We lost friend Jack Kenney on March 14.
HORSE RACNG LOVER, INNOVATOR, BUILDER AND A HALL OF FAMER – JACK KENNEY
If you were lucky enough to be in the horse racing game for the Jack Kenney years at Woodbine (president and CEO 1975-1993) you would have had the chance to see this great industry and sport receive some of its most important innovations, making it, and in many respects the sport of horse racing in all of North America, what it is today.
The tote bet and cash system? Inter-track wagering? Where did they start? Right here, thanks to Jack.
The fully computerized sell-cash Totalisator system, called ABC wagering, was born at the Ontario Jockey Club. Kenney’s direction led to the first such system being developed then put into operation at Woodbine. Inter-track wagering was another innovation introduced by Kenney’s leadership. Inter-track Wagering and simulcast wagering gave the sport yet another valuable marketing tool.
It was because of these innovations that the Ontario Jockey Club became know worldwide for its march into the future. IN 1996 at the Breeders’ Cup party at SkyDome, the OJC unveiled the first on-ilne pari-mututal wagering system.
Jack was brought into Woodbine as a young lawyer from Bay Street by E.P. Taylor, the builder of the great Canadian track.
“E.P. Taylor heavily counted on Jack to take the OJC from a for-profit company to non-profit,” said longtime Woodbine publicity director and fellow Hall of Famer Bruce Walker. “It was essential to save horse racing that all revenues from racing be diverted back into building the business of horse racing and not going to stock holders. Jack made sure every legal avenue was covered.”
Jack introduced the North America Cup in 1984, a spanking new Standardbred race that has become one of the world’s most famous events. Jack was at the forefront when Woodbine hosted the 1988 Arlington Million for friend Richard Duchoissois after that track burned down. He greeted royalty – the Queen and the Queen Mum – and he had tons of wonderful stories to tell.
“I was already an employee of the OJC when Jack, a brilliant young lawyer, was hired as a vice-president,” said Walker. “He was a horse racing neophyte but he soon became a very much respected executive. He was instrumental in the growth of racing under the Jockey Club umbrella. He also played a leading role in the growth of the National Association of Canadian Racetracks, which is now Racetracks Canada.”
He had hard decisions to make as well. Closing Greenwood and bringing Standardbred racing to Woodbine. Selling Fort Erie. All in the name of streamlining horse racing in Ontario.
Jack didn’t often blow his own horn (although he played trumpet for fun, following his famous father Mart, the well known orchestra leader) as he often talked about others around him who were part of the OJC team.
He told his stories with grace and dignity when we gathered around in the Woodbine Club in recent years but there was also a little bit of fun and mischief behind his eyes.
Jack was involved in a lot of racing groups such as the E P Taylor Equine Research organization and the Jockey Club of Canada.
And you could tell he really had fun when him and some friends formed the Very Dry Stable (named after a martini) and had a lot of success claiming and racing horses with trainer Robert Tiller.
In recent years, Jack, Dr. Glen Brown and Nancy Howard, among others in their circle of friends, would take in the races on the weekend at Woodbine.
On a personal note, Jack loved to place a bob or two on the horses as well, just for fun. It was humbling (and perilous for him) when he came in each weekend with his TORONTO STAR racing picks clipped out, telling me how he was going to bet my Best Bet. Or he would be excited if I picked a Very Dry horse on top to win.
He was a warm and friendly man who had great greetings with a hug and a kiss. He spent the winters in Florida and often got together with many of his fellow executives from his OJC/Woodbine years.
Last fall he was struggling a bit health wise but that did not stop him from visiting the Woodbine Club. And not too long ago, I remember he had purchased a litany of packages of Christmas cards from LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement and he gave me some as a gift.
And Jack’s biggest gift was his soft-spoken kindness and his intelligent and intriguing knowledge of the world and of a great sport he made a little bit greater.
JEFF GOODE, ace TORONTO STAR photographer and also a racing lover, captured Jack (glasses) with Rick Cowan (to his left) Lou Cavalaris and John Whitson – building Woodbine and a great Canadian racing program into what it is today – GETTYIMAGES – JEFF GOODE – TORONTO STAR, thank you for photo
Jack played Santa for the Woodbine employees’ children on many occasions..
love this photo of Jack by Boris Spremo:
SHAMAN GHOST, a Ghostzapper colt bred by Adena Sprigs, zips to a maiden win at Gulfstream Park for trainer Brian Lynch. The colt was making his 4th career start but first start at a route distance on a main track. GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO
STRONACH STABLES/LYNCH – ANOTHER QUEEN’S PLATE PROSPECT
SHAMAN GHOST, a 3-year-old colt by Ghostzapper out of Getback Time by Gilded Time, won a 1 1/16 mile maiden allowance race at Gulfstream on Saturday by 2 lengths to jump into the Queen’s Plate picture.
The colt, making his 4th career start but first at a route distance on a main track surface, earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure for a time of 1:44.87.
The colt’s dam, GETBACK TIME, won over $300,000 and was stakes placed many times. The California bred mare has had 3 other foals for Adena Springs but has not produced anything of note. The mare has been in sales recently: in 2013 she was bought back by Adena Springs for $70,000 in foal to Awesome Again.
This is the 2nd contender for Stronach Stables, which bred the May 5- born colt. Brian Lynch trains and he also has Stronach Stables’ impressive maiden winner Unbridled Juan in the barn, another Plate prospect.
TERRA RACING (Dom Romeo and family) welcomed this filly into their world recently – a Haynesfield gal out of Include Katherine. The little one is a half sister to stakes placed Why Katherine and Chris’ Brew. Photo by MIKE ROMEO
MORE CANADIAN STUFF
MY MONEY RIDER won her maiden for Martha and Nick Gonzalez on Saturday. She is a Where’s the Ring filly, foaled in Ontario GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO
The red-hot barn of BRIAN LYNCH also won a little stakes race on Saturday at Gulfstream with the trainer’s own Australian-bred gelding POWER ALERT, a son of Alert. Foaled in September 2010, this 5yo was a bleeder in his home country and brought to the US by Lynch, who also trains at Woodbine.
POWER ALERT won the $75,000 Silks Run Stakes at 5 furlongs on the grass in 55.80 for his 2nd win in as many starts in North America.
The Martha Gonzalez and Nick Gonzalez train continues to roll as the couple won another race at Gulfstream as MY MONEY RIDER, an Ontario bred, won her maiden for $12,500 with a final push in the last furlong of the 6 furlong dash. The winner was odds-on and she is by Where’s the Ring out of Miss Reginella, by Bold Executive, bred by Rita Schnitzler and Sandy Giffen.
Luis Contreras rode the winner.
REGIS RACING had a debut winner at Gulfstream in DONWORTH, a colt by Tiznow – Temple Street, by Street Cry, who overcame trouble to win his opener by a neck in a 7 furlong dash. The Kentucky bred was odds-on his debut for trainer Graham Motion.
Regis has a Canadian-bred 3yo named DION who made his 2nd start at Oaklawn on Saturday and finished second after setting the pace.
The beautifully bred WORLD APPROVAL (Northern Afleet – Win Approval by With Approval) won the last race at Gulfstream, a maiden allowance on turf, for trainer Mark Casse. The Live Oak Plantation colt is a Kentucky bred who was making his grass debut and he was 8 to 1.
Champion AMERICAN PHAROAH cruises in slop
100 Beyer Figure for Derby contender
Making his first start since Sept. 27 and his first start outside his home state of California, American Pharoah proved why he is among the early Kentucky Derby favorites with a dominating 6 ¼ length victory in Saturday’s $750,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. An estimated crowd of 30,000 was on hand to witness the 2014 Champion Juvenile Male splash home a winner in a final time of 1:45 3/5 for 1 1/16 on a track labeled sloppy by post time.
Breaking from post four under jockey Victor Espinoza, American Pharoah was the quickest out of the gate and proceeded to take full control of the race through easy fractions of :24 2/5 and :49 3/5 for the first half mile. The champion, who had maintained a comfortable one length advantage down the backstretch, began to shake clear of his competition entering the stretch and widened his lead through the stretch under a hand ride by Espinoza.
“He was very impressive,” said Espinoza, who picked up his second Kentucky Derby victory last year with California Chrome. “He’s an amazing horse. The first time I rode him, (trainer) Bob (Baffert) said he’s the real deal. Bob’s a Hall of Famer, so he knows. Bob was confident, so that made me confident. He is a tremendous horse. He has a lot of talent and he loves to run. This is an amazing horse.”
The Todd Pletcher-trained Madefromlucky made a mild move, but had to settle for second place. Bold Conquest, who had finished fourth in the Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 22 improved to be third in the Rebel and he was followed by The Truth or Else, Paid Admission, Sakima and Tizwonderfulcreek.
“You always hope that he’s as good as he’s been showing us in the mornings and he was today,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who was winning his fifth Rebel Stakes in six years. “His right front shoe wasn’t on right, and when he can run like that all the way around with it like that, it shows you how good he is. This was the perfect kind of race on the comeback, and it’s pretty exciting.”
Bafferts other Rebel winners were champion 3-year-old Lookin at Lucky (2010), The Factor (2011), Secret Circle (2012) and Hoppertunity (2014).
American Pharoah, who was winning for the third time in four career starts, has now improved his bankroll to $811,500. The Zayat Stable homebred by Pioneerof the Nile returned $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 as the heavy 2-5 favorite.
The Rebel victory earned him 50 points toward eligibility for the Kentucky Derby and moved him into fifth place on the leader board. Madefromlucky earned 20 points and jumped into 10th place, just behind the Oaklawn-based Far Right, winner of the Smarty Jones and Southwest (G3) Stakes. Far Right skipped the Rebel and is pointing for the Arkansas Derby (G1) April 11 where he could meet American Pharoah in their final prep before heading on to Kentucky.
OBS 2-YEAR-OLD SALE – MARCH 17 AND 18
Ontario-breds in the sale:
HIP NO. GALLOP SHOW TIME SEX BREEDING CONSIGNOR
10 10.3 F Uncle Mo Captivating Ontario Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent
36 10.1 C Scat Daddy Classic Neel Ontario Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XVI
38 22.0 C Stormy Atlantic Clear Lake Ontario Kirkwood Stables, Agent
153 out C Uncle Mo Gentle Words Ontario Secure Investments
191 10.1 C Haynesfield Hold the Sugar Ontario Halcyon Hammock Farm, Agent
310 out C Ghostzapper Northglen Ontario Bobby Dodd, Agent I
323 10.3 C Kitten’s Joy Parisia Ontario Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XIX
344 21.3 F City Zip Princess Ruckus Ontario Excel Racing (Rudy Delguidice), Agent III
535 OUT F Old Forester Woodland City (SAF) Ontario RiceHorse Stables
537 10.1 F City Zip Woodsmoke Ontario Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent
600 10.2 F Marchfield Bob’s Choice Ontario Ends Well
