A little more than a year ago, on the day that FORESTER’S FORTUNE’s would go out and win an allowance race at Woodbine, Claudia Silvera and her six children were finally able to lay Laurie Silvera to rest right where he wanted to be.
On August 1, 2021, Claudia and her family and friends gathered at Woodbine racetrack to spread her late husband’s ashes on the turf course, a ceremony delayed by more than 16 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Laurie, or ‘Sir’ Laurie’ as most horsepeople knew him, passed away in March 2020 at the age of 89. With over 1,000 training victories and hundreds of shrewd horse purchases and sales, Laurie was one of Canada’s top horsepeople for four decades.
On Saturday, September 3, Forester’s Fortune, one of the last horses purchased by Laurie for himself and close friend Archie Lee, emerged from traffic chaos to win the $150,000 Vice Regent Stakes over the inner turf at Woodbine in dramatic fashion. Claudia and Lee celebrated in the winner’s circle with family and friends, including trainer Rodney Barrow.
Barrow had taken over the training of Forester’s Fortune (Old Forester – Nursery Song, by Beau Genius) in the spring of 2020. Laurie had purchased the chestnut gelding privately from breeder John Carey and believed in the horse, so much so that he ran the horse in the Victoria Stakes second time out as a 2-year-old in 2019 and watched him finish third.
Following Laurie’s passing, Claudia and Archie retained ownership of the gelding and Barrow sent him out to win three races in 2020. None of the family were able to attend those wins due to the pandemic but when they all finally got together last August, the gelding scored an upset victory and there wasn’t a dry eye around.
Saturday’s first stakes victory for Forester’s Fortune and Barrow was similarly emotional and a lot more eventful.
Sent off at 8-to-1 in the five-furlong dash for Ontario-breds, Forester’s Fortune, with jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, chased an early pace fracas between Grade 1 winner Silent Poet and three others. The wild battle got too crowded for Silent Poet, however, and the $900,000 earner bobbled and was forced to check to be steadied. By that time, speedster Rockcrest was left alone on the lead turning for home but Forester’s Fortune regrouped and charged down the course with the Mike Keogh-trained Wedgewood and edged that rival by a head to win in 56.90.
Following a lengthy inquiry into the race which resulted in Rockcrest being disqualified from third to last, the race was made official.
Forester’s Fortune’s 5th career win from 23 starts boosted his earnings to over $318,000 (US).
“I want to thank Mrs. Silvera and Archie Lee, Melissa Williams…everyone, for all being there with me from the beginning,” said Barrow, who embarked on his training career soon after Laurie’s passing and at the outset of the pandemic.
“This horse got stopped but he finishes fast and he has so much heart.”
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