Last issue’s question: Who was the first trotter to win faster than 2:05 in the Atlantic provinces? Answer: Exit Smiling ...

Fifty years ago Bernard McGuigan worked as night watchman at the old city dump across the street from the Charlottetown Driving Park and his son 10-year-old Leonard (today known as “Barney”) started going to his dad’s friend’s barn across the street. This is where he met Art Ford, who allowed the youngster to walk horses and help around the barn. Art Ford at the time was friends with Clark Smith and this is how the long lasting relationship between “Clarkie” and Barney began. Smith enabled Barney to get his first lifetime win in a double dash at Summerside Raceway with the Clark ...

Description – Male – White man speaks with forked tongue – Political affiliation – Liberal – Ontario – Weakness – Complete nincompoop when it comes to understanding the harness racing industry and rural Ontario – Name – Premier Dalton McGuinty Description – Female – Speaks out of both sides of her mouth – Political affiliation – NDP Ontario (leader) – Weakness – Drops the ball on horse racing in critical vote – Name – Andrea Horvath What do you get when you combine Horvath’s NDPs with McGuinty’s Liberals in a crucial vote that sucked the air out of the harness racing ...

by Brett Revington ...

Open pacer Cruisinart may have had an abbreviated 2011 season, but he sure made the most of it. With seven wins from 13 starts and 10 top three finishes, the Johnny Heffernan owned pacer took home the top award at the annual Cape Breton Island Horseowner’s Association Awards Night held Saturday, April 28, in Sydney. A great crowd of approximately 300 were on hand at the Horizon Achievement Centre for the event. Cruisinart, who was handled by Myles Heffernan for most of his season, dominated the top class at Northside to kick off 2011, pacing to a season’s best 1:57. ...

This is banquet time in Maritime harness racing circles. I had the good fortune lately to attend two well organized banquets and awards galas; one put on by the Prince County Horseman’s Club (PCHC) in Summerside, and one orchestrated by the Prince Edward Island Standardbred Horse Owners Association (PEISHOA) held on the outskirts of Charlottetown. Both offered up sumptuous meals, spiffy “silverware” for the many award winners, and in the case of the latter banquet, celebrated international trainer Mark Ford of Gallo Blue Chip fame as guest speaker. Prominent at both banquets as a head table guest was PEI’s popular ...

It was precisely 15 weeks, one day, four hours and 12 minutes between the last horse crossing the finish line in 2011 and the first race starting in 2012 (my mental math skills permitting, of course). Racing at Nova Scotia’s fastest horse racing track resumed on April 1 and a large crowd was on hand to help kick off the 137th season of racing. High school English teacher, Tammy MacKay reined home the first winner of 2012 aboard seven-year-old gelding Chappelet. The duo went gait to wire in 2:03 to beat Cavallo Frosty and Elza Nico, helping handicappers cash their first ...

Part 1 of 2 By Larry Resnitzky ...

Hello again racing fans and welcome to our April edition of Robbie’s Ramblings. I certainly hope that the Easter Bunny found you all, and delivered some treats to keep the horses sweet for the coming season. This column is going to focus on the recent Prince County Horsemen’s Club 2011 Awards Banquet, as well as the first qualifying dashes of the 2012 season. So let’s ramble! ...

Horseman Tony DeCourcey is struggling with cancer. Tickets ($20 each) are being sold on a Brodeur jog cart as a benefit draw to aid in his treatment costs. Tickets are available from Sandra Foley at 506/454-3415 (Fredericton). They will also be available at the Saint John Harness Horsemen’s Association banquet on April 21, 2012.   ...