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July 1st marks our annual Canada Day celebrations and with national pride in mind, I thought it would be fun to take a Youtube walk through some fun and historic Canadian horse racing moments.
Without a doubt, the biggest influence in Canadian racing and a profound effect on the breeding game is the brilliant Northern Dancer.
Northern Dancer wins the 1964 Kentucky Derby
It's the first Kentucky Derby that I remember clearly and what a race it was for all of us Canadians.
Sunny's Halo wins the 1983 Kentucky Derby
Sandy Hawley has 6,450 career wins. He's won the Queen's Plate a record four times and has taken pretty much every trophy Woodbine has to offer. In 1976, Hawley won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in the United States after he broke thoroughbred racing's all-time money-winning record for a single year. Pound for pound, Hawley is arguably Canada's greatest athlete.
Sandy Hawley wins the Living Legends Race
Woodbine has the best turf course in North America and I LOVED watching Sky Classic put on a show. With the International bringing in G1 talent from the U.S and Europe year after year, 1991 marked a huge thrill for me when Sky Classic won in front of an adoring home crowd.
Sky Classic wins the 1991 Rothman's International
Sky Classic was a dominant turf force for a few years across North America and he represented Canada across the continent.
Sky Classic wins the 1992 Manhattan at Belmont
Sky Classic wins the 1992 Caesar's International
Sam-Son Farms have provided plenty of proud Canadian racing moments and Chief Bearheart is one I remember fondly.
Chief Bearheart wins the 1997 Breeders' Cup Turf
Sitting at home in an old Liverpool kit bag, I have dozens of old racing programs from the 80s and 90s. Dance Smartly features prominently in several of them.
Dance Smartly wins the 1991 Breeders' Cup Distaff
Kinghaven Farms is Sam-Son's biggest rival from my racing youth. Horses such as Play The King, With Approval and Izvestia are legends locally and deserve more fanfare.
With Approval wins the Canadian Triple Crown
Canadian Triple Crown winner, With Approval, sets a world record in the 1990 Bowling Green Handicap
Izvestia died tragically young but his legend lives on through these old racing clips. Check out his incredible acceleration into the stretch in winning the Queen's Plate. He's a horse who got it done on any surface against all types of competition.
Izvestia appropriately wins the Canadian Club Turf Handicap at Gulfstream
Izvestia wins the 1990 Queen's Plate en route to a Canadian Triple Crown
Izvestia wins the 1990 Molson Million
Why not end this on the most recent "Canadian" success. Our local hero, Mine That Bird, was a Sovereign Award winner as a two year-old and went on to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby after being sold to new connections. Just don't forget that the bird got his start here at Woodbine.
2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird breaks his maiden at Woodbine
Happy Canada Day, eh!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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2 comments:
Dance Smartly (through Smart Strike) gave some to Curlin. Northern Dancer---astonishing. Canadian blood very rich.
Had to watch The Bird's maiden-breaker.
Great stuff
It's crazy that MTB was basically an after-thought here at Woodbine for most of 2008.
Dance Smartly was brilliant. Woodbine has had some great horses over the years.
Ernie - When you coming to Woodbine?!!!
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