Fourty
years ago, in 1973, Hall of Fame horseman Earle Avery of Woodstock made a
concerted effort to purchase a young two-year-old Baron Hanover colt after
watching him race in Saint John but he was repeatedly rebuffed by the owner who
wouldn’t part with him for any price.
“I really liked the look of him and figured he
was going to be something,” Avery said in June 1977. “I wanted him right then and
there, but the owner wouldn’t part with him for anything. And as it looks now, you can’t blame me, can
you? He may be the best ever in the
Maritimes.”
The
owner was Mike Doyle and the horse - Power Baron.
Avery
died a few months after making that statement and, ironically, two years later
Power Baron won the Earle Avery Memorial in 1979, equaling the track record of
2:00.4.
This
week Patrick Eastwood is the guest
writer in the blog and tells the story of the Maritime legend.
* * * * *
When one reflects
back on the horses and character’s that is the fabric from which Maritime
Harness Racing is made of, one name that invariably comes to the top of most
peoples lists is that of Power Baron.
For those who
didn’t have the pleasure of seeing him race, we’ll endeavour to offer some
insight into the path he followed and the lofty goals he achieved. For those who did have the pleasure of seeing
him perform, sit back and enjoy a stroll down memory lane as we recall what
have proven to be some of the great moments in Maritime Harness Racing history.
The story goes back
to the fall of 1972, when Mike Doyle, Don Galbraith, and Willard Jenkins all
piled into a car and headed for Delaware Ohio to attend, what was then known as
the International Horse Sale. Among the
horses haltered at this sale by the trio was a bay son of Baron Hanover out of
the Sampson Direct mare, Dottie Sampson, for the princely sum of $3,200 in what
proved to be one of the best investments ever made by a Maritimer south of the
border. Upon returning home, the breaking process began and throughout the
winter, showing great promise, Mike awaited spring’s arrival with the same
anxious anticipation that all yearling purchasers do.
Alas, spring
arrived and Power Baron made his debut on June 20, 1973. Although denied victory in his initial
attempt placing third, he wasn’t long finding the coveted winner’s enclosure, breaking
his maiden in his next start on June 27th pacing in 2:15. He would
find the winner’s circle on 5 more occasion’s during his juvenile campaign from
13 tries, adding two seconds and banking $1,982, with his season’s fastest
coming on September 26th , defeating a field of preferred pacers in
2:08.2.
Power Baron’s
3-year-old year began much like the previous season ended, with wins in three of
his first four outings while lowering his record to 2:05.4 despite being forced
to face the best horses on the grounds.
A highlight of his
sophomore campaign occurred on September 2nd at Truro Raceway as he
captured the Donnie Turner Memorial which was then run as an Early Closing
event for 3 year olds and was a best, in summary, from three heats not the one
heat that is customary today.
Donnie Turner
Memorial, Truro Raceway September 2, 1974 $8,298
Power Baron
(Michael Doyle) x-1-x-2-1 2:05.2, 2:12.4
Armbro Octane
(Edward Andrews) x-2-x-1-2 2:05.1
Glengyle Byrd
(James MacGregor) 1-x-1-x-Dr 2:07, 2:04.3
Grattan Greenwood
3-x-2-x
Neat Baron 2-x-3-x
Right Baron x-3-x-3
Glengyle Moe
x-4-x-4
West River Kelsa
5-x-4-x
Darktown Boy
4-x-6-x
Sam Time x-5-x-5
Loose Goose 6-x-5-x
Vince Time x-6-x-6
Breezy Baron 7-x-7-x
Armbro Oration
x-7-x-7
His three-year-old
seasonal summary revealed 23-6-7-4 -$15,125.
His seasons fastest occurred in a $5,000 invite at his home track on August
28th when he turned back such Free-For-All stalwarts such as
Tavern's Majestic, Scotch Gauman, Neeboots, Bachelor Boy N, Another Macca,
Analizor and La Cardy in a 2:03.2 clocking.
His next season
began following the same script, as had been written in his previous two, with
victories in six of his first seven calls to post, including the prestigious
$10,000 Alexander Memorial in 2:02.2 defeating Analizor, Fab, Solar Eden, Royal
Relate, Rapid Baron, Jicarilla Byrd, & Ranger Bill.
Now faced with the
daunting task of obtaining starts after his virtual domination of the Atlantic
region’s best, owner Doyle chose to test the lucrative waters of Montreal’s
Blue Bonnets Raceway. The predecessor of
what became known as Hippodrome De Montreal, he enjoyed much the same success
that he did here at home taking a new record of 1:58.4 under the guidance of
Gilles Gendron. At season’s end he had
added another $37,935 from 22 starts with 11 wins, 2 seconds and four thirds.
In 1976, Power
Baron’s name would continue to rise in both prominence and folklore history as
he tasted victory in the longest continuous running Free-For-All of the day,
The Monctonian, turning back the likes of Scotch Gauman, Analizor and Ventall
Rainbow in 2:04.3. However, the best was
yet to come as Old Home Week ’76 approached and people’s thoughts turned to the
storied Evening Patriot Gold Cup & Saucer.
This coveted prize
was on the mind of Mike Doyle as well.
The fateful day
arrived with the track lightning fast as evidenced by the fact that the track record
had been lowered earlier in the day by Analizor and then equaled by Radiant
Butler in identical times of 2:02.3. Seven
entries faced the starter in Gold Cup & Saucer 17 with Power Baron scoring from
post two and grabbing the track as expected when the wings folded. He lead through fractions of :30.1, 1:00.3, 1:31
and held off Ranger Bill and a fast closing Glentohi N in a track record
setting 2:01.4 mile.
The next year was
another season of what had proven to be common place and a 2:00.1 victory at
EPR on May 28th, the closest he would come to Andy’s Sons’ elusive
track record.
It resulted in him
packing his harness for greener pastures again.
This time it was to
the year old Meadowlands complex that would be his playground, where two weeks
later he would record his life’s best of 1:58m on June 10th with
Saint Johns’ own Jimmy Doherty aboard. His
season summary would read 28-10-4-5 while racking up an additional $47,450 in
yearly earnings.
In 1978, Power
Baron set a track record at the Cape Breton Sports Club at Sydney in the inaugural
J. A. Ferguson Memorial eclipsing J P Ammos’ track record with the 2:02
clocking.
There also was a
victory in the inaugural edition of the Provincial Cup at EPR in 2:02.4.
Another season of
total domination in 1979 resulted in his second consecutive J. A. Ferguson
victory in 2:02.3 and then came his second Monctonian win in a track record
time of 2:01.1.
But he wasn’t
finished re-writing Maritime record books yet.
He lowered his own
two-week-old track record at Monctons’ Brunswick Downs as he claimed victory in
the Brunswicker pace defeating Flying Caper and Ventall Rainbow in 2:00.2, a
mark that would stand for all time as Brunswick Downs would fall at the hands
of an arsonist in 1981.
The Earle Avery
Memorial in Woodstock would result in a record equalling performance of 2:00.4
through a torrential downpour turning back Hall-of-Famer Stanley Dancer and
stateside invader Plat Du Jour.
Before seasons’ end,
he would add the B. C. Cruickshank Memorial at Sackville Downs to his list of
laurels. His 1979 line looked like this:
22-8-5-1-$28,225 with his track record performance in Moncton standing as his
fastest.
In 1980, Power Baron
would add another Monctonian, his third to his resume. The year would also see Power Baron embark on
a new aspect of his career, that being in the breeding shed, standing for
limited duty while continuing his racing career.
The next year would
see him devote the entire year to his new calling, but with the old Warrior
restless, he returned to the racing wars in 1982 and, while not the Power Baron
of old, he still racked up three more victories in 37 tries to give him 69 wins
on his career.
Finally, with 19
starts in 1983 without a victory, it marked the end of his racing career, like
an old prize fighter, still with the desire in his heart just not the steam in
his legs.
His career summary
was 69 wins and $224,289 in earnings with his six-year old record of 1:58m, his
fastest.
His legacy in the
breeding shed was not a tale of success like his racing career, but still
managed to leave the likes of 1985 ASS
three-year-old pacing colt champion, Tobique Power p.4,1:59.2f-$78,243, Power
Mac p.5,2:00.4f-$29,431, Legitimate Power p.4, 2:02.3h-$29,664 and Repeat Power
p.4,2:01.1h-$29,254.
Power Baron’s last
tour of the EPR oval would come as the parade marshall for the 1988 Provincial
Cup, squiring Liberal Premier Frank McKenna around the track.
Despite the obvious
infirmities that can be attributed to a sixteen-year-old body, when he took
centre stage and the lights went down with the spotlight upon him, the old fire
was still evident in his eyes.
Refreshing in
everyone’s minds, the reasons why his name is still revered in Maritime harness
circles to this day.
* * * * *
POWER BARON
B
H 1971, Baron Hanover - Dottie Sampson by Sampson Direct
p.2,2:08.2h;
3,2:03.2h; 6,1:58m ($224,289)
1973 2:08.2h 13-5-6-0 $1,982
1974 2:03.2h 23-6-7-4 $15,125
1975 1:58.4f 22-11-2-4 $37,935
1976 2:00.4h 24-10-3-1 $24,105
1977 1:58m 28-10-4-5 $47,450
1978 1:58.2f 29-7-4-5 $47,390
1979 2:00.2h 22-8-5-1 $28,225
1980 2:01.2h 22-8-2-2 $17,820
1981 Did Not Race
1982 2:05.4h 37-3-1-3 $3,769
1983 19-0-1-1 $488
1973
Broke
maiden in second lifetime start 2:15 - June 27
Set
two-year-old track Record (2:08.2) at EPR
1974
Set
three-year-old track Record (2:03.2) at EPR
1975
Winner
$10,000 Alexander Memorial (2:02.2) at EPR
Set
four-year-old track Record (1:58.4f) at Blue Bonnets for Gilles Gendron
Set
a record at Richelieu Park in Montreal for the most sub-2:00 victories during a
race meet at that track
1976
Winner
Monctonian (2:04.3) at Brunswick Downs in Moncton
Winner
Belvedere FFA (2:02.3) at Brunswick Downs
Winner
$5,000 Champlain Pace (2:00.4) at Brunswick Downs
Winner
Evening Patriot Gold Cup & Saucer (2:01.4) at Charlottetown
1977
Winner
Invitational (2:00.1) at EPR – May 28
Winner
(1:58m) at the Meadowlands for James Doherty in Lifetime Mark
1978
Winner
J. A. Ferguson Memorial (2:02) at Sydney
Winner
Provincial Cup (2:02.4) at EPR defeating Bombay Gary, Morristown, Double
Splendor, Kaweco, Weigh In, J M Gold and Cheviot
1979
Winner
$3,000 Earl Deware Memorial (2:01.4) at Brunswick Downs defeating Daily Special
Winner
J. A. Ferguson Memorial (2:02.3) defeating Kaweco
Winner
Monctonian (2:01.1) at Brunswick Downs defeating Flying Caper and Kaweco
Winner
Earle Avery Memorial (2:00.4) at Connell Park in Woodstock equalling track
Winner
$6,000 Brunswick Pace (2:00.2)at Brunswick Downs defeating Flying Caper and
Ventall Rainbow -Fastest Mile of 1979 in Maritimes
Winner
B. C. Cruickshank Memorial (2:02) at Sackville Downs defeating The Butler
Machine, Patton Hill, Kaweco, Good Delight
EPR
Horse of the Year - 1979
1980
Winner
Monctonian (2:03.2) at Brunswick Downs defeating Saul's Pride, Scottish Heath
N, Bedouin, Baron's Image, Special Reward, Kaweco and Pennant Play
*
* * * *
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