To me, ‘The Backstretch’ isn’t the straightaway opposite the homestretch, where the horses race on their way toward the ¾ pole. To me, and many others, the backstretch is the place where I truly fell in love with horse racing.
The sights, the sounds, the atmosphere, and definitely the smell of the backstretch, was something that gave me chills when I was younger.
When Dave Briggs finished his Masters in Journalism at The University of Western Ontario, the only experience he had around horses was a one-time assignment that took place on a cold winter night at Western Fair.
When John Bax was young, his father sold their dairy farm, and bought a farm that included 40 Standardbreds. Safe to say that the quality of that stock wasn’t quite world class, but it was the beginning of a period of learning for John, his brother and their dad. Now, years later, and after developing a list of top trotters too long to mention, what gives the new HOF’er the most joy, is being surrounded by his family at the beautiful farm he built from a career in the sport he loves.
On the 25th Anniversary of becoming the first Canadian-sired winner of The Hambletonian, Yankee Paco can now also be called a Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Famer. The two people that can tell the story of that famous Hambo better than anyone, are trainer Doug McIntosh and driver Trevor Ritchie - so that’s exactly who we asked.
Kent Oakes spent his lifetime as a public servant - one who consistently championed harness racing in PEI and Atlantic Canada. A few months after Kent’s tragic passing last summer, he was named as the winner of the prestigious Cam Fella Award, and now he’s been voted into The Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame.
An undefeated World Champion at age two, Muscle Mass looked to be on his way to a stallion career for certain, but after an injury derailed his sophomore season, his future lay a bit more in-doubt. Enter the late Canadian Vet, Dr. David Goodrow, who had all the faith that the horse was a perfect fit for Ontario’s stallion ranks.
Brad Grant a toujours aimé passer du temps au Temple de la renommée canadien des courses de chevaux. Il aimait s’y promener et s’émerveiller, non seulement devant la plaque honorant son père, John, mais aussi devant tous les souvenirs et les plaques exposées. Aujourd’hui, après des décennies à contribuer au développement du sport qu’il aime tant, Brad va passer encore plus de temps dans le Temple — en fait, il y sera pour l’éternité.
Brad Grant always loved spending time in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame. He’d often walk through it and marvel, not only at the plaque of his father, John, but at all of the memorabilia and displays. Now, after decades of helping build the game he loves, Brad is going to be spending a lot more time in ‘The Hall’ - in fact, he’s going to be in there for eternity.
