Page 5 - January 2009 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game, January 2009 5
Jack Wilson - Cont. from Page 3
very active.
Fellow horseman Paul Harrington has taken
over Jack’s stable of 11 horses with Robert staying on as assistant.
The Monday following his death, the Fort Erie Jockey colony all wore black armbands and Jack was remembered with a moment of silence by fellow trainers and staff at the race track.
“If you could have written a story or made a movie, this is how Jack would have went out.” said Gonzalez, “If you talked to him he would have probably have said he would have liked to be with the horses when he went.”
1500 Wins for Robert Tiller
Michael Burns Photo - Courtesy ofWEG
Dancer’s Bajan, owned by 3 Sons Racing Stable, gave trainer Robert Tiller his 1500th career victory after winning the Sir Barton Stakes at Woodbine on December 3. “This is a great thrill to do it with this horse,” said Tiller. “He has a lot of heart.”
He was quite proud of the two-year-old Forbidden Dreams, whom he was holding the reins of when kicked.
“The night before the race he told me he was the nicest horse he ever trained,” said Jack’s assistant of two years, Robert Young, who was saddling the horse with Jack. “Jack was holding the horse and I was putting the saddle on,” said Robert of the incident, “the horse spooked and ran Jack over.”
Originally from Toronto, Jack served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the second world war and began his career in horse racing upon his return.
Jack was the rst person to own and operate an equestrian therapy pool
in Ontario. Located near Woodbine, the pool helped nurse injured horses back to health.
Jack opened a second pool across the street from Fort Erie Race Track which he sold and then opened an equestrian training facility which was used by many local trainers.
Jack eventually made
Fort Erie his home in the early 1970’s. He was living in Port Colborne with his girlfriend of 15 years, Lorna Possier, at the time of his death. The couple also
had a farm in Florida from where they would winter race their horses.
Jack had saddled close to 3000 entries in his career and had won close to 300 races across North America. This year, despite his age, he was training his own stable of 11 horses.
According to reports, his children were the horses and his love.
“I talked to him the morning before he went to run at Presque Isle.” said trainer Nick Gonzalez, who knew Jack for more than 35 years, “He lived and talked like a guy that was going
to live forever. We were talking and laughing about buying these babies that
he would develop over the winter and run next year. Those are the things that keep all of us young in the business.”
Fort Erie Racing Secretary, Tom Goslin, said Jack’s age never affected his work saying that you would think Jack was in his 60’s, sharp as a tack and
BOLD N’ FLASHY
Bold Ruckus - Flashy Chestnut, by Briartic
IS NOW STANDING AT HIS NEW HOME
Second Leading Sire in Canada in 2007 (with limited new crops)
56 winners with progeny earnings of $2.2 million
More than $12.5 million Progeny Earnings
$61,474 Average Earnings/Starter
One of the Top 35 Stallions in the World (Apex A Runner Indexes of 2.00+) Apex Index 2.34
Top Progeny Include:
Graded Multiple Stakes Winner, Marco Be Good ($530,579) Multiple Stakes Winners: Miss Crissy ($576,280); Devastating ($520,806); Bold N’ Fancy ($513,472); Sports Flashy ($498,475) Plus the Talented Flashy Anna ($334,100)
2009 Fee: $3,500 live foal
T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm ~ John Carey
R.R. 4 Shelburne, Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S8 519-925-1445 ~ Fax 519-925-1594
The Game January 2009.indd 5
12/18/08
7:58:27 AM