Page 25 - December 2008 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper a cheater: Bill Lochead. He was described in one
petitioned the stewards for a jockey’s license and rode the last six days of the Exhibition Park meeting before riding on Vancouver Island’s Sandown Park. Asked his motivation? “I prefer riding; I wouldn’t go back if I didn’t.” He came back right in time to boot home his old partner Charlie Cheri in the B.C. Premiere’s giving Lochead his rst win in that race since Sir Berrill
The Game, December 2008 25 Edmonton Journal, “I would say this is a wide open
newspaper as a delightful combination of the “Wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the daf ness of the Three Stooges.” With a smile and a healthy head of white hair, he was in prominent in many of the photos I reviewed.
Derby.” Winning Red (1969 Winning Shot – Red’s Hawk by Dark Hawk) spoiled the party with a rousing triumph. According to his Ulrich’s daughter, this was one of the biggest disappointments of his training days.
Historically Lochead had a long history of
buying small and winning big. The label “developed by Lochead” usually was associated with electrical terminology such as the stakes winners Over Current (1959 Bolivar 2nd- Lorelle by Prophets Thumb, 160 starts 38-14-10) and Sine Wave (1954 Ocean Wave – Fanny Welsh by Fanar, 33 6-5-3). Lochead had a 50 year history of working in electrical substations, so the jargon was easy to transfer.
won it for him in 1948 when it was called the British Columbia Championship. In his abbreviated riding season, he accepted 56 mounts earning a solid record of 11-7-5.
Charlie’s daughter, also worked in the kinship of
the racing clan, but had a rocky start while assisting her father’s training duties. “Dad was old fashioned and had a lot of respect for women, and didn’t think that working in the barns was a good environment for a female. When I groomed a horse or wrapped a leg there was always something wrong with it.” She later became a pari-mutuel clerk at the track and today is an executive assistant at Simon Fraser University.
Lochead put Charlie Ulrich in the saddle often,
as DRF reported: “It was a ritual followed in the winner’s circle time and time again while Ulrich was dismounting it was the white haired Lochead rushing toward him to pump his hand and say: “Charlie, that’s the greatest ride you’ve ever given me!” On another occasion he stated: “Okay, maybe I am
prejudiced, but Cheatin’ Charlie is one heck
of a jockey.” When Over Current, had won
on the lead, Lochead commented to the
Victoria Times Colonist: “Charlie Ulrich
stole that race. He went to the front but didn’t
open up too much.”
Along with so many successes came the disappointments which are part and parcel of the racing game. Dave Diamond’s promising three year old grey Promised Circle (1969 Promise Land- Gail Circle by Gail Jay) was sent to the 43rd running of the Canadian Derby at Northlands Park in Edmonton with high hopes. Having placed in the Ascot Sophomore and B.C. Futurity as a two year old, all the connections expected continued success the following season. Being slightly more realistic, Ulrich commented on his chances to the
Once you are part of the “race track family,” the relationship is with you the rest of your life. After training for two years, Charlie Ulrich shifted roles in the business taking on the same job (different location) that I had, working as a tower camera operator for a short time.
Trained by Lochead, Lord Renraw (1954 g.Dark Hawk- Amalmidi by Soleil du
Midi), was the other of Ulrich’s two favorite mounts. The trainer stumbled onto this good one when the owner (Charlie Warner) made up his mind, on the spur of the moment, to get out of the racing business. He had named the animal by spelling his last name, Warner, backwards. This remarkable gelding made 112 starts (31-16-15 $66,020) over a ten year career at various distances at tracks all over the Paci c Northwest, winning his last stakes race at the age of ten in the Vancouver Island Championship at Sandown. He ran
a creditable third in the Longacres Mile in 1958, winning the 1959 Seattle Handicap there along with Northland’s Speed to Spare with Ulrich in the irons. This career was outstanding enough to earn the gelding a place in the B.C. Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.
Dennis Terry, former rider and longtime trainer in Vancouver, remembers Ulrich fondly: “He had some pair of hands. He could gallop the rankest horses on the grounds. He was one of the most honest fellows I ever met. I don’t recall a time, other than on the track, of him even raising his voice. He was just that kind of honest, hard working guy.”
Continued Page 26 - See Cheatin’ Charlie
FEES:
NOTE:
2009 ONTARIO SIRES STAKES STALLION REGISTRATION CLOSINGDATE: JANUARY15,2009
New Stallions $200 Stallion Registered in 2008 $100 Late Registration* $500
*Late registration stallions must not have bred any mares in the current breeding season prior to approval of application.
Registration is required to be eligible for the Ontario Stallion Awards Program.
ATTENTION
STALLION OWNERS
The CTHS aims to ensure a viable future for its members by providing assistance and representation within the Thoroughbred breeding industry.
The following documentation is required to be postmarked no later than January 15, 2009:
1. A completed registration form.
2. Copies of current lease on leased stallions (not required if already on file with the CTHS.)
3. Photocopy of both sides of the stallion’s Canadian Registration certificate and/or Jockey Club Registration Certificate showing current owners. (Not required if already on file with the CTHS.)
4. Registration fee payable to:
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) For forms or further information, please contact:
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division)
P.O. Box 172, Rexdale, ON M9W 5L1 Tel: (416) 675-3602, Fax: (416) 675-9405 Email: cthsont@idirect.com
Website: www.cthsont.com
Ulrich retired in 1969 as Archie MacDonald recalled it in a newspaper article:”Pair of Charlie’s Steal Last Race.” “This was Charlie’s swan song. The forty two year old announced Friday he would retire after Saturday’s card and Charlie
Cheri (trained by Lochead) provided him a dramatic exit winning the Autumn Leaves Handicap.” Lochead was quoted as saying “Did you see how he suckered those boys in? He’s the greatest old Charlie.” Paying the attractive mutuel of $28.20 didn’t hurt a bit either.
For the next several seasons, Ulrich became a trainer. He had his share of winner’s but Terence Ross reported on those years: “....there were too many headaches. It takes more than skill to be a rousing success as a trainer. You have to be lucky.” Of those training years, his daughter said, almost
with a joke: “The stock ate better than we did. Dad admitted that he wasn’t the greatest businessman.” So after all of his mounts
had been turned out for the year in 1970, he
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