The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the 2010 nominees. A total of 29 horses and people, including 15 nominees in Thoroughbred racing and 14 nominees in Standardbred racing are on the ballot for induction into the Hall of Fame. The gala induction ceremonies will be held Thursday, August 19, at the Mississauga Convention Centre on Derry Road.
Three of the most prominent mares in Canadian Thoroughbred breeding history – Lady Angela, Loudrangle and Square Angel – headline a list of 15 Thoroughbred nominees for induction into Canada’s Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Lady Angela, nominated in the Female category, is the dam of Nearctic, whose son, the incomparable Northern Dancer, helped put Canada on the map as a breeding power. Also nominated in this category was Square Angel, a champion on the racetrack and the dam and granddam of fillies who gained fame for their exploits including Kamar, Stellarette and Love Smitten, and their offspring, Key to the Moon, Gorgeous, Swain, Cuddles and Seaside Attraction. Loudrangle, nominated in the Veterans category, was one of the foundation broodmares for Sam-Son Farms with her stakes winners Ruling Angel, Tiffany Tam, Tilt My Halo, No Louder, Slew of Angels and Dancing with Wings. Other Veterans nominated were the great sprinter and Horse of the Year, Play the King, and Victorian Era, who won 18 stakes races in the 1960s.
Tammy Samuel Balaz, Mel Lawson and Aubrey Minshall head the list of Builders nominated. In the Jockeys/Trainers category, Mark Frostad, who has saddled four Queen’s Plate winners. Sovereign and Eclipse winning jockey Mickey Walls along with the multi-talented ex-jockey and now B.C. Hall of Fame trainer Frank Barroby were both nominated. Two stunning upset winners of the Belmont Stakes, Touch Gold and Victory Gallop, were nominated in the Male category along with Formal Gold, who counted three victories over Eclipse champion Skip Away. Also nominated in the Female category was the brilliant sprinter Apelia.
On the Standardbred side, trotter Wesgate Crown, a winner of two Breeders Crowns and a sire of winners of over $15 million, along with the late millionaire pacer Astreos, winner of the Little Brown Jug and a sire of over $37 million are nominated in the Male Horse category along with Mister Big, the second richest pacer in history with over $4 million in earnings. The outstanding broodmare Classic Wish, dam of Bettors Delight and No Pan Intended, is nominated in the Female Horse category along with two outstanding performers on the racetrack, Burning Point, a winner of over $3 million, and Ontario sired pacer Invitro, winner of over $2 million.
Driver Wally Hennessey, a winner of $51 million, trainer Robert McIntosh, a four-time O’Brien winner as Canada’s Trainer of the Year, and Dave Wall, who has driven horses who have earned more than $58 million, are the nominees in the Trainer/Driver category.
Owner/breeder Robert Burgess, Dr. Ted Clarke, general manager of Grand River Raceway, and owner/breeder R. Peter Heffering are nominated in the Builders category.
Rounding out the Standardbred nominees are veterans A Worthy Lad, who was undefeated in 30 career races, and Rumpus Hanover, winner of 34 races and over $721,000. Both horses were successful sires.
The two 20-person Election Committees will declare the winners in the respective categories and the 2010 inductees for the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, May 18.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
