Page 12 - November 2005 The Game
P. 12

12 The Game, November 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Edward Freeman: One cool customer
By Chris Lomon
When it comes to his career as a thoroughbred trainer, the man with three decades of experience in the industry sports a big smile when he says he'll never be left out in the cold again.
It appears things are heating up in the kindest possible way for Edward Freeman, a native of England who has found success in the sport of kings on both sides of the Atlantic.
But it certainly wasn't always that way.
Freeman comes by his love of horses honestly. His father, Arthur, was a successful steeplechase jockey, once riding horses owned by the Queen Mother.
On the day Edward was born, it wasn't only his mother who delivered.
"My dad won three races on the day I came into the world," noted Freeman. " I guess that was a sure sign I was going to get involved in racing one day."
In case those aspirations didn't pan out, however, Freeman obtained his degree in Engineering.
But it just wasn't his cup of tea, so to speak.
"I never really wanted to do anything else," said the London native. "One day on the job I was called into the office and was told I was going to the Falkland Islands for two years. They asked me if I had any questions and I said, just one, 'Is two weeks notice enough? That's it for
me. Thank you very much.'"
Which is exactly what Freeman said
when he was offered an assistant training job with Jimmy Fitzgerald, who managed mostly steeplechasers, but had enjoyed success with flat horses as well.
It turned out to be the perfect learning ground for Freeman.
"Jimmy was a genius," said Freeman. "I did that job for five or six years. I came to Canada in 1988 with a friend because I wasn't able to make it as a trainer in England because you need capital."
But as Freeman soon found out, getting his career off the ground in Canada wasn't quite as simple as he had hoped, something that came to light when he visited the Woodbine backstretch for the first time.
"There was a guy at the gate who was working for the horsemen's personnel," recalled Freeman. "I knocked on the door and said I was looking for work. I looked beyond him out the window and I saw people galloping horses. He told me it would be very tough to land a job at Woodbine. It went on for about two weeks."
That's when Freeman decided to look for a helping hand.
"I asked if there were any English or Irish trainers on the grounds. He mentioned (trainer) Mike Doyle and paged him to come meet me. The next day I was in Buffalo getting a visa. That's how it started."
Edward Freeman
Becoming acclimated with the different approach to racing, though, was quite an eye-opener for Freeman.
"It was a big shock because in England I was training in a rural environment without many horses around. We probably had 25 people working for us and 17 could ride. The other thing that struck you was that it was a business here and at home, it was more of a hobby."
Freeman didn't expect to settle at the Toronto oval for an extended period of time, but whenever he leaned towards moving on, another job offer would come his way.
After a year and a half under the tutelage of Doyle, Freeman became the private trainer for well regarded horseman George Frostad, whose son Mark, has gone on to carve out a an equally successful career at Woodbine.
Working for the elder Frostad was, as Freeman puts it, "a baptism by fire."
"I started training for George in November of 1999," recalled Freeman. "He said you could go to Florida, but you could train here instead. I thought if that's the case, I'll just stay. I had never experienced a Canadian winter and it just got colder and colder and colder.
"He would sit in his Cadillac and roll down the window just enough to call out instructions with the heater on and a cup of coffee in his hand. He gave me a pile of horses of all shapes and sizes. There wasnoonetoturnto.Ihadtodoitallon my own. He was good that way. Even at the time, I knew that getting good horses and learning how to manage them was very important. But I also realized how little I knew when I started."
In spite of his relative inexperience, Freeman managed to have a solid season at the races with Frostad, saddling his
first winner, a horse by the name of Wee Dram.
After parting ways with Frostad, Freeman went out on his own, winding up at Fort Erie in 1991 with little money, little prospects and little guarantee of success.
"(Jockey agent) Mike Luider gave me four water buckets, four feed buckets, a pitchfork and a horse to train," said Freeman, of his introduction to racing at Fort Erie. "That was it, away I went. Gradually, I brought things up. I was always happy there."
Especially when a young rider by the name of Emile Ramsammy arrived on the scene.
"I was told he was the best. We got together and won 22 races together that year. If he was anywhere close in the stretch, Emile was going to win.
Freeman also took on conditioner Roger Attfield's young horses, eventually deciding to concentrate on his own clients after a spell with the Hall of Fame legend.
While there have been plenty of ups and downs since then, Freeman has endured, having won nearly 220 races to date.
He's also had success in the blood- stock business, working with childhood friend, British-based Luke Lillingston, in selling English horses to North American interests, mainly in California.
That side of the business also helped him meet highly regarded English trainer Andrew Balding, who won the 2003 Pattison Canadian International with Phoenix Reach.
It's enabled Freeman the opportunity to train some of the horses that Balding brought over to Woodbine to compete, including Silver Highlight, a filly who captured this year's Wonder Where Stakes.
"The logistics haven't been settled, but there will be definitely be more horses coming over. It makes so much sense for all kinds of reasons."
"I'm very grateful to Luke because I get to go back home to England three or four times," said Freeman, who is also a Founding Director of LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society. "He also got me to California, which is now my winter home. I get to surf, which I do a lot of. I love it there."
A perfect place, Freeman adds with a grin, to think those warm thoughts.
Prizes, Awards
Dinner & Dancing
Attention All
Backstretch Employees! Get ready for an evening of
fun & excitement at this Year’s Annual HBPA Backstretch Banquet
WOODBINE:
Tuesday, November 8 LeJardin Banquet Hall - Hwy. 27 Tickets $15.00
On Sale Now
For Ticket Information contact the HBPA Backstretch Office. Admission is by ticket only.
RICHARD MOYLAN Thoroughbred Bloodstock Agent
SALES, SALES PREP, BREAKING, BROODMARE CARE, FOALING & LAY-UPS
Hunterview Farm
993445 Mono-Adjala Townline, RR#5 Orangeville,ON L9W2Z2
Farm: 519-940-0319 Cell: 416-999-1249
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