The Grey Gladiator Takes Montreal

An all-time fan favourite, who gained most of his fame in Ontario, took his show (and a small entourage) on the road to La belle province in October of 2006. How did he do? Did they ‘All Hail The Admiral’ on that long-ago day in Quebec?

Story by Perry Lefko / Traduction Louise Rioux

It is October 8, 2006, the temperature 18 degrees Celsius, and the crowd at Hippodrome de Montreal is anxiously awaiting the feature race of the day, the $75,000 Le Rendez-vous des Champions – the Race of Champions – for aged male pacers, including the amazing Admirals Express. Known as ‘The People’s Horse’, the Admiral is 10 years old and the limits to what he has done seem endless. He is the Grey Gladiator, although his coat has long since turned white, and he is every bit the warrior, grizzled from many battles but still game. Today he is racing for the first time in Montreal and with a chance to eclipse $2 million in career earnings with a win.

The year before, the voters of the O’Brien Awards selected the Admiral as the Canadian Horse of the Year and Older Pacing Horse/Gelding. He won 17 races – all of them Opens – in 40 starts and only missed the board three times, banking $409,882. He also set a career mark of 1:48.2 in the process. The new speed badge came in June at Woodbine, as the Admiral, gallant as ever, grabbed the early lead after starting furthest out in the field of seven and fended off the challenge of a foe that headed him in deep stretch but couldn’t repel the heart of the horse that refused to lose. He was let go at 12-1. “The Grey Gladiator slays them with a supremely brave effort again,” track announcer Frank Salive said to mark the moment.

The Admiral had the mindset of a younger horse that day. He was a nine-year-old with the energy and enthusiasm of a horse half his age. He also equalled the track record of 1:49 at Mohawk that season with a front-end score from post position nine.

This is what has endeared Admirals Express to the legion of followers who regularly lined the aprons to watch him on the Ontario circuit. He had come from the bull-ring tracks in Michigan late in his three-year-old season and no one could have ever imagined this. How could you? He was a Michigan-bred with the most modest of bloodlines and purchased as a yearling for a mere $3,700. That he would go on to greatness is like one of those Hollywood movies with so much dramatic license it seems too good to be true. But this was as real as it gets and on this fall evening in Montreal it wasn’t yet over.

Hardly.

The Admiral is about to line up for his 282nd career race and is chasing his 74th win. One win out of every four trips to the post, that’s good, no matter where it’s done but even more so when the competition is against some of the saltiest older male pacers in the world. He has won at least one race in under 1:50 in each of the last four years. Some would say he is a freak because nothing suggested he could do what he has done, consistently battling the best of the best of the older male pacing brigade year after year.

The Admiral is that one horse in a million – or in this case nearly two million. He is the gift that keeps on giving, the equivalent of a lottery ticket, and he just loves to race, week in and week out.

His owners, Gary and Laurel Gust and Cheryl and Ed Sayfie, had sent him across the border late in his sophomore season to try him on the bigger tracks in Ontario so the tall, strapping son of Admirals Galley could stretch his legs on the long straightaways. He had raced decently in his home state but nothing compared to what would make him a legend in another country. It really began with one particular race, a division of the Toronto Pace at Mohawk on February 12, 2000. It was his eighth start in Ontario and he had yet to visit the winner’s circle there. But that night he scored a victory at odds of more than 77-1, defeating the mighty Dragon Again and collecting $20,000, by far the biggest payday to that point of his career. But it would be only a sampling of the star quality that lay ahead. He would go on to beat the likes of 2000 Horse of the Year Gallo Blue Chip and 2002 Horse of the Year Real Desire in the course of his career and carve out a reputation with his refuse to lose attitude. Even on the days he would go down to defeat, it wasn’t without a try.

Fast forward to this day, one that is particularly meaningful for his owners, trainer Mike Hales and caretaker Lacey Beer, each of whom are experiencing racing in Montreal for the first time. The Admiral has been taking all of them on the journey of a lifetime, marveling them all with his incredible ability and his unrelenting willingness. At this age, he does not owe them anything, everything is a bonus. The Admiral has long since exceeded expectations.

Could this all be a dream?

The Gusts are not in attendance because Gary is busy with work in his construction business, but their partners are here. Ed, who owns a nightclub and property rentals, and Cheryl, who is an interior designer, have turned this into a little vacation to watch the Admiral. They flew in from Michigan a few days ahead of the race and have explored the sights and culture of this beautiful city. They are having the time of their lives. Ed has been in the racehorse business since 1974 and now, thirty-two years later, he and his wife are enjoying a special time. Hey, when you own the Admiral, life is pretty good.

A few hours earlier, Cheryl attended mass at the historic Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the many landmarks of old Montreal. Ed stayed at the motel pouring over the program, which is written in French. The Admiral is 9-2 in the morning line. He has not won in his last eight races dating back to July 15 at Mohawk, when he wired the field in a $45,000 Open. He went postward that night, in the field of six horses, at 3-5 and prevailed by three-quarters of a length.

A month ago, when the Sayfies and Gusts received the invitation for the Montreal race, they pondered whether or not to send the Admiral into this battle, thinking he had reached his limit and there was little left for him to give. For whatever reason, he has routinely raced poorly outside his home track, but the decision had been made to go. Once again, it will be up to the grizzled veteran to prove himself.

Once they arrive at the track, the Sayfies are treated to a royal welcome from the track’s management, which has a reception for all of the owners of the race. This is a huge day of racing at the track, but could the Admiral make it that much more special? We shall see.

The race has attracted some quality starters, though none with the background or race record of the Admiral. Stonebridge Galaxy, trained and driven by Rick Zeron, is the 5-2 morning line favourite and Whosurboy is second choice at 3-1 for trainer Mark Ford.

To ease their nerves, the Safies visit the Admiral in the paddock. They talk to Mike and regular driver Paul MacDonell, who has driven in some of the biggest races in the world, and Cheryl rubs the big horse on his head and kisses his nose, maintaining a tradition she began with him a long time back. She then gives him a little pep talk along the lines of “be safe and do what you do best.”

Once the race begins, it will be in Paul’s hands. He is confident about the Admiral, feeling he will appreciate the wide, sweeping track. Standing in his paddock stall, the Admiral has poked his head forward while restrained by the crossties, feeling full of himself and keen to get going. It’s almost as if he is saying, “Let’s go. Let’s have some fun.”

He has the air of a champion, something he has developed through all those years, racing and facing the best and often prevailing. He shipped in, a day in advance, settling in like a good, old horse and enjoying the warm weather, which has the soothing comfort of liniment on his old bones.

The Admiral has the mentality of a stud that can take a hold of his handlers if you don’t have a firm grip. Lacey knows this all too well from grooming the Admiral for several years now. Standing more than 16 hands high and weighing about 1,200 pounds, he has the big build to match his big reputation.

Lacey walks the Admiral to the grandstand, where all the horses are about to be formally introduced with the pomp of pageantry, and all the while the grey just wants to go. Once Lacey releases her hold on him and the Admiral is done with the introductions, he quickly breaks away and begins his final paces.

Now the race is about to start and the crowd is sensing it might witness history.

Paul has driven the horse enough times to know the Admiral likes to be on the front or close to it. That is his forte, what he’s been comfortable doing throughout his career. As the gate swings back, Paul urges the Admiral, who sprints forward in the middle of the track and is parked at the opening quarter, leading by three-quarters of a length in a crisp :26 seconds. Heading to the midway point of the race, Zooka makes a move with canny driver Mario Baillargeon steering him. Paul gives the old guy some urging by tugging on the reins and the Admiral is refusing to be passed, so Baillargeon decides to take a hold and wait a little longer to make a bolder move. The Admiral leads at the half by one-and-a-quarter lengths in a snappy :54.1 and Zooka is still parked first-up. The Sayfies are watching with concern because the Admiral has a tendency to loaf on the lead and the fractions are torrid. Cheryl is screaming “hold on, hold on.” But the Admiral doesn’t seem to be tiring or feeling strained, not like some other horses that would be starting to wilt. Lacey knows if the other horses haven’t been able to pass the Admiral by this point, it’s going to take a miracle for him to lose. This is one of those days when he might let a competitor look him in the eye and brazenly show who is boss.

The Admiral is maintaining his lead by three-quarters of a length after three-quarters of a mile in 1:22.3. Approaching the stretch, Baillargeon makes his move again with Zooka. The announcer is saying “they will have to beat the Grey Gladiator,” who is now being urged with right-handed whipping by Paul. Zooka is gaining, but he cannot beat the Admiral, settling instead for second.

“The Grey Gladiator has done it again,” the announcer says as Admirals Express crosses the finish line winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.3, coming the final quarter in :28. He just loves to win, and despite the recent string of losses the Admiral shows he isn’t ready to be retired. No way, not today. It’s as if he has made a statement, a proclamation. And he awarded his loyal backers with a $16.60 win payout.

The Grey Gladiator is the ultimate overachiever and the ovation is huge, befitting of a champion in the race for champions. He is given a beautiful blanket to commemorate the occasion, but as usual he is uncomfortable with all the fuss and the crowd around him. The bike tries to flip over twice and Mike looks at Lacey with a kind of familiar shrug. That’s the Admiral. You’ve got about five seconds to take the picture and then look out.

As he heads to the test barn, the Admiral is almost through for another day. He has done his job. Again. He will only have a few days to rest and then it’s on to the next race.

There is always another crowd waiting to see the People’s Horse.