Truro Raceway launches December meet
Truro Raceway kick-starts the December meet with 10 dashes of exciting action, featuring full fields and competitive groups of challengers.
Once again, stock will be shipping in from both New Brunswick and Cape Breton, providing race goers with new possibilities.
Post-time is 1p.m. and qualifying rounds are slated for 11:45 a.m.
Changing hands
A quick glance at the program will reveal a couple of changes in ownership during the past week.
The $4,500 claimer Dinger Two is now owned by Sheri Mckinnon of Truro, racing out of the William Allan Mcneil stable. The six-year-old son of Blissful Hall, Rusty Riley, although remaining with driver/trainer Paul Langille, is currently owned by Chantel Gillis and Dana Getto.
Race meet extended
Three additional race dates have been added to extend the winter meet.
Live racing will take a brief hiatus after the Dec. 17 card, and resume again in January. Additional race dates are Jan. 7, 14 and 21. Post-time is 1 p.m.
November awards
Clarence Farm Services winners for November have been released with seven- year- old Western Scot taking top honours for Hot Horse, acruing 17 points spearheaded by two victories for owner, Arleen Gillis. My Ideal Hanover ranked second for the month with 16 points, while a four way tie for third had Little Black Beauty, S F Razamatazz, Prince Adam and Western each ending November with 15 points.
Truro’s leading driver, Todd Trites, fresh off of a natural hattrick on last Sunday’s race card, topped the leaderboard with 72 points to claim Cool Driver edging out teamster Ryan Ellis, who reported in with 71 points.
George Rennison gets the nod for top trainer, accumulating 47 points and finishing in the money 15 times out of 19 starts during the month.
Western winning streak
Western, a nine- year- old daughter of Western Hanover, has been stepping up her game for owner/trainer Dawn Ellis, extending her winning streak to four.
Ellis, along with brother Jeff, dad Donnie, mother Debbie and daughter Madelyn, currently maintain an 11-horse stable.
Mr Yokassissippi is campaigning out of the Patrick Shepherd stable in Flamboro.
Dawn also frequently ships over to Red Shores Charlottetown to compete. In addition to the racing contingent, Dawn also has a yearling prospect in the wings along with a previous campaigner, Scotian Lass in foal to Steelhead Hanover.
Top of the Turn diner special
Baked ham dinner: $15.95, includes tea/coffee & dessert
Rapid fire with Tammy Mackay
(849 lifetime starts, 99 victories, $101,590 in purse earnings)
1. Other than Truro Raceway, favourite track to drive at: Harrahs, Chester, Philadelphia
2. Favorite food: Chinese
3. Favorite TV show/channel or movie: To Kill A Mockingbird and Shawshank Redmeption
4. Least favorite barn chore: Racing in frigid cold sub-zero temps or snow.
5. What non-horsey activity do you enjoy: Socializing with friends; making people smile and feel good.
Chase the Ace
Nov. 26 winner: Sonny Siteman, $256 (drew King of Hearts). Jackpot now stands at $7,239.50
Today at the track
Simulcast programming kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with Aqueduct, continuing through out the afternoon and evening with the finest harness and thoroughbred tracks in North America.
Joe Lundrigan’s interesting hockey journey began in the Corner Brook Minor Hockey Association during the 1950s.
He appeared on defence in 1967-68 as an 18-year-old rookie with Corner Brook Royals of the Newfoundland Senior
Hockey Association. Varsity hockey followed as he played three seasons with the St. F.X. X-men (1968-1971).
This was followed by joining Tulsa Oilers of the Central Professional Hockey League for the 1971-72 season. Four seasons in professional hockey were highlighted by suiting up with Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League in 1972-73.
“Bobby Baun was forced to retire from hockey with a pinched nerve in his neck,” Lundrigan, 69, who resides in Shubenacadie, said. “I got called up from Tulsa, it was a real break for me.”
His first NHL action was exciting. It took place at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto playing against the Buffalo Sabres.
“My very first shift I went out on defence and Buffalo had the French Connection Line out there, Gilbert Perreault, Richard Martin and Rene Robert. They were quite a line, they scored quickly and I had to go up in the stands to get my jock strap back.
“Playing a season with the Maple Leafs was a great life-learning and life-changing experience. It does affect a person as they go on in life. I feel very fortunate that I got to play some with the Leafs and later with Washington. It’s certainly a good memory when I look back.”
When asked to pinpoint a couple highlights, the former defenceman shared.
“A highlight was getting picked as one of the games three stars in a game at Maple Leaf Gardens against either Oakland or Los Angeles. My first NHL goal came in Toronto – both my father and mother (Joe and Violet Lundrigan) and my former coach, Frank (Danky) Dorrington, were at that game in Toronto which made it nice. We won 5-3; I’m not sure which goal I got.”
Following the 1974-75 season Lundrigan returned to Newfoundland and played senior Shown with world quarter horse record setter Lakeview Van Bolo at Truro Raceway in 1987, Barbara Bartlett, left, Meade Smith, Dave Bartlett, Ron Davis, jockey Morah Kerr and Rick Parker.
hockey for the Corner Brook Royals and Labrador City Lakers up to 1984.
Inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995, Lundrigan enjoyed a second career in corporate insurance. Living intimately in Nova Scotia for the past 22 years, after selling their home in Hubley in 2015, Lundrigan and his wife Ann rented an apartment in Halifax for two years.
“We found a home we liked in Shubenacadie, we bought the property and have been living here since August. It’s well landscaped, my wife enjoys gardening and flowers. We like Shubenacadie.”
Legally blind, Lundrigan suffers from age related macular degeneration (wet).
“I have no sight in my left eye and peripheral vision in my right eye. Although it was traumatic at first, in 2009, I get along good. I just have to grin and bear it. My outlook is, it’s easy for people to feel sorry for themselves, and even give up, that’s not my plan.”
A member of the Canadian National Institute For The Blind, Lundrigan is an intelligent, humble and fun-to-be-with individual.
Welcome to Shubenacadie and this area Joe!
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During the summer of 1987, more than 30 years ago, jockey Morah Kerr set a world quarter horse speed record at Truro Raceway.
Aboard Lakeview Van Bolo, owned by Dave Bartlett of Truro, Kerr reined the horse over the 150-yard sprint in a time of 7.02 seconds, world record speed.
“Lakeview Van Bolo was a real pleasure around the barn but was all business on the race track,” Kerr recalled. “When he was turned out I never saw a horse run so fast and he would buck at the same time.”
Kerr has been a successful standardbred owner for many years.
“I have made friends through harness racing, from all over Canada and the United States,” Kerr, of Truro, said. “Many talented people have been raised and went on to do well in harness racing from this area. And, it’s been great to see
Truro Raceway host many extremely successful events over the years.”
Kerr has been involved in ownership of a number of outstanding horses including Maybe Ella, Island Tradition, Super Sydney C, Elleofnxample and Shadow My Jumper.
Morah and her partner Tom Hollis continue to have a passion for local harness racing, they are true supporters of the sport.
“Playing a season with the Maple Leafs was a great life-learning and life-changing experience. It does affect a person as they go on in life. I feel very fortunate that I got to play some with the Leafs and later with Washington. It’s certainly a good memory when I look back.”
Joe Lundrigan