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The Clarington Independent, Bowmanville, Saturday, August 27, 1994 7 Canadian Pacing Derby's History Dates Back to 1936 On a perfect, balmy August evening evening last summer, a horse named Staying Together, notorious for making winning a habit and putting small fortunes in his owner's pocket, pocket, paced to a 1:51.1 victory in The Canadian Pacing Derby, Canada's oldest harness stakes event at Canada's Canada's oldest racetrack -- Greenwood Raceway in Toronto. In the fast paced sport of harness racing, The Canadian Pacing Derby is "the" event for pacers four- years-old and upward. It unites proven champions with experienced veterans and is a race every Canadian Canadian horseman dreams of winning. Each summer, harness racing's who's who - both horses and horsemen horsemen - make their annual journey to Toronto and the Ontario Jockey Club circuit for the sulky set's version version of the Queen's Plate. For more than five decades, the Derby has attracted harness racing's all-stars who have provided fans with exhilarating and heart pounding pounding miles that witness the merging of human and equine athletes in the race to the finish. Like such prestigious sporting events as The Stanley Cup, The Grey Cup, and The Queen's Plate, The Derby has its roots in humble surroundings. Bom out of long hours of discussion around a potbellied potbellied stove more than 59 years ago, the Canadian Pacing Derby blossomed into one of the premiere Highlights from Kawartha Downs Barrie Fair has moved harness racing out of the Simcoe County Racetrack. This has put some new faces into the Kawartha Downs program program for Thursday evening. Saturday's third leg of the Finlandia Finlandia Vodka Pacing Series has been described as "the missing September September run in baseball." Thursday has co-features. The top trotters and male pacers. Trotters Trotters battle in race eight while the pacers contest the second half of the double. Each carries a purse of $1,700. Finlandia fillies and mares will be going all out during Saturday's three divisions. They are looking for a spot in the $8,300 Final. Money leader, Jane Harbor, a three-year-old Coal Harbor filly, is looking to duplicate the sweep of Frugalcharge in 1992. She has won back to back trips in 1:59.2 for Oro- no owner-trainer Jack Williams and his partner, Doug Gamsby, of Guelph. Five other fillies and mares have scored victories. events in North America for veteran pacers. The inaugural Derby was held on a sunny afternoon, August 12,1936, at New Hamburg's Fountain Park, a sleepy town just beyond the boundaries boundaries of Kitchener, Ontario. A crowd of 7,000 packed the stands and infield that historic day to see Better Times win the first Derby in 2:07 for a purse of $1,275. Today the Derby contestants compete for purses in excess of $200,000. The greatest horse to win the Derby in its early years was Count B, a four-time champion who captured captured the event in 1944, 45,47, and 48. He also placed second in 1946 when a crowd of 25,000 turned out to watch. The Derby was discontinued in 1958. It was not raced again until 1965 when it was resurrected by The Ontario Jockey Club and it has boasted unparalleled success ever since. Past winners in the Derby's second second life include such harness racing greats as Kentucky, Albatross, Sir Dalrae, and Rambling Willie, a winner winner on three consecutive occasions. Some of the more recent winners of the Derby can best be described as giants in the sport of harness racing. Cam Fella, nicknamed The Pacing Pacing Machine, a winner of over $2 million and a champion both on the track and in the breeding shed, captured captured the 1983 Derby. One memorable Derby was the 1985 version. Gord and Ilia Rum- pels champion pacer On The Road Again was named for country singer Willie Nelson's hit, and Nelson happened happened to be in Toronto the same week. After a 1:55.3 effort, On The Road Again was basking in the winner's winner's circle with his familiar entourage, entourage, welcomed by a thunderous applause applause from the 12,000 plus fans at Greenwood with the familiar tones of his theme song echoing in the background. Memories like this are commonplace commonplace for The Derby. One interesting facet of recent Derbys has been the dominance of Windsor based trainer, Robert McIntosh. Voted Canada's trainer of the year a record six times, McIntosh McIntosh has developed a sound reputation reputation for conditioning and fine-tuning some of the best older horses. In 1991 a horse called Odds Against was the beginning of great things to come in Canada's oldest harness stake for McIntosh as he paced to a sparkling 1:51.4 victory in the $230,750 event. In 1992, the invincible Artsplace paced to a 1:51.3 win to commemorate commemorate the silver anniversary of the Derby for harness racing's one hundred hundred million dollar man, John Bowmanville Eagles Junior "C" Hockey Club 1994 Training Camp Begins 7:00 p.m. September 6th, 1994 at the Bowmanville Sports Complex Registration 6:00 p.m. Open training camp but restricted to those ages 16 to 20 in 1994. - Exhibition Games - Sunday, Sept. 18 vs. Napanee at 7:30 Tuesday, Sept. 20 vs. Port Perry at 7:30 Sunday, Sept. 25 vs. Conestoga College at 7:30 All exhibition games will be fan appreciation games with all kids twelve and under admitted free and all others admitted for $1.00. The Eagles thank all of our fans for their overwhelming support during ^ the 1994 playoffs. Campbell. It was one of 16 victories in as many starts for the superstar who was later voted Horse of the Year in North America. In '93, McIntosh secured his third consecutive Canadian Pacing Derby victory as stable star and eventual Horse of the Year, Staying Together, kept it all together enroulé vv tr to a 1:51.1 win in the $205,000 event for driver, and Hall of Famer Bill O'Donnell. This year, The Derby has a new home -- Woodbine, Canada's show- place of racing. On August 27, North America's finest will compete for a purse of $250,000 on Wood bine's 7/8th's mile surface. It will mark a new era for the Derby. To witness this event is to become become a part of it. There is no other harness racing event in the country that combines the true spirit, excitement, excitement, and competitiveness of the sport of every man. 10K FITNESS 20 STRATHY ROAD • UNIT 6 • COBOURG 372-1010 Based on 1 year membership. Your remaining monthly payments start March 1, 1995.10K Fitness memberships are honoured by 1,500 clubs worldwide. 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