Gordon was a pillar to racing industry
Elm Grove Farms produced many standouts
Elm Grove Farms has become one of the foundation standardbred nurseries in Eastern Canada but now the patriarch of the operation is no longer with us.
Robert (Bobby) Gordon recently passed away at age 80. Gordon has been a pillar in the standardbred industry with his farm in Elmsdale putting out a number of young horses with the Elm Grove prefix.
The Elm Grove horses are too numerous to mention but there were definitely some standouts.
Elm Grove Action shocked in the racing community in 2005 when the two-year-old son of Lisryan won his two-year-old Atlantic Sires Stakes division in 1:57.4 during Old Home Week at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park, incredible speed for a young Maritimebred at the time. Elm Grove Dallas captured the 2009 Maritimer final in Saint John, N.B., with Gordon co-owning the three-year-old filly with friend and business partner Vance Cameron.
Elm Grove Cam was one of the highest-priced yearlings in Atlantic sales history, as some of Cams Card Shark out of arguably Gordon’s best broodmare, Toxic Tanya, sold for $32,000 at the 2004 Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale.
Other Toxic Tanya offspring Elm Grove Tanner and Elm Grove Jake were both successful racehorses.
Some other top Elm Grove Stakes competitors included Elm Grove Ilse, Elm Grove Rebel, Elm Grove Gerson and Elm Grove Ella, to name just a few.
Gordon stood a number of stallions at his farm over the years, including Doctor Gerson, Largo, Coastocoast Yankee, Strong Clan, Stonebridge Terror and Varedero Hanover.
My condolences to the family on this great loss to them and the industry as a whole.
Across The Continent
Saturday at The Meadowlands in New Jersey, the Dr. Ian Moore-trained Classic Pro was third in the $738,550 Meadowlands Pace final for three-yearold pacing colts. Huntsville won the race in 1:47.4 while the Mark MacDonald-driven Blood Line made a break late in the race and finished out of the money.
Maritime Scene
Grand Circuit Week actions
hits the Truro Raceway all week with the $7,500 Exhibition Cup Invitational being held Saturday night at the Nova Scotia oval. The field includes His Boy Elroy (Bernard McCallum), Crombie A (Marc Campbell), Junebugs Baby (Myles Heffernan Sr.), Hot Deuce (Gilles Barrieau) and Good Friday Three (Clare MacDonald).
Stretch Drive
The Stretch Drive Fund will hold its 10th annual golf tournament at Fox Meadow Golf Club in Stratford on Wednesday, Aug. 16, during Old Home Week.
The fund, a project of the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Officials was established to help address the needs of individuals and families involved in the harness racing industry in the Maritime provinces, who have fallen on hard times for various reasons. It also contributes to a scholarship, which is awarded each year to deserving students whose families are involved in Maritime racing. The fund has distributed more than $85,000 to those in need.
Interested golfers can register by contacting the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commiossion at 902-836-5500. Individuals or companies looking to help out can also co-sponsor a hole for $100. All proceeds go directly into the fund, with no administrative fee taken off.