Varadero Hanover

He may have resisted it at first, but Steve Mahar figures that drastically scaling back on his duties as a full-time “catch-driver” two years ago, to focus mostly on training, may have been the been the best decision he ever made.

On the same day that his colt, Varadero Hanover, was announced as a nominee to the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, the sophomore pacer won the fastest division of the second leg of the $18,000 Youthful Series at Woodbine Racetrack in 1:52, his first start of the season.  Watch the race here.

With that dominating win this past Thursday night, Varadero Hanover may have established himself as a legitimate contender for Canada’s most prestigious harness race on Saturday, June 15 at Woodbine.

Varadero Hanover is a three-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere-Vaudeville Margie, co-owned by Reginald & Louise Petitpas of Shediac Bridge, NB and Geoffrey Louzon and Dr. Ruth Irving of Russell, ON.  Irving is the daughter of Dr. George Irving of Irishtown, NB.  Of course, Petitpas is famously associated with the colts sire and it was this connection that led him to acquire Varadero Hanover as a yearling in the fall of 2011.

WEG / New Image Media Photo

Mahar, who has had a stellar driving career that has seen him make over 27,000 starts racing mostly in the Maritimes and Maine, broke and trained Varadero Hanover, guiding him through a lightly-raced freshmen season last year in Ontario. 

Mahar had been prepping the colt for his three-year-old campaign in Pinehurst, North Carolina this spring, where he resides with his wife, Twila, during the winter months.

With 5,076 lifetime wins and over $7 million in career earnings, the Blacks Harbour, NB native, who used to call Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, NB his home track, is the one of six Maritime-born drivers with more than 5,000 wins.   That exclusive club also includes Wally Hennessey, Paul MacKenzie, Jody Jamieson, Billy O’Donnell and Mark MacDonald.

Long considered one of the Maritime’s premier reinsman, Mahar has won 200 or more races in a season five times and had recorded 100 or more wins for 24 straight years from 1983 to 2006.

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Steve and Twila Mahar were first introduced to the beautiful resort area of Pinehurst by Bruce MacDonald, an Ontario horseman who also got his start in harness racing in Saint John. 

A few years ago, MacDonald, who has been working for Marvin Chantler and his Mardon Stables for a number of years, asked Mahar to come to North Carolina one winter to help him with some horses.

The next year, when MacDonald decided not to return to Pinehurst, Dr. Garth Henry, who was a friend of Chantler and is married to Dr. Ruth Irving, contacted Mahar about training some young horses for him at Pinehurst during the winter months. 

At the time, Mahar had a number of horses racing in Maine but agreed to come down to Pinehurst with the idea that he would return to the Pine Tree State to race in the spring.

However, when Henry asked him to consider working for him on a full-time basis in Ontario the talented teamster, who had spent much of his life as one of the Maritimes and Maine’s busiest drivers, knew that his career may be heading in a new direction.

“My family was saying that I had been driving ten races a day, seven days a week for all these years.  Maybe it was time to back off that type of schedule,” Mahar said.  “So I told him that I would let him know.

“I took some horses back to Maine and I was there a month when I decided that I would go to work for him.”

Henry is a practicing veterinarian who owns a large horse breeding farm and training track in Russell, Ontario, just outside of Ottawa.  He owned a broodmare with Reginald Petitpas and also bred a few mares for him as well. 

Henry also co-owns a training center with Richard Moreau that is located a few minutes from Mohawk Raceway.   It is there where Mahar took up residence to begin his new career working full-time for Henry.  He would break some homebred colts for him in the fall, head to Harrisburg and then on to Pinehurst for the winter.  In the spring they would take the horses back to the training center to race that summer on the Ontario circuit.

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Varadero Hanover was originally purchased for $17,000 by Blake MacIntosh at the 2011 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale as Hip#180 but after the sale Petitpas offered him $20,000, which he accepted.  The price was well below the $63,184 average for a Somebeachsomewhere yearling at that sale.

“They had announced at the sale that he had some OCD’s taken out from his hocks, so he may have been considered a bit of a gamble by some,” Mahar figured.

Petitpas gave the colt to Mahar to train prior to selling shares to Lauzon and Irving.

“That was an easy decision,” Petitpas told Woodbine Entertainment Group last summer of giving the horse to Mahar. “Steve is a very capable trainer and I’ve known him a long time.”

Mahar said Varadero Hanover was a natural right from the start.

“He was a great horse to break.  He paced right away and he probably could have gone in 3:00 on day one,” he said admiringly.  “He is big and has a great attitude on the track but you had to watch his manners around the barn.

“He can be a handful and it can take two or three people to paddock him but you can put up with that if they can go fast enough…and he can.”

Mahar knew training down that Varadero Hanover could be a special horse.  “He was perfect to train,” he explained. “Whatever you wanted to go, he could go, and he wanted to go more and loved doing it.”

He trained down to 2:07 in the jog cart at Pinehurst and then was shipped to Ontario later that spring.  Mahar said he trained him a few more times at the training center before he decided to try him over the seven-eighths mile track at Mohawk.

“By then I knew he was going to be a pretty good horse,” he said.  “I went to train him over the big track in the bike for the first time, just to see what he could do.  I had him over the half in 1:05 and he went a mile in 2:01.  I just tapped him to go on and he did the last half (56 seconds) by himself.”

By the first week of June last year Varadero Hanover had won a qualifier in 2:00.2.  He then won his first career race as a two-year-old at Mohawk in 1:55.1 for driver Sylvain Filion and followed that effort up with a second-place performance.

He started six more times in various stake races, taking on some of North America’s top freshmen.  He raced in the Dream Maker series and then finished fifth to Apprentice Hanover in the Metro Pace elimination, where he was race-timed in a seasonal best of 1:51.3.  He finished fifth again in the $100,000 consolation.

“He was still very inexperienced when he raced in those starts,” Mahar said.  “He is so big.  The driver (Filion) would have to grab into him and sometimes he would try to run over horses in front of him.

“Every start he did race better though and he would always pace a little faster than the start before.”

Some of the Varadero Hanover team - Reg & Louise Petitpas, Bill Kirwan, Steve Mahar, Dr. Ruth Irving, Twila Mahar

At the end of his racing season, Varadero Hanover was turned out at Henry’s farm in Ottawa for a couple of months before shipping down to Pinehurst late last year to resume training.

“He trained down this spring every bit as good as he did last year,” Mahar said  “I trained him in 2:03 in the jog cart and after I backed him up for a few trips, I put the bike on him and he went a mile in 1:55 off a half in a minute.

“I never even spoke to him.  He did it on his own.”

It was then that Mahar knew his colt was ready and he was shipped to the training center where he is now under the care of another native of Saint John, Lynn Cameron, in the Richard Moreau stables.

He finished second for Filion in a qualifier on March 28 before winning his season’s debut this past Thursday night.   

Looking ahead, Mahar is hopeful that Varadero Hanover can compete with some of North America’s top sophomores.

“I’m looking forward to finding out what he can do but I know how this tough this business can be,” Mahar cautioned.  “He is eligible for the North America Cup, Breeders Crown and some other big races including the Little Brown Jug.

“I have never raced him on a half-mile track yet, though he has trained on one quite a few times, but no real fast miles.  He is so big and I didn’t want to put any pressure on him last year.  He is a year older and I’m sure he will race over them all right.  I do plan to try him at Flamboro between stakes races just to get him used to going fast on a smaller track.”

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Steve Mahar calls his transition two years ago from being a full-time “catch driver” for over 40 years to a full-time trainer, a ‘semi-retirement.’  Though he always maintained a stable of horses during those times, he was primarily a much sought-after driver right up until the time he moved to Ontario.

“I admit that when I first made the decision I really wasn’t sure I wanted to do it,” he said.  “I knew the time was coming where I would have to change my lifestyle somewhat.  So when this opportunity (with Henry) came along I took that month to think about it because I wasn’t sure I was ready to give up driving on a full-time basis.

“The more I thought about the having the opportunity to do this type of job and still be in a business that you like, the easier the decision became to me.  They still want me to drive some and I do drive at the smaller tracks in Ontario but when you are at Woodbine and Mohawk you need to use the best (drivers) that are available.”

So does he miss the challenge of driving on a regular basis?  “No, not really,” he said.  “I did the first month or so but as time went on I did get over it.”

Looking ahead to his 65^th birthday later this year, Mahar says he wants to stay in the horse business as long as he is able to.

“I want to do it until I can’t do it.”

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Steve Mahar Career highlights

1997 Inducted into the Saint John Sports Hall Of Fame

5,000^th Career Win 17-Jul-2010 Bangor Raceway M G GIRL

4,500^th Career Win 28-MAY-2005 Bangor Raceway GOOD LUCK CHIP

4,000^th Career Win 26-MAY-2001 Exhibition Park Raceway FAMILIAR FACE

3,500^th Career Win 25-JULY-1997 Connell Park Raceway CLONMEL PATTERSON

3,000^th Career Win 03-SEP-1993 Exhibition Park Raceway FRENCH IRISH

2,500^th Career Win 03-SEP-1990 Fredericton Raceway BRITE JENNIFER

2,000^th Career Win 18-JUL-1988 Exhibition Park Raceway NEWPORT SKIPPER

1,500^th Career Win 13-JUL-1986 Bangor Raceway ENGLISH COLONY

1,000^th Career Win 21-JUN-1983 Monticello Raceway NO NO ANGEL

                                              

1^st Career Win 1969 Exhibition Park Raceway WISK BROOM DIRECT

Some of the Major Races Steve Mahar has won

1981 Evening Patriot Gold Cup & Saucer - Henry Butler
1985 Walter Dale Memorial - Gemini Risk
1985 Alexander Memorial - Gemini Risk
1988 Walter Dale Memorial - Courtney Bay
1990 Alexander Memorial - King Tyler
1992 Walter Dale Memorial - King Tyler
1993 Monctonian (held in Fredericton) - Ryan Flyin
1996 $65,000 Barrieau McIsaac Memorial Stake - Alfred Alfred
1997 Anah Temple Shrine Trot - Cha Cha Laroo
1999 $60,000 Barrieau McIsaac Memorial Stake - Familiar Face
2002 Walter Dale Memorial - Familiar Face
2002 Atlantic Breeder's Crown 2 YOPC - Clinton Debriefed
2002 Atlantic Breeder's Crown 3 YOPC - Black Bowtie
2003 Atlantic Breeder's Crown 2 YOPF - Charlottes Trick
2003 Walter Dale Memorial -  Black Bowtie

2006 Windsor Fair - Yankee Anthem

1977 - Bound To Be - Former Track Record Holder at Woodstock – 2:00.4
1989 – Seltzer Blue – Track Record Holder (two-year-olds) at New Brunswick Downs – 1:57.2

1992 - King Tyler - Former Track Record Holder at Fredericton Raceway – 1:58

- Stats courtesy of Patrick Eastwood

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For more blogs on New Brunswick harness racing go to thefrederictonscene.blogspot.ca

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Fredericton Horsemens Association Award Winners

The Fredericton Horsemen’s Association held their annual awards banquet and Wall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday night at the Fredericton Inn.

The following are the winners.

Horse of the Year

Ideal Ticket

Owner:  David Silliphant & Daniel Crouse

Trainer:  Brian Embleton

36-8-3-4-$8,274-1:57.4

Aged Horse

Joseph Michael

Owner:  Capital A Investments & Valerie Phalen

Trainer:  Eric Wilson

24-8-5-2-$15,496-1:57.2

Aged Mare

Edgewater Shadofax

Owner:  Linda Hughes & William Smythe

Trainer:  Mark Collett

26-7-6-4-$9,861-1:57.1

Winner $3,000 Claiming Series for Mares at Charlottetown

4-Year-Old

Woodmere Sandman

Owner:  Susan & William Seymour and Beverley Trites

Trainer:  Sheldon Watts

11-3-5-1-$4,189-1:59

3-Year-Old Colt

Same Old Story

Owner:  Robert Kitchen & Stefan Decourcey

Trainer:  Stefan Decourc ey

18-2-3-0-$3,199-2:02.1

3-Year-Old Filly

Seawind Amanda

Owner:  Weldon Briggs

Trainer:  Sandra Foley

23-3-4-2-$6,542-2:00.1

2-Year-Old Colt

Wheredidchago

Owner:  Dr. Mitchell Downey

Trainer:  Mike Downey

6-1-0-0-$2,699-2:02.3

Winner Atlantic Sires Stakes “B” at Charlottetown

2-Year-Old Filly

Rose Valley

Owner:  Dawn & Theodore Bremner

Trainer:  Mike Campbell

5-3-0-0-$4,075-2:01.3

Winner Lady Slipper Grassroots at Summerside

Most Improved

Camco Paul

Owner:  Malloy Boys Stable

Trainer:  John Malloy

7-3-1-0-$1,806-2:00.2

Unsung Hero - Blue Demon

Owner of the Year - Mark Taylor

Trainer of the Year – Mike Downey

Driver of the Year – Gilles Barrieau
 

Pioneer Award - Don Bishop

Appreciation Award - Liz Clark, Ron Fowlie

FREDERICTON RACEWAY WALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

William Thornton

All Star Dragon

Tidy Point

Kingswood reaction

The following story, written by Michael Staples, appears in this morning’s (March 20) edition of the Daily Gleaner.  It is in response to the story I wrote about Brian Johnson of Kingswood and his vision of a new Fredericton Exhibition Grounds and Raceway that appeared in the Daily Gleaner on March 15.

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The executive director of the Fredericton Exhibition and the Capital Exhibit Centre is taking exception to comments in a story on harness racing printed last week in The Daily Gleaner.

Mike Vokey said a reference in a story written by Brent Briggs, quoting Brian Johnson, the general manager of Kingswood, is inaccurate.

In the article, Johnson talked about his great-grandfather’s passion for harness racing and his exposure to the racetrack in his younger years. Johnson said he’s been thinking about the state of Fredericton Raceway and the exhibition grounds over the past few years.

“On my own, I hired a consultant that I deal with in Halifax to look at the Fredericton Raceway and the exhibition grounds and model it after the new Summerside Raceway,” Johnson said in the article. “I have had some discussions with (FREX executive director) Mike Vokey and some of the board members on a new vision for Fredericton Raceway.”

Vokey said that’s not the case.

“We were never consulted,” he said. “We may have spoken casually with some of the members on the board, but the board has never been in consultation regarding this project. Nobody has contacted us to ask about our needs. There’s no fact to anything there.”

In fact, Vokey said, it goes against everything the FREX is trying to do in fixing up its own facility.

“We have a major project underway now to change the coliseum into a multi-purpose fieldhouse and we’re looking at increasing our users by 12,000 people in the city who participate in organizations that would be able to use it under its new structure,” Vokey said. “We’re moving ahead with reality and out comes this fictional story, which is portrayed in The Gleaner as if it’s news story, and there isn’t any merit to it.”

Such information hinders efforts by the FREX to make something happen at the location, he said.

Vokey added harness racing is basically in the same situation. They were never contacted, and their needs were never discussed.

Johnson said it’s all a misunderstanding, conceding that Vokey was never part of the planning.

“When you read that, it kind of looks like he was part of the planning, but he wasn’t,” Johnson said.

“That plan was done a year before he ever came to Fredericton. I have been working on it for a long time. I just showed it to him one day when he happened to be in the office.”

The same is true with regard to the horse racing association, Johnson said.

“The raceway was never part of the planning; he was never part of the planning. It was more of a story about my grandfather, what was going on with Kingswood and my vision of what I think the raceway could become.”

Horse Racing New Brunswick president Mitch Downey said the partnership his association has with FREX works well.

“This type of article made it sound like it’s been run through both organizations — certainly the FREX,” Downey said. “It kind of undermines what we’re trying to do … That, I guess, is where our biggest concern was.”

Downey said it’s in both the FREX’s and Horse Racing New Brunswick’s best interest that they continue their partnership.

“I am enthusiastic about someone who has that much interest in and obviously passion and willingness to invest in a model that has our industry involved in it,” Downey said.

“But it would be nice to have certainly been consulted and have some even informal discussions about it before it came out in print, so to speak.”

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Response to the original story has been overwhelmingly positive and there have been over 3,000 visitors to the blog in just a few days.  

However, Mike Vokey of FREX and Mitchell Downey of HRNB have taken exception to the story and have made it clear that they have no interest in this concept at this time.

 

Downey also stated in an email that the story could potentially undermine his current discussions with government relating to its potential partnership with Woodstock First Nation. 

That certainly was no one’s intention.

The FREX had announced a few weeks ago that it was encouraging public consultation on its facilities and has scheduled an informal town hall style meeting for tomorrow, Thursday, March 21.  From that perspective, the original story offers an exciting new dynamic to the conversation.

I do have to take exception to Downey’s statement about not having been consulted about this proposal as I contacted him at least two weeks prior to the story running.   

I wanted to share information on this new proposal with him as I thought it could strengthen his negotiations with government with the potential of a private partner and for a new racetrack in Fredericton with new facilities.

However, Downey was not interested in the information as he was confident that his current negotiations would be successful.

As it has been six months since the Memorandum of Understanding with Woodstock First Nation was announced - with no successful conclusion as of yet - let’s hope he is right.

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For more blogs on New Brunswick harness racing go to thefrederictonscene.blogspot.com

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