one-two-three in this event. In 2021, two-year-old trotting colt, Duly Resolved, topped the OSS Gold Standings for the division and Duly Resolved’s full-sister, Righteous Resolve, set a new Champlain stakes record in 2022. Bax’s training stats include 920 wins and more than $26 million in earnings.
Cambridge, Ontario-based Jack Darling has enjoyed a successful career as a harness horse trainer in southern Ontario over three decades campaigning 1,070 winners and conditioning horses to nearly $22 million in earnings. In 1995, four fillies put Darling in the spotlight - Diamond Dawn, a winner of $175,000, Low Places (winner of a 1996 O’Brien Award), Faded Glory (winner of more than $250,000 as a freshman) and Diehard Fan (over $200,000 as a two and three-year-old). Other top horses included Northern Luck ($907,984), North America Cup champion Gothic Dream ($1,528,671), and Twin B Champ ($437,235). Darling’s latest protégé, Bulldog Hanover, recently set a new world record of 1:45.4 to become the fastest horse in harness racing history and has to date earned nearly $2 million. Darling is also known for significant fundraising efforts on behalf of racing related causes, and was the 2015 winner of the Lloyd Chisholm Memorial Award, presented by the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario, the United States Harness Writers Association Unsung Hero Award, and the Good Guy Award.
Dr. Ian Moore has trained the winners of over $18 million over his career. Moore has not only accomplished this feat racing mostly in Canada, he has also done it while averaging a stable size of only 10 horses. In a very short time, Moore has trained more than 55 horses that have each earned more than $100,000. He has trained 14 horses that have earned over $500,000, 10 horses that have earned over $750,000, and five horses that have earned over $1,000,000; including one that earned in excess of $2,000,000. Among his stable stars are two named Horse of the Year in Canada — millionaires State Treasurer ($2.7 million) and Century Farroh ($1.55 million) as well as 2022 Male Horse finalist Shadow Play ($1.55 million). Horses trained by Dr. Moore have won the Little Brown Jug, The Adios and the Canadian Pacing Derby. Has also collected 11 O'Brien Awards in total, including one for horsemanship and 10 separate awards for horses he has trained.
The Standardbred Veteran Category ballot includes B Cor Tamara, Gilles Gendron and Western Dreamer.
Before embarking on her second career as a broodmare, B Cor Tamara enjoyed a productive racing career, earning more than $185,000. Bred and owned by Bill Core of Dresden, Ontario, the daughter of Dream Of Glory was the dam of 19 foals, including star trotter B Cor Pete, and grand-dam of two champion juveniles, Banker Hall and Broadway Hall. Her offspring have earned in excess of $2.8 million.
Gilles Gendron of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, started his illustrious driving career in the spring of 1967 at the age of 22. During his career, he drove in more than 37,000 races, posted 7,053 victories, finished second in 5,008 starts and recorded 4,819 thirds. He drove horses to earnings in excess of $36.9 million. Gendron was the dominant driver at Blue Bonnets racetrack during the 1970s and 1980s. At age 27 in 1972, Gendron won the Challenge of Champions, hosted by Windsor Raceway, beating the likes of Herve Filion, Ronnie Feagan and Carmine Abbatiello. Nicknamed “Le Chef”, he dominated the Blue Bonnets driving charts, leading the driving standings 10 times between 1972 and 1984. For 14 consecutive years, he won more than 200 races and ranked in the North American top 10 seven times. Among the equine stars he drove were Hall of Famers Grades Singing and Garland Lobell. In 2009, he drove a pair of winners at Rideau Carleton to put him at 7,000 career wins and join Quebec natives Herve Filion, Michel Lachance and Luc Ouellette in the select group of North American drivers who had posted 7,000 career wins.
Owned by Mathew, Patrick and Daniel Daly of Hamilton, Ontario, Western Dreamer’s resume includes 27 victories and earnings of $1.8 million. In 1997 he was voted Horse of the Year in both Canada and the U.S. following wins in the Art Rooney Memorial Pace, and the U.S. Pacing Triple Crown. Western Dreamer holds the distinction of being the only gelding to win a Pacing Triple Crown. Since July 2001, he has been a resident of the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The four categories selected by the Thoroughbred Nominating Committee for the 2022 Thoroughbred ballot are Builder, Jockey, Male Horse and Veteran – Person or Horse. Categories and finalist names in each are presented below in alphabetical order.
A Thoroughbred Builder ballot comprised of Charles E. Fipke, Sam Lima, and Glenn Sikura, is offered for voter consideration.
Edmonton, Alberta-born Charles E. Fipke, a successful Canadian geologist and prospector who was involved in the discovery of the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, has been involved in the Canadian Thoroughbred Industry for forty-plus years. His accomplishments include breeding and owning three Sovereign Award winners - 2008 Champion Three-Year-Old Male and winner of the 2008 Queen’s Plate, Not Bourbon; 2010 Champion Older Female, Impossible Time; and 2003 Champion Male Turf Horse Perfect Soul, who went on to become a successful sire. Additionally, he bred and owned racehorse Perfect Shirl, winner of the 2011 Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf (GI). Other Fipke-owned Grade 1 winners included; champion Forever Unbridled, Bee Jersey, Lemons Forever, Seeking the Soul, Jersey Town and Tale of Ekati. In 2020, Fipke bred and owned Lady Speightspeare, the Sovereign Award winning champion two-year-old-filly, she was most recently victorious in the 2022 edition of the Seaway Stakes (G3).
The late Sam Lima’s involvement in racing included many decades as an owner and a promoter of the sport and in the many positions he held with the HBPA - where he was a leader and advocate for the services and resources available to track workers, not only while they were in the industry, but following their time on the backstretch. Lima founded and, for nearly 60 years, was the driving force behind the highly popular Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club which benefitted thousands of racing fans by educating them about the finer details of the game through regular interaction with racing’s many stars. Lima was also the first Chairman of the Fort Erie Advisory Board from 1985-1994 and advocated diligently for the continuation of racing at Fort Erie Racetrack. In 1992, Sam played an important role in establishing a simulcasting policy that still remains today. Mr. Lima, who passed away in 2019, was recognized in 2018 by the Jockey Club of Canada with a special Sovereign Award for his lifetime contributions.
Contributions to Canadian horse racing by Builder finalist, R. Glenn Sikura, include being the owner and operator of Hill 'n' Dale Canada and also holding positions with organizations representing various aspects of the Canadian Thoroughbred industry. He has served as Chief Steward of the Jockey Club of Canada since 2018 and is the Past President of the National and Ontario Divisions of the CTHS, Past President of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Past President of OHRIA, a former Director of both the Breeders Cup and TOBA. A leading consignor of horses at sales in both Canada and the U.S., his past sales graduates include Horse of the Year - A Bit o' Gold, Dynamic Sky, Inglorious, and One for Rose. As an owner/breeder, Sikura campaigned champion Serenading, Handpainted, Painting and many others.
The ballot for Jockeys is comprised of Eurico Rosa Da Silva, Richard Dos Ramos and Emile Ramsammy.
A native of San Paulo, Brazil, Eurico Da Silva, enjoyed substantial success in his home country before relocating to Macau and ultimately to Canada in 2004, making Woodbine his main base. Da Silva had back to back wins in the Queen’s Plate with Eye of the Leopard in 2009 and Big Red Mike in 2010. Over the next decade, Da Silva won multiple Grade 1 Stakes and was awarded the Sovereign Award as Canada's Champion jockey seven times. Other career highlights for the 2021 Avelino Gomez Memorial Award recipient include two Oaks wins, as well as upsets in both the 2019 Woodbine Mile with, El Tormenta and in the Canadian International with longshot, Bullard's Alley, and a remarkable partnership with multiple champion, Pink Lloyd. Admired by both racing fans and fellow jockeys, Da Silva was appreciated for his professionalism, unbridled joy and exuberant wishes of “Good Luck to everybody”. Out of the saddle, Da Silva's generous spirit was evidenced by his long-time commitment to racehorse after care at Long Run, and supporting his community by volunteering with the "Out Of The Cold" program for the homeless. Statistically Da Silva achieved 11,630 starts (2,286-1914-1567), and earnings of $102,764,264.
Richard Dos Ramos was the senior member of the Woodbine Jockeys' Room in terms of years of service when he retired in 2013. The classy veteran began his riding career in the spring of 1981 at Greenwood, claiming the rider’s title at both the Woodbine and Greenwood Autumn meets that same year, as well as being named Top Apprentice Jockey for the first of two consecutive years. It was during the following decade that two of his finest riding accomplishments came for Hall Of Fame owner, Steve Stavro, and his HOF trainer, Phil England. In 1992, he steered Benburb to a huge upset win over A.P.Indy in the Molson Export Million, and a stunning upset on Benburb in the Prince of Wales, beating 2022 CHRHF Veteran finalist, Alydeed. In 1999, he guided longshot Thornfield to victory in the $1.5 million Canadian International (G1). In 2002, Dos Ramos was honoured with the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award before winning the Canadian Oaks with Ginger Gold. Career statistics include 18,645 races with 2,159 wins, 2,242 seconds, 2,206 thirds and nearly $61 million in purse earnings.
Emile Ramsammy, considered a true gentleman and champion, began his career as a jockey in Trinidad in 1980. He achieved 500 wins and was named Caribbean Barbadian Champion jockey in 1986 and 1989, winning the Barbadian Gold Cup in 1985, 1987, & 1988. In 1990, Ramsammy started riding in Canada, and was awarded the Sovereign Award as Outstanding Jockey in 1996 & 1997 and received the Avelino Gomez Award 2011. His resume includes Queen’s Plate victories with Victor Cooley in 1996 and Edenwold in 2006 and achieved stakes success with Wake at Noon, One for Rose and many others. Stats (Equibase as of August 2022) 1990-2022 Starts: 18,742 (2,276 - 2281-2238) Earnings: $89,003,634.
The 2022 Thoroughbred Male Horse ballot includes Court Vision, Fatal Bullet and Joshua Tree.
One of the most talented and versatile colts of his generation, Court Vision, was a multiple graded-stakes winner on both dirt and turf at two, and a Grade 1 winner at three, four, and five. His pedigree includes Champion Sprinter and classic sire (Gulch), out of a sister to a classic winner and classic sire (Summer Squall) and the immediate family of A.P. Indy. His eight graded-stakes wins include five Grade 1 wins, including the 2011 Breeders' Cup Mile and the 2010 Woodbine Mile - his first of two appearances in that race. His overall race record includes 31 starts (nine wins, four seconds, four thirds) with total earnings of $3,746,658.
As a sire, Court Vision was a leading North American Freshman Sire in 2015 - both in earnings and stakes horses - and in 2016 had one two-year-old colt sell for $300,000 (U.S.). Among his stakes horses are 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Champion, Storm the Court, with 13 starts (2-2-3) and earnings of $1.365 million, and Grade 3 winner, Mr. Havercamp, 14 (8-1-0) $679,558.
Fatal Bullet, Bred by Adena Springs, owned by Danny Dion's Bear Stables and trained by Hall of Fame trainer Reade Baker, was one of Canada’s fastest sprinters in recent decades. He was voted Canada's Horse of the Year in 2008 on the strength of being named Canada's Outstanding Sprinter that year. He captured 12 career races including five stakes and earned $1,377,256.00 in total. Winning his first career start as a juvenile in 2007 - his three-year-old year included three early-season wins at Woodbine, track-record performances at Woodbine in the Bold Venture Stakes, Presque Isle in the Tom Ridge Stakes and at Turfway Park, earning a trip to the Grade 1 Breeder’s Cup Sprint - where he placed second behind heavily favoured Midnight Lute in the quickest running of the race to date in 1.07.08. That win projected Fatal Bullet to having earned the second-fastest time in the history of the race.
Irish-bred Joshua Tree’s career statistics feature earnings of $3,851,594 in 37 starts (7-7-4). Three of those wins came at Woodbine in the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1) in 2010, 2011, and 2013, an unprecedented accomplishment. Other graded stakes wins for this world travelling son of Montjeu include the Qatar International Invitation Cup (G1) in 2011, the Judamonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Ascot in 2009 and the Darley Prix Kergorly (G2) in 2009.
In the Thoroughbred Veteran Category, voters will select from Alydeed, Bessarabian and Formal Gold.
Bred by Anderson Farms and owned by Kinghaven Farms, Alydeed, the son of English Two Thousand Guineas winner, Shadeed, was trained by CHRHF Honoured Member Roger Attfield. Winner of the Victoria Stakes in his only start at two, Alydeed developed into a prominent three-year-old of 1992 in Canada and the United States with wins in the Grade III Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and a close second in the Preakness Stakes to Pine Bluff. Returning to Canadian soil, he won the Marine, Plate Trial and Queen's Plate in succession by a combined 22-1/2 lengths. At four, Alydeed’s race success included wins in the Grade III Commonwealth at Keeneland and Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. Alydeed retired with a record of nine wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 18 starts and earnings of $930,689.
U.S.-bred and Canadian-based Bessarabian was purchased at a Two-Year-Old in Training Sale in Florida for $122,000 (U.S.) by Tom Webb for Eaton Hall Farm. As a two-year-old, she was the best filly in Canada easily beating local competition before going on to capture the Gardenia Stakes (G1), earning herself a trip to run in the first Breeders' Cup for Juvenile Fillies. Her first-year stats include five wins in 10 starts. At three, she won seven of twelve starts including five stakes and placed in two others - one of those runner-up finishes was the prestigious Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). In 1986, Bessarabian won six of 15 starts including another five stakes and she was third in the open Grade 2 Arlington Matron Handicap in Chicago. She capped her brilliant racing career under the tutelage of trainer Mike Doyle by being named Champion Older Mare. In 37 career starts Bessarabian had 18 wins, five seconds and four thirds, earning $1,032,640.
Ontario-bred Formal Gold remains the fastest Canadian-bred in terms of speed figures, even though his final year of racing occurred in 1997. Bred by Mr. & Mrs. Rodes Kelly, trained by William W. Perry and owned by John D. Murphy, Sr., this son of Black Tie Affair received an Equibase Rating of 136, one of the highest in history. Formal Gold was also ranked among the top handicap horses of 1997 with gate-to-wire efforts in two Grade 1 victories; the Woodward Stakes in September of that year after winning the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream in February, defeating Horse of the Year and U.S. Hall of Fame horse, Skip Away, in both races. At stud, he ranked among the top 1% as sire of two-year-old winners from starters at 45% and sired progeny with global earnings of nearly $16 million (U.S.), including 19 stakes winners.
Additional information about the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame may be found at the CHRHF website.
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