Page 8 - February 2007 The Game

8 The Game, February 2007 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
ORC Names CAO
In almost 40 years of journalism Archie McDonald acquired two Sovereign awards and a national newspaper award for best horseracing story, numerous accolades from friends, colleagues and fans, and a lifelong love affair with the racetrack. McDonald was for many years Vancouver’s foremost handicapper and racing columnist. There was a time when his racing selec- tions were run on the front page. He left the racing beat in 1979,and now retired, devotes his time to the BC Horseracing Hall of Fame.
The first time he went to the races, he was nine years old. His dad took him to the PNE and they caught the last three races on a seven race card.
"I can still remember the names of the horses that won those three races," he says. "They were Cheap Lawn. No Apologies, and Royal Domino."
Young Archie was hooked. Later he played lacrosse with John Fergusson (subsequently a star for the Montreal Canadiens) whose father and uncles trained horses at the track—a friendship that further immersed him in the game. When he started at the Sun Newspaper in 1957 he mentored under then racing writer Merv Peters taking over the job in 1964.
"The main thing about being a racing writer is to report as thoroughly and accurately as possible the day to day happenings at the racetrack. The appeal- ing part, the intrigue and romance of racing is writing about the people—the millionaire owners, the trainers, and the grooms."
Of his writing awards, Archie is justifiable proud but also modest.
"I’ve won two Sovereigns and a National Newspaper award. The first Sovereign was for a story about Hedley Woodhouse, a Vancouver jockey who became a very good rider in New York and about his problems with alcohol. The other was about a woman in California who talked to horses and did therapy that way."
His National newspaper award came during his first year as a full time racing writer—about a two- year-old horse called Front Page Girl.
"The story gave me the chance to trace the breeding of a horse and explore the lives of the trainers and people on the backstretch. The horse ended up winning her first start and the selectors thought it [his story] was good enough to win."
As for horseracing today, Archie believes that much of the romance is gone and that it would be difficult to put it back into the game today.
"In 1964 when George Royal was a three year old
it was my first year covering racing. I wrote about him so enthusiastically and he turned out to be our greatest horse."
That year George Royal won nine straight races at Exhibition Park including the BC Derby, the Ascot Sophomore, and beat older horses in the Randall Plate, the Springboard Hcp, and the McLennen Plate.
"It peaked the interest of horseplayers and non- players. Stories I wrote about him ran on the front page of the paper. He started running at Santa Anita in January 1965 with Johnny Longden on him, and he really became something running against horses like Gun Bow and Hill Rise. Those races were telecast to Vancouver on a half-hour show each Saturday and literally thousands of people would watch and throw parties around it. It was a huge success and coincided with the opening of the new track at Exhibition Park. That year Longden came to Vancouver and rode his 6000th winner here.
"Those were huge stories and predated, really, the television era. We weren’t preoccupied with the NFL and all the other sports. We used to go to the track well before the first and stay until last race. Now I don’t think people can afford that time. We did it because there weren’t that many alternatives. Today there are any number of places and things to do. People allot their time more carefully."
Archie and his wife Marlene have also owned horses over the years and he is still involved in the game as chairman of the BC Hall of Fame committee.
"The thing that makes racing different from other sports I’ve covered is that I’m still an active participant in it. I still consider myself part of the racing community and always have. That’s kind of special to me. I feel I’m part of the fabric of it.
Slot News: Horsemen are cautiously optimistic about a meeting scheduled for January 24th when the Hastings Park Conservancy, the group opposing the introduction to slots at Hastings, must go before a judge and show they have the financing to move forward with their appeal. Estimated court costs are between $80,000 to $100,000 and failure to prove financing will be great news for BC horsemen.
A Look at Racing in British Columbia
By Jim Reynolds
Woodbine Entertainment Group is currently looking to fill the following position:
OUTRIDER
Your expert horsemanship skills will be valued as part of our Thoroughbred Racing Operation. As an Outrider you will maintain safety on Woodbine’s racing and training tracks. You will be relied upon to control misbehaving horses and occasionally retrieve loose horses.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate leadership skills, exhibit superior ridingandhorsemanshipskills, andhavegeneralhorseracingknowledge. The horses and other equipment necessary to perform this job
can be supplied for you.
We offer competitive wages commensurate with your years of experience.
The hours of work will vary with the racing and training schedules which include early mornings, days, weekends and holidays.
Interested applicants can forward their resumes to: Woodbine Entertainment Group
Human Resources Services
Email: Jobs@woodbineentertainment.com
Fax: (416) 213-2129
Or visit www.WoodbineEntertainment.com for more opportunities.
Did You Know....
That California trainer, Noble Threewitt, became the oldest trainer, at age 95, to win a race in North America, when he saddled Threeatonce to victory at Santa Anita on April 22, 2006.
Seventy-five years after saddling his first career victory in 1932 with Crackerjack at Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mr. Threewitt plans to retire from racing on his 96th birthday, February 24, 2007.
The Ontario Racing Commission announced in mid-January that, effective January 24, Steven Lehman is the new Chief Administration Officer.
Lehman, is a Chartered Accountant with 15 years experience in various sectors of the racing industry, including two years as the Chief Financial Officer for the Ontario Harness Horse Association. He joins the ORC with a wealth of knowledge in the area of regulatory environments, municipal governments and policing.
According to a press release from the ORC dated January 11, 2007, Lehman “will be responsible for Financial Planning, Corporate Policy, Government Liaison, Administration, Information Technology and Information Service, Internal and External Communication and Human Resources.”
The ORC says this appointment is “one in a series of administration recognitions that will ensure the ORC continues to be an efficient and effective regulator and a provider of quality service to the horse racing community.”
ORC’s Terry Stone Retires
Terry Stone has announced that effective March 31, 2007, he will be retiring as the Ontario Racing Commission’s (ORC) Director of Racing. After an exemplary career in public service, including 14 years with the OPP and 27 years with the ORC, Terry has decided to relinquish the day-to-day senior responsibility for supervising live racing in the province.
Terry has agreed to continue to serve the ORC and be a resource to the horse racing community after his official retirement.
An announcement pertaining to Terry’s replacement will be made in February 2007.
WHISKEY WISDOM Wild Again - Primarily, by Lord at War (ARG)
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in the 1997 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic; has an APEX A Runner Index o”
f 2.13 and a two-year-old index of 3.37; and stands for only C$3,500. What a deal!
– Bill Oppenheim, Thoroughbred Daily News 12/20/06
Looking toward the future -
Whiskey Wisdom was a leading sire of Polytrack winners at the Woodbine fall meet.
2007 Fee $3,500
live foal guaranteed, payable when foal stands and nurses
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