Introduced to harness racing as a 12-year-old, the year would have been 1956. Saturday night racing at Truro Raceway included watching double-gaited Josedale Clansman race; George Turner was in the bike.
Watching Kirk Pinkney win with Scotland Mist is still clear in my mind, as is the horsemanship ability of Kirk’s sons, drivers Phil and Dave Pinkney. Westville’s Clayton MacLeod was too becoming one of my driving favourites.
Fast forward 63 years, what a race card, what tremendous harness racing last Saturday night at Truro Raceway. Part of Truro’s big week, Atlantic Grand Circuit Week, it just doesn’t get much better. In sharing parts of the evening, I’ll pinpoint what I’d describe as a few personal highlights.
The quality of racing caught many people’s attention – fast miles were the order of the day. Catch Twenty Two, with Darren Crowe handling the reins, won Race 3, the Vincent “Butch” Horne Memorial,” pacing in 156 flat. The next race, the Bud & Lorne Whidden Memorial, went in 155.1 with Jason Hughes and Rocknrols Image getting the job done.
Besides the outstanding action on the track, most of us railbirds enjoy comparing notes, even reminiscing about something that might have happened a way, way back. Running into Doug Saunders and his wife Kim, the couple had driven down from Glace Bay for Saturday night’s race card.
“You and I met on the Canada Games Diamond in Halifax in 1973,” Saunders, 66, recalled. “It was after a Brookfield Elks-Dartmouth Dairy Queen fastball game. I interviewed you.”
Saunders arrived in Halifax in the fall of 1972 from his native Kenora, Ont. With experience in radio, he joined first CJCH Radio, followed by a stint with CHNS Radio. Quite a career in television followed as Saunders became a colourful and knowledgeable voice with CBC from 1973 up until his retirement in 1995.
“I had two or three opportunities to go on to bigger things, such as an offer from Hockey Night In Canada. What kept me here? I loved Nova Scotia, I didn’t want to leave. When I first came to Nova Scotia, I just felt that I was home.”
In 1975 Saunders became involved in harness racing, purchasing a horse by the name of Royal Banner. Enjoying the sport, he operated a standardbred farm in Middle Musquodoboit during the 1990s. In 2004, he became general manager of Tartan Downs in Sydney.
“Kim and I have lived in Glace Bay the past 15 years. I own a two-year-old filly, Ubettimagoodone, with Jeff Lilly. She’s had one lifetime start. She’s a half-sister to Bettim Jackie, who made a $100,000 last year as a three-year-old.”
Noticeably knowledgeable regarding harness racing – Saunders commented.
“The track crew have this racetrack in excellent shape tonight. To compliment the condition of the track – the quality of Maritime horses just continues to get better each year. My wife Kim and I will remember this night in Truro for a long time. I love Truro, I have some good friends who live here and with this calibre of harness racing, you can bet your life, we’ll be back again.”
A personal synopsis: the most outstanding race of the night was Race 9, producing an exciting ‘three horses across the track finish.’ Red Dirt Boomer won the $10,020 division of Atlantic Sires Stake for three-year-old pacing colts in 155.4
It was good to talk to a number of interesting harness racing followers during the night, including the Zann family who were seated at a table in the trackside restaurant. Truro-Bible Hill-Salmon River-Millbrook MLA Lenore Zann, her parents Paul and Jan Zann and Wayne Burley were all enjoying the exciting racing.
“It feels like coming home being here at Truro Raceway,” Lenore said. “I’ve met a lot of nice people through harness racing.”
Jan said her grandmother owned thoroughbreds in Australia and both Jan and Paul shared interesting stories of successful family-owned race horses.
“We arrived in Truro in 1969,” said Jan. “We’ve always enjoyed coming to the races, when relatives visit we always bring them to the Truro Raceway.”
An overall exceptional night, it seemed fitting that the final race saw Rose Run Quest, with driver Marc Campbell, stop the clock in 152.1 – a new Truro Raceway track record.
Lyle Carter’s sports column appears weekly in the Truro News. If you have a story idea, contact him at 902 673-2857.
