Geza Kovacs Passes

Trot Insider has learned that longtime Standardbred owner and harness racing aficionado Geza Kovacs, of Toronto, Ont., has passed away at the age of 86.

Kovacs, who was a mainstay in the grandstand at Greenwood Raceway during its heyday, passed away in a Toronto hospital on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.

The father of eight loved watching the harness action at Greenwood whenever the trotters and pacers were facing the gate at the downtown track. He also ventured out to Garden City and Mohawk Raceway with friends to follow the action around the Golden Horseshoe when he was able to.

Kovacs’ passion for the sport as a spectator and handicapper soon translated into ownership, as Geza made his first foray into that side of the business with a $2500 claimer by the name of Knight Cat, who was a bay son of Knight Dream.

According to one of his sons, longtime horseman John Kovacs, Geza’s best horse was the Laryngitis bay Im Speechless, who won 29 of his 102 career starts and finished on the board 47 times. Im Speechless trotted to a mark of 1:55 over Mohawk Racetrack at age seven and banked $326,400 in career purses.

Another hard-knocking campaigner that made Geza proud was his No Nukes bay Meltdown Hanover, who over a 184-race career notched 41 wins, 22 second-place finishes and 27 third-place efforts. He retired from racing after having taken his mark in 1:52.1 at Woodbine Racetrack, banking $315,990 in purses, and being named Georgian Downs’ Horse of the Year after one of his seasons.

Geza is survived by seven of his eight sons and daughters – John, Mary, William ‘Bill,’ James, Michael, Robert ‘Rob,’ and Sandy – and numerous grandchildren. Geza was predeceased by one of his sons, Jessie.

Services for Geza are private.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Geza Kovacs.