Page 21 - The Game September 2006

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, September 2006 21
Woodbine Stakes Recap
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Chinese Cultural Centre Seagram’s Cup Stakes G3 - 3 yr-old & up $150,000
Winner: Gouldings Green
Owner: Melnyk Racing Stables Inc. Trainer: Anthony Reinstedler
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Breeder: Marvin Delfiner
Pedigree: 2001 chestnut horse by
Charismatic - Elusive Gold, by Strike the Gold in KY
Saturday, August 5, 2006
Nandi Stakes - 2 yr-old fillies $125,000
Winner: Midnight Shadow
Owner: F. DiGiulio Jr., A. Onofrio & J. Peri Trainer: Robert Tiller
Jockey: Raymond Sabourin
Breeder: Gardiner Farms Limited Pedigree: 2004 dk bay or brown filly by
Trajectory - Giannina Pink, by Bold Executive in ON
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Shepperton Stakes - 3 yr-old & up $125,000
Winner: Dave the Knave
Owner: Frank DiGiulio Jr. & Robert Tiller Trainer: Robert Tiller
Jockey: David Clark
Breeder: Ron & Janet Motz
Pedigree: 2002 chestnut gelding by
Whiskey Wisdom - Braverelle, by Brave Shot(GB) in ON
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Breeders’ Stakes - 3 yr-old
$500,000
Winner: Royal Challenger
Owner: Stronach Stables
Trainer: Brian Lynch
Jockey: Patrick Husbands
Breeder: Adena Springs
Pedigree: 2003 ch colt by Touch Gold -
Valid Leader, by Valid Appeal in ON
Monday, August 7, 2006
Royal North Stakes G3 -
3 yr-old & up fillies & mares $165,400
Winner: Hide and Chic
Owner: Live Oak Plantation
Trainer: Malcolm Pierce
Jockey: David Clark
Breeder: Live Oak Stud
Pedigree: 2002 bay filly by Seeking the
Gold - Saoirse, by Cure the Blues in KY
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Duchess Stakes - 3 yr-old fillies $155,900
Winner: Vestry Lady
Owner: Harlequin Ranches
Trainer: Reade Baker
Jockey: James McAleney
Breeder: Liberation Farm, Oratis
Thoroughbreds & Select Broodmare Fund 2000
Pedigree: 2003 dk bay or brown filly by Vicar - Episode, by Kris S. in KY
CONTINUED PAGE 29
Carl Grguric: Blacksmith from the Old School
By Peter Gross
There are so many examples of modern technology imposing on the world of thoroughbred racing; splits timed in hundredths, satellite wagering, computerized bio-feedback, exotic pharmaceuticals. There is, however, one significant endeavour that will always benefit from traditional values such as learning, experience and commitment.
Blacksmithing. And when it comes to an old school approach, 78 year-old Carl Grguric is the professor emeritus.
It would be impossible for a young man or woman today to obtain the kind of education in the science of black- smithing that Grguric received. As a 13 year-old in Croatia, Grguric embarked on a horse-shoeing apprenticeship.
“In Croatia, you have to have three years apprenticeship,” says Grguric, in his strong European accent, “But after you get your diploma, you can’t do your own work. You have to work for somebody who has a master degree.”
That would mean three more years as a glorified slave; the apprentice blacksmith in those days lived a life about as miserable as the indentured jockey, tethered to one owner who paid as little as possible but asked for long hours and hard work.
Still, the education was immeasurable. Europe, during the second World War still relied on cavalry and knowledge of the horse gave a young man the capacity to earn a living.
After seven years as an assistant, making shoes for race-horses and working steeds, Grguric embarked on his own. There was lots of business.
“They had races every Saturday,” recalls Grguric, “And they shipped horses to Italy and France to race. They had lots of Lippazans in the Vienna riding school.”
In the late 50s, Grguric had much more to worry about than the shape of a show horse’s foot. The Communists had overrun Croatia and Grguric had great reason to fear for the life of his family.
“The communists killed my father and my two brothers and they confiscated everything we had,” he says solemnly, “My wife Maria and I had to escape over the mountains. My boy was three years old. I carried him with me. If I didn’t escape maybe they would have killed me too. They killed my wife’s father.”
Carl, Maria and their son Gerry made it safely to Canada in 1959 and Grguric immediately sought out work. His first
employment came at the Armstrong family’s Circle M Ranch, which was situated on highway 27 north of highway 7.
Grguric recalls a conversation with Harry Davis, famous at the time as the most skilled blacksmith at Woodbine.
“He says, ‘There’s no business here. You have poor broken English’ so I told him, ‘I don’t know how to speak, but I
‘Great job!’ I said, ‘No Problem!’.
No problem indeed. A few weeks later, Northern Dancer made racing history by
winning the Queen’s Plate.
Grguric also did some lovely work on
the brilliant Glorious Song, who was Stronach’s first great horse. The millionaire owner seemed a little sceptical about his blacksmith’s methods, he got a surprisingly candid response.
“I said to Frank Stronach, ‘You stick with your Die and Tools and I stick with the horse’s feet’,” says Grguric with more than a trace of pride in his voice.
Following this treatment, Glorious Song, in 1980, had one of the greatest distaff years of all time; by winning the La Canada Stakes and Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita, then taking the Top Flight Handicap in New York, Glorious Song became (and still is) the only Canadian horse to win three consecutive Grade One races. She was named not only the Canadian Horse of the Year in 1980, but best North
American Filly or Mare as well.
With his old school values, Grguric
feels strongly that today’s blacksmiths lack the patience and instinct to do the best possible job.
“I refuse to do the horses in the stall,” he says, “The horse has to be outside the stall, away from the straw and on level ground. I take all four shoes off, trim and then put on new shoes.”
Grguric also has a strong opinion about shoeing baby horses.
“Horses shouldn’t have shoes when they are yearlings,” he insists, “You just have to correct and trim their hooves. As the horses get older, it’s much tougher to correct.”
Today it’s possible to take a three-month community college course and use that to start working on horses’ feet. Bruce Pollock sees clearly that time seems to be erasing the fundamentals of an important skill.
“We’re losing a lot of the knowledge of older generations,” he observes, “They didn’t have the scientific reason for things, but instinctively they knew how to work with animals. That’s kind of a sad trend.”
On a daily basis, Grguric still drives to Woodbine and works on two or three horses. More than anything else, he does it to keep himself involved, to be in the game. He’s still in good health, though he does complain that his knees bother him.
Maybe if he wore the right shoes?
Blacksmith Carl Grguric
know how to work. I know what the horses need.‚”
Soon, many in the racing industry would learn that Carl Grguric had the skill of blacksmithing running passionately through his veins. Even today, trainer Bruce Pollock remembers the fine work Grguric did on behalf of Pollock’s father.
“I can’t speak more highly of Carl,” states Pollock, “I can’t emphasize enough the fundamentals that have to be stressed. It’s master craftsmanship.”
Asked to recall from among dozens of horses that Grguric worked on, Pollock picks a couple.
“Byzantine was a mare that we raced for quite a few years. Carl made sure of that,” says a grateful Pollock, “And I was given this gelding, Usockem, He fractured his foot and they were going to put him down, but Carl fixed him.”
Grguric’s most memorable claim to fame would be the work he did on the great Northern Dancer. Dancer won the Kentucky Derby in 1964, but any ideas of continuing on the American Triple Crown route were doused by the fiery colt’s foot problems.
“He had a quarter crack,” recalls Grguric, “To cure that quarter crack, you go right up to the coronet band where the healthy hoof originates. I cut that quarter crack out to relieve the pressure. Four days later, the trainer, Horatio Luro worked the horse and he said,
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