It Runs in the Family: Racetrack Dads and Sons

Sandy and Doug McPherson

“The biggest thing my dad has taught me about horsemanship is it really is a common-sense game. If you just keep your head level and do the things that make sense – take care of the horses and don’t overdo it. You can run horses back quick, but don’t run the well dry, give them time when they need it. Just do things that make sense and things will be fine.”

Those candid words are from Doug McPherson, when asked about lessons he’s learned from working with his dad, Alexander (Sandy) McPherson at Woodbine Racetrack.

At 28, Doug holds many job titles, such as Woodbine handicapper and Fort Erie track announcer. Yet another important role he’s maintained over the last few years is working with his dad in the morning and during the races.

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“I like to support my dad. He is getting older, he is going to be 77 this year, so it is good to be here, to help out and make sure everything goes well,” said Doug.

“It’s the love of the animal and the love of the competition and trying to do better than you’ve done before.”

“I really came back seriously as a horse person and more involved in the outfit in one of the Covid years – in 2021. I had been working in the race office and then I came back for a change of pace. So me and my dad have been somewhat of a team here for the last three or four seasons,” he added.

Doug’s father Sandy has been working in Thoroughbred racing since the late ’70s. Spending close to five decades in the business, he’s run over 5,000 starters and trained a handful of stakes winners including Ashboro, Four On the Floor and in more recent years, graded stakes winner Gigantic Breeze. Sandy currently runs a small string of horses at Woodbine and remains grateful to have Doug working alongside him.

“He is good. We always bounce ideas off each other. He is an independent thinker, so he always has his own ideas, which like any independent thinker, sometimes you are right or sometimes you are wrong. The only way to find out anything is to try new things,” said Sandy.

The seasoned trainer also provided some insight on what he’s learned from working with his son.

“He has many unique perspectives. He’s an excellent handicapper. In my opinion, he’s as good a public handicapper as there is. He doesn’t come up with the six-to-fives, he comes up with significant prices, which is unique.”

Sandy is also happy to have his son as an owner.

“He is realistic about where they run and that’s the name of the game – it’s very hard to win with the sixth-best horse and you can get beat with the best horse if things don’t go your way, if you have bad luck, but he is realistic.”

The McPherson team have started this season off on a strong note, including a win with Your Valentino in late May. Not long after that win, Doug claimed Ghoul, a Brazilian-bred stakes champ, to join the team.

Standing next to Ghoul’s stall, Doug recites a list of the gelding’s prior ventures, where he’s raced and what he’s done. To some it’s just statistics, but to those who know racing it’s a testament to his knowledge and deep-felt connection to the sport.

“It really is about the horses. It’s the love of the animal and the love of the competition and trying to do better than you’ve done before, no matter how good you do, you always want to try and do a little better,” said Doug.

Mike and Joey De Paulo

Less than a two-minute walk from McPherson’s barn you’ll find another prominent father and son, Mike and Joey De Paulo, working together. Mike doesn’t pull any punches when asked why Joey is an important member of the team.

“I know he is going to be here in the morning, which is a key thing,” said Mike.

Two men standing in a Woodbine barn with a horse.

Mike and Joey De Paulo with Stanley House.

Training horses for nearly four decades, Mike knew Joey was hooked on the racing game from early on. “He was walking horses here on the weekend with his brother, I think since they were 12 years old … My other son (Michael) was kind of allergic to 4:30 in the morning, so he became a school teacher. Joey went to high school, and he talked his way into getting a co-op here for a bit, so part of his credits were earned working here.”

Track life provides a person with purpose that manifests in the daily grind of responsibilities: cleaning stalls, grooming and feeding horses, hotwalking, or saddling a horse for a race day. Mike notes that being drawn into this way of life from an early age has been a good thing for Joey.

“He’s managed to keep out of trouble. This is a place where you are generally tired at the end of the day. He’s shared some good experiences,” said Mike, who points to Joey in one of the many framed win photos in his office. “That’s him as a kid with Shillelagh Slew. He’s actually wearing my suit pants in that picture,” he said, laughing.

Working with his dad since he was a teenager, Joey has no doubt picked up some valuable lessons along the way.

“My father set a great example for consistency and how to go about working every day – as in giving everything you’ve got and doing the best you can do. So that is one of his major lessons that he’s shown in being a professional.”

“It’s kind of ingrained, it’s not really a job, it’s more … life.”

Well-versed in track life, Joey takes on more responsibilities as the days blend into months and then years.

“I do mostly a groom’s job. I keep an eye out on the shedrow. My mother [Josie] is the boss, takes care of the barn and my father takes care of the horses and the owners. I’m more of an afternoon guy – I tack all the horses, I make sure they come over with the right equipment. I make sure everything is ready to go for the races,” said Joey, who also has an assistant trainer’s license. More often than not, like Sandy and Doug, you will see Mike and Joey working together in the paddock on a race day.

While Joey might be seasoned at the game, his dad doesn’t endorse everything his son feels is right. “Joey, I get mad with him because he is a bit of horse whisperer. He doesn’t like to tie the horses up and it’s scary because someone could drop something in the shed and the horse could turn around and kick. But he sort of has no fear, which I don’t really like, but it works for him,” said Mike.

Nonetheless, working at the track alongside his dad and his mom, Josie, has greatly impacted Joey’s outlook on life.

“It’s very pride-inducing – to do what both my parents have done. You just want to do the best you can do. It’s kind of ingrained, it’s not really a job, it’s more … life,” said Joey.

Kevin and Joshua Attard

Trainer Kevin Attard is another proud dad working on the backstretch with his son, Joshua. He appreciates that Joshua is committed to the labour-intensive lifestyle.

“For a kid that’s twenty years old, he has a great work ethic. He is very dedicated – something you don’t quite see that often in young people his age. He is sacrificing a lot to do something that he loves and he is passionate about. He’s put that goal ahead of partying and going out to clubs, a lot of that stuff,” said Kevin.

Kevin spent his own childhood watching his dad, Tino, train and race horses, so he understands the dynamic of working with family members.

“Obviously, working for your dad is not easy. There is more expected from you. I definitely know working for my dad wasn’t easy and sometimes I forget that my son working for me can be a little difficult and challenging as well,” said Kevin.

Tw men standing with a horse in a Woodbine shedrow.

Kevin and Joshua Attard.

Inside the Attard barn, Joshua is tucked away in a stall, grooming one of his horses. Stepping outside, he is quick to note some of the lessons his dad has imparted to him, “One of the lessons I’ve learned is that in order to be successful, you have to work hard. Right now, I’m grooming, so waking up at 3:30 and coming here at 4. It’s a lot of dedication. You also have to have confidence in yourself – if you want to be successful in this business you got to say, ‘I’m going to be the best trainer in the world’ and you’ve got to have that high confidence,” said Joshua, who is aiming to get his assistant trainer’s license at some point this year.

Joshua has been working on the backstretch since he was a teenager, walking horses and getting a feel for the daily routine before transitioning into grooming. His father has been training horses before he was born and has left an indelible mark on the Canadian racing scene with graded stakes winners such as Moira, Starship Jubilee and Melmich, to name a few.

Joshua recalls one of the highlights of working with his dad last year. “Probably going to Santa Anita, the Breeders’ Cup with Moira [for the Gr. 1 Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf]. She ran a big race, she ran third, I thought she was going to win it. That was probably the highlight of my year, going the week before and preparing her for it.”

“At one point or another he is going to have to raise and support his own family, so he needs figure out what makes him happy doing that, whether that’s horseracing or something entirely different.”

While some sons follow in their dads’ footsteps, Kevin remains open-minded about Joshua’s destiny. “Obviously, at one point or another he is going to have to raise and support his own family, so he needs figure out what makes him happy doing that, whether that’s horseracing or something entirely different. If it is horseracing, I’m going to support him as best I can, but by the same token, if it’s not horseracing-related, he is still going to get the support from myself and his mother as if it were.”

Aside from the track life, Joshua is currently working towards completing a sports management program. In the meantime, his heart remains tightly tied to the track for a reason most fathers and sons, (and racetrackers in general) can attest to.

“I love the horses,” he says. “If it wasn’t for the horses, I wouldn’t be here. I love seeing them each and every day, coming in the mornings and seeing their heads out and they are happy to see you because they know that you take care of them.”