The Canadian Sportsman

Sportsman Extra - Blog & Features

Lee Way

Back To Current Blogs
Displaying 1 to 3 of 15

July 06, 2010

A Keeper for the Colemans

By Lauren Lee

A Keeper for the Colemans

 

Keeper Flying is the gift that keeps on giving for Casie Coleman (above, Dave Landry photo) and her family.  

The now 14-year-old pacing mare has the distinction of being the first horse in the trainer’s groundbreaking career, which now includes a victory in the North American Cup to go along with three O’Brien awards as Canada’s top trainer and more than $25 million in career earnings.
 
It was November 2002, when owner Merlin Howse gave the young trainer the go-ahead to make a claim on his behalf and Keeper Flying (Nuclear Flash—Maddie Hayes) became the first of many good things to come.
 
The mare raced admirably during her career in the claiming ranks, amassing $78,000 from 15 wins. Howse and Coleman, who lost and then reclaimed the mare several times over, still hold the papers on her to this day.
 
Moments after Sportswriter’s win in the North America Cup on June 26 at Mohawk Racetrack, Coleman’s thoughts drifted back to those first steps in her career.
 
“If it wasn’t for Merlin Howse, who came to me with my first horse Keeper Flying and let me claim her… If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing here today,” she said, emphatically.
 
“I wouldn’t have a stable under me, if it wasn’t for him. He was the first person to put that trust in me, put some money behind me and give me a shot, so a lot of this goes to him.”
 
Four years ago, the duo bred their sentimental favourite to Intrepid Seelster and, for the last two seasons, a second-generation “Keeper” has kept a smile on the face of trainer Phil Coleman, Casie’s father, who has guided Keepers Destiny to an impressive record racing across Ontario — at his home base of Flamboro Downs, as well as Western Fair, Grand River Raceway, Woodbine and Rideau Carleton Raceway.
 
In 37 career starts, Keepers Destiny has won 11 times, hit the board 28 times, only missed a cheque on three occasions and has earned more than $136,000.
 
“It’s special for us all,” said Phil, 59, referring to the Keeper-Coleman legacy.
 
“That was Casie’s first horse and Merlin Howse was her first owner. And now (Keeper Flying’s) daughter comes along and has only missed a cheque three times in her career. That’s amazing. It’s just a special thing.”

 

 

 

 

  

Comments (0) Print

June 11, 2010

Gaynor golfers unfazed by rain

By Lauren Lee

Gaynor golfers unfazed by rain

For many golfers, there is nothing worse than an afternoon spent drudging around the course in soggy, saturated golf shoes while buffeting winds turn solid hits into struggles for par.

 

On June 9, the golfers taking part in Clinton Raceway’s seventh annual charity golf tournament overlooked such minor discomforts and turned out in droves to support a man who continues to face major challenges.

 

Since the fall of 2008, Gerry Gaynor (above, with wife Michelle) has been battling a brain tumour. The long-time horseman from Goderich, ON underwent surgery last November to remove the tumour and has faced many months of rehabilitation at Parkwood Hospital in London, ON.

 

Despite the rainy forecast, more than 130 golfers showed up for the event, held at Woodlands Links golf course in Clinton, ON, which also featured a dinner and silent auction.

 

By the late afternoon, the participants were treated to a better-late-than-never appearance by the warm sun and quickly dried out before dinner — when Gaynor and family, joined them.

 

All told, the tournament helped to raise more than $11,000 for the Gaynor family. The funds were raised not only through the golf portion of the day, but the silent auction, hole-in-one contests, hole sponsorships and dinner.

 

The tournament was just one of several big events for Clinton Raceway in 2010, the track’s 40th year.  On June 20, the feature races will be the Central Huron Stakes Finals, while July 4 marks the day of the official 40th anniversary celebrations. The track features live racing action every Sunday afternoon (post time 1:30 p.m.) from now until Sept. 19, 2010.

 

Comments (0) Print

May 26, 2010

Eckenstein still hooked on horses

By Lauren Lee

Eckenstein still hooked on horses

  

It’s not uncommon to run into someone with 15 years of experience in the horse racing business. In fact, time served in the industry is often counted in decades rather than years.
 
But when you’ve got 15 years under your belt and have yet to turn 18 — it’s safe to say that you are ahead of the curve.
 
As a three-year-old, Brianna Eckenstein graced the pages of The Canadian Sportsman back in October of 1995. The precocious little girl with the golden curls was shown in action in the barn, grooming her family’s pacer and new best friend Canvasback Sly (photo).
 
At the time she amazed her father Brian, a trainer, and her mother Debbie with her steadfast devotion to the horse and her enthusiasm for just about every job in the barn.
 
Not much has changed.
 
Brianna is still a mainstay in the barn at her parent’s farm in Denfield, ON and paddocks horses four nights a week at the races. She now owns two horses, El Miss Aces and Ingot Of Desire, outright and a quarter of three more and, next month, she intends to finally get that trainer’s license that she’s been prepping for over the last 15 years.
 
Just about the only thing that’s changed is that she no longer zig-zags between the horse’s legs like she did as a toddler with Canvasback Sly.
 
“He was my favourite horse,” said Brianna, who turns 18 in August, with emphasis. “I could go through his legs, walk around with hobbles — whatever. I could do anything with him. I remember that.”
 
Of late, she’s been making some new memories with three-year-old pacing filly El Miss Aces, who posted a 3-1-0 record from eight starts and earned $21,620 last season while racing across Ontario at Woodstock, Western Fair, Flamboro, Grand River and Woodbine.
 
“I paddock them all the time. I don’t think I’ve missed seeing one of them race yet,” she said of her horses.
 
“I definitely watch them, cheer them on and hopefully that helps get them going. I look like a freak, but I like to think that my horses can hear me,” she said, with a laugh.
 
She was sure screaming on Oct. 14, when El Miss Aces won a $24,000 Grassroots division of the Ontario Sires Stakes at Flamboro Downs with Dave Wall in the bike. It was a colourful win, thanks to both the peppy 1:58.4 mile and the filly’s hot pink harness.
 
The harness — one of two full sets of pink gear that Brianna liberally applies to her horses — generally prompts a few backstretch old-timers to tease the young woman they’ve watched grow up. They tell her it hurts their eyes. Without missing a beat, she offers a simple solution, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t look at it.’
 
She should just tell them to get used to it, because she plans on being around for a long time and the pink is here to stay.
 
“I want to be a trainer. I hope, for some period of time, to work for someone in Toronto just to get out there for experience. Then, I’d like to get back to my own horses and be a trainer.”
 
Finding someone to work for in Toronto shouldn’t be a problem. Having worked with horses since she was in diapers, Brianna Eckenstein’s resume speaks for itself.
 
Comments (0) Print
Displaying 1 to 3 of 15
Back To Current Blogs