I have to admit that
I have always been somewhat of a statistical geek. I have an affinity
for numbers and when you combine that with an interest in harness
racing - a business that almost exclusively uses numbers to gauge
itself - it provides an opportunity to evaluate it from different
points of view. After all, we offer race patrons a program full of
numbers and statistical data. Whether it is a horses time in their
last race; the number of wins or dollars earned or maybe just the
betting information, numbers and statistics can play a large role in
this sport.
When Niatross
time-trialed in a world record 1:49.1 in 1980, I remember the harness
racing periodical The Harness Horse arrived in the mailbox
with nothing on its cover but the numbers :27.3-:54.3-1:21.4-1:49.1.
I was a teenager just starting to follow harness racing and the
significance of that cover was not lost on me. I had already
memorized the family tree of all of my relative’s horses and I
understood the importance of Meadow Skipper, Bye Bye Byrd and Adios
in a pedigree. Now harness racing took on a new perspective for me.
Niatross was now the fastest horse of all time and I wanted to know
whose record he eclipsed and how fast they had gone.
I took that interest
to Fredericton Raceway and when I started to work there in 1982 I
went about ensuring that all of the track records were current and
that a list of the Walter Dale winners was easily accessible. Scott
Green has been very helpful in maintaining the integrity of the track
records and assembling timed track records for trotters and pacers
since the track opened in 1887. I also put together a chronological
history of the track.
So with that all
said - and seeing as it is the end of another racing year - I decided
to take a look at New Brunswick’s most prolific horses and their
breeders of all time. I solicited harness racing guru Patrick
Eastwood of Saint John and he provided me some interesting
information on New Brunswick breeding. We categorized some of the
data and came up with the following.
Top 7
Maritime-bred pacing horses and geldings by New Brunswick breeders -
by lifetime record
1:50.2s Kickin’
Up Dirt Breeder: Robert Hume, Hay Settlement
1:50.4f Untouchable
One Breeder: Cheryl Geldart Greer, Norton
1:51.0s You’re
Going Down Breeder: Milton Downey, Saint John
1:51.2f Clinton
Debriefed Breeder: Hugh Baird, Hampton
1:51.2s Chatham
Hoochee Breeder: Mike Melanson, Shediac
1:51.2m Jaguar
Knight Breeder: Thomas McMaster, Saint John
1:51.4f Sun Vals
Thunder Breeder: Johannes Wuhrman, Mount Hebron
Kickin’ Up Dirt
and You’re Going Down are by Drop Off while Untouchable One
(Carlspur), Clinton Debriefed (Quick Comeback), Chatham Hoochee
(Chatham Light), Jaguar Knight (Knightly Blue Chip) and Sun Vals
Thunder (Largo) are 100% “New Brunswick-bred,” which for this
purpose means that both stallion and broodmare were from New
Brunswick at the time of breeding.
Top 7
Maritime-bred pacing fillies and mares by New Brunswick
breeders - by lifetime record
1:51.4s Honey Do
Jigtime Breeder: Blaine & Donna Hannay, Upper Rexton
1:52.1f Scootin For
Joy Breeder: Joe Connors, Scoudouc Road
1:52.1s Spudland
Sierra Breeder: Alfred Moeller, Mount Hebron
1:52.1s Charlottes
Trick Breeder: Alfred Moeller, Mount Hebron
1:53.0s Charlottes
Abby Breeder: Alfred Moeller, Mount Hebron
1:53.0m Cookies
Lighting Breeder: Melvin Land, Hopewell Cape
1:53.3s Some Nice
Ketch Breeder: David Kileel, Fredericton
Alfred Moeller
dominates this list with all but Honey Do Jigtime, Scootin For Joy
and Some Nice Ketch by stallions that stood at Moeller’s Charlotte
Ranch at the time of breeding. Largo sired two performers,
Charlottes Trick and Cookies Lighting. Knightly Blue Chip was the
sire of Spudland Sierra and Sherwood Abe sired Charlottes Abby. Some
Nice Ketch was sired by Willow Bird.
Top 7 New
Brunswick-FOALED pacing horses, mares and geldings by lifetime record
1:49.3s Pronger Foaled:
Mount Hebron
1:50.0f Astronomical Foaled:
Mount Hebron
1:50.2s Kid
Carson Foaled: Mount Hebron
1:50.2s Kickin Up
Dirt Foaled: Hay Settlement
1:50.2m Charlottes
Maggie Foaled: Mount Hebron
1:50.4f Untouchable
One Foaled: Norton
1:51.0s You're Going
Down Foaled: Quispamsis
1:51.0s Easy
Feelin Foaled: Mount Hebron
Charlotte Ranch in
Mount Hebron had foaled out four of the five fastest horses in New
Brunswick.
Top 7
Maritime-bred trotting horses and geldings by New Brunswick
breeders - by lifetime record
1:55.2s Final
Balance Breeder: One Black Horse Stable, Moncton
1:56.2f Buddywhatshisname Breeder:
George Irving, Irishtown
1:59.4m Bulletin
Board Breeder: David Kileel, Fredericton
2:00.1h Duvar
Road Breeder: Robert & Grace Corlett, Miramichi
2:03.3f Elmwood
Express Breeder: George Irving, Moncton
2:03.4f Policy
Maker Breeder: Donald Canning, Moncton
2:04.1f Janard
Valley Breeder: Noreen Bowlin, Fredericton
The top two, Final
Balance and Buddywhatshisname, are full brother and sister (Balance
Of Trade-Summer House). Both Elmwood Express and Policy Maker are by
the double-gaited producing Horton Hanover.
Top 6
Maritime-bred trotting fillies and mares by New Brunswick
breeders - by lifetime record
2:01.3f Ithadtobeme Breeder:
Louise Turner, Bellisle Creek
2:02.3f Elmwood
Galaxy Breeder: Elmwood Stable & Farm, Moncton
Q2:03.1h Kims
Balance Breeder: Joseph & Geraldine Leger
2:03.2h Sno
Trump Breeder: Robert & Grace Corlett, Miramichi
2:04.3h Magic
North Breeder: Robert & Grace Corlett, Miramichi
2:05h Power
Anne Breeder: Dolores Doyle, Bloomfield
The trot-bred Sno
Trump was double gaited but never took a record on the pace. She is
also the dam of Duvar Road (who took his record in Summerside this
past summer) on the previous list. Power Anne is 100% pacing bred
(Power Baron-Bye Bye Sheralee-Bye Bye Andy).
Top 7 New
Brunswick-FOALED trotting horses and geldings by lifetime record
1:55.2f Final
Balance Foaled: Irishtown
1:55.4f Seawind
Pascale Foaled: Mount Hebron
1:56.2f Buddywhatshisname Foaled:
Moncton
1:59.4h Darowen Foaled:
Wakefield
1:59.4m Bulletin
Board Foaled: Fredericton
2:00.1f Duvar
Road Foaled: Napan
2:00.1f Safe
House Foaled: Irishtown
The presence of Safe
House at the top of this record gives the prolific trot broodmare,
Summer House, four spots on these trot lists – the others being
Final Balance, Buddywhatshisname and Elmwood Galaxy. Summer House
had produced foals with earnings of $648,217.
Top 12 New
Brunswick-BRED horses, mares and geldings by money earnings
$468,696 You’re
Going Down Breeder: Milton Downey, Saint John
$432,608 Clinton
Debriefed Breeder: Hugh Baird, Hampton
$431,787 Kickin’
Up Dirt Breeder: Robert Hume, Hay Settlement
$360,367 Christopher
C Down Breeder: Milton Downey, Saint John
$342,630 Flaming
Moe Breeder: Hugh Baird, Hampton
$298,985 Sun Vals
Thunder Breeder: Johannes Wuhrmann
$273,197 Chatham
Hoochee Breeder: Mike Melanson, Shediac
$254,931 Harry
Sherwood Breeder: Clarence Glynn, Miramichi City
$253,785 Honey Do
Jigtime (M) Breeder: Blaine & Donna Hannay, Upper Rexton
$245,060 Final
Balance (T) Breeder: One Black Horse Stable, Moncton
$241,720 Cocagne
Battle Breeder: Leo & Gerard Gallant, Cocagne
$233,036 Cookies
Lighting (M) Breeder: Melvin Land, Hopewell Cape
Top 12 New
Brunswick-SIRED horses, mares and geldings by money earnings
$432,608 Clinton
Debriefed Sire: Quick Comeback
$360,367 Christopher
C Down Sire: Timely Robin
$342,630 Flaming
Moe Sire: Quick Comeback
$298,985 Sun Vals
Thunder Sire: Largo
$273,197 Chatham
Hoochee Sire: Chatham Light
$261,877 Guyonthego Sire:
Willow Bird
$260,203 Kissmelass Sire:
Lisryan
$254,931 Harry
Sherwood Sire: Sherwood Abe
$241,720 Cocagne
Battle Sire: Shuttle Mission
$233,036 Cookies
Lighting Sire: Largo
$233,021 Some Nice
Ketch Sire: Willow Bird
$231,722 Diplomat
Katie Sire: Willow Bird
All but You’re
Going Down, Kickin’ Up Dirt, Guyonthego, Kissmelass and the only
trotter, Final Balance, are 100% New Brunswick-bred.
Clinton Debriefed
(Quick Comeback-Mayflower Madam) is 100% New Brunswick-bred and is
the richest of all time as well as having the second-fastest lifetime
record. He was the Atlantic Sires Stakes champion as a two and
three-year-old and was Horse-of-the-Year in 2003.
Is Clinton Debriefed
the greatest horse ever produced in New Brunswick?
* *
* * *
Here is one more
notable fact for New Brunswick. Bayside Katfish (Knight
Champ-Bayside Empress), who was raised at Johnny Rae’s farm in
Dumfries, is the winningest New Brunswick horse in the modern era
with 86 lifetime wins. Next on the list is Galen Dempsey’s
homebred Laurels Curly (Crafty Shadow-Star News) with 81.
* *
* * *
New Brunswick
breeding has produced five Maritime Horse-of-the-Year winners over
the past 30 years.
Gemini Risk (1983)
Angels Shadow (1986)
Seltzer Blue (1989)
Clinton Debriefed
(2003)
Flaming Moe (2005)
* *
* * *
ATLANTIC SIRES
STAKES Champions from New Brunswick
1967 Miramichi Dot
1970 Elmwood Glenn
1971 Louie J Adios
1975 Aaron's Adios
1978 Aaron's
Blazer, Crafty Larry
1985 Tobique Power
1986 Horton's
Thunder
1988 Some Nice
Friday
1989 Seltzer Blue
1990 Charlottes
Buddy
1991 Some Nice
Ketch
1994 Calgary
Flutie, Charlottes Britt, First Quest
1997 Chatham
Hoochee
1999
Buddywhatshisname, Buster Buttons
2000 Seawind Alpha,
Buddywhatshisname
2001 Quick Flow, Le
Win Skied
2002 Clinton
Debriefed, Black Bowtie, Charlottes Best
2003 Charlottes
Trick, Clinton Debriefed
2004 Flaming Moe,
Admiral’s Firstlady, Parallax, Final Balance
2011 Honey Do
Jigtime
2012 Untouchable
One
2013 Untouchable
One, Ramblinglily
* *
* * *
Rothman's Sires
Stake - Dairy Queen Futurity - Maritime Breeder's Futurity Champions
1985 Big D
1986 Uta's Smokey
1987 Courtney Bay
1989 Seltzer Blue, Diplomat Katie, Some Nice Friday
1990 Tom Boy Knight, Elmwood Galaxy, Charlottes Buddy, Diplomat
Katie
1991 Some Nice Ketch, Tom Boy Knight
1992 Some Nice Ketch
1993 Swift Risk
1994 For Men Only
1996 Chatham Hoochee
1999 Argo Flutie
2001 Quick Flow, Cookies Lighting
2002 Clinton Debriefed, Charlottes Best
2003 Charlottes Trick
2004 Admiral’s Firstlady, Final Balance
2005 Flaming Moe
2006 Hardcore
2007 Emily J Down
2008 Absolom
2013 Untouchable One, Ramblinglily
* *
* * *
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