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Tale Of The Tape

Harold Howe • Sep 12, 2022

The other day someone commented to me about the number of columns related to Bulldog Hanover that I have written for this blog. The suggestion was that I was turning into being a bit of a groupie. Aside from being insulted, it could not be further from the truth.


I have few regrets about my career as a harness racing journalist but one is that I did not chronicle the life and times of Somebeachsomewhere back in 2008. I was there the day he arrived at Baycairn Training Centre near Carlisle, Ontario to launch his three-year-old campaign. I did write a fair bit on the horses accomplishments but not to the depth that should have been done. This spawned the idea to do a deep dive on Bulldog Hanover to see what we could learn and this is the next column trying to unravel the mystery of why he is the way he is.


A few days prior to the Canadian Pacing Derby final, Jack Darling was gracious enough to allow me to measure the horse…as best I could. I had never undertaken such an exercise so it was a little bit of the blind leading the blind but this is what we came up with.


HEIGHT

Bulldog came in exactly at 16 hands but his caretaker Johnny Mallia noted something. He said that when preparing for battle this horse will puff up noticeably and likely was closer to 17 when like that. Many have noticed that he seems larger on the racetrack than when snapped into the crossties for brushing mid-week. But for the record he is 16 hands at rest.


WEIGHT

The most accurate way to weigh a horse or a large animal is with a stock scale but that was not available to us. Dr. Marc Desjardins of Milton Equine Hospital was very confident in recommending a simple equine measuring tape. He said these are reasonably accurate so one was found and we did the deed. The Bulldog came in at 953 pounds.

Jack Darling was not surprised that the horse came in under 1,000 pounds. He noted that it takes a good chunk of a horse for a Standarbred to reach 1,000 pounds. He also said that it would not take much for Bulldog to gain 50 pounds if given the opportunity.


LENGTH

Length is something that gets discussed more relative to trotters than pacers but we thought we would do it anyway. From the point of his shoulder to his rump, we got 66 inches which makes him two inches longer than he is tall for whatever that could mean.


GIRTH

In earlier column, Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky of Hanover Shoe Farms talked about the tremendous girth that Somebeachsomewhere had but did not have an exact measurement. So we took on that task as well. Bulldog measured 172 cm (67.7 inches) which Jack says he considers to be larger than most.


FOREHEAD WIDTH

No one I spoke with seems to be clear on what the forehead width between the eyes should be other than most wanted to see width. The belief seems to be that it is a sign of intelligence.

Darling declares himself to be one of those people. He did not want to see a narrow forehead.


EARS

One fellow trainer told me he is adamant that all the top horses have long ears. Not sure about that one.

“I don’t see a lot of long eared pacers which might be related to the sire lines but it is evident especially with trotting fillies for some reason. I guess Bulldog is normal”.


A KIND EYE

Many years ago when the late Bud Fritz was at the peak of his career, I interviewed him about his preferences on yearlings. Of all the things he could have said the first thing he looked for was a “kind eye”. I had never heard that expression to that time which he needed to explain to me.

“I know exactly what he meant. You look into the eye and there a certain calmness which means there is no wildness to the horse. I have seen some horses with an eye that just turns me right off,” says Darling.


HAND UNDER THE THROAT

Many, many trainers believe that successfully putting their hand under a horse’s throat is a good way to determine if there is good space for air to be taken in. Dr. Desjardins wanted me to ask Jack of this question but he said he knew the answer. Despite the fact there is no scientific proof in the least that is a good gauge, trainers including Jack Darling swear by it.

“I’ve been doing it all my career. There are many I turn down due to a narrow space and I believe 99 per cent of those did not amount to being the kind of horse I need. I’m sure there has been the odd one but I believe that test has saved me a ton of money”.


PASTERN

Ray Remmen suggested I try to get Jack to explain what he means by a long pastern with the right angle as being desirable. He said he is sure Jack will be unable to accurately answer but he knows it when he sees it from having looked at so many horses over the decades. Remmen said that Jack Kopas, Bill Wellwood and Doug Ackerman were all cut from the same cloth.

“Ray is right. Looking from the side of the horse I just know what the angle should be but I cannot tell you in degrees. Some are too straight and a lot are too low and weak in the pastern which is a sign of immaturity. That scares me. I also don’t want them overly long but can’t tell you in inches what that is. It is very important”.


FEET

One of my prize possession is a shoe worn by Cam Fella which Pat Crowe was kind enough to gift to me exactly 40 years ago. Cam was regarded by most as being a small horse although by the time he finished his first season at stud he was regarded as average.

Just for comparison’s sake I brought that shoe and compared it to one of Bulldog Hanover’s which can be seem in the accompanying photo. One might say that Bulldog is one size larger in foot and certainly physique.

“I put a great deal of value in a horse’s foot. The foot must match the size of the horse. Some bigger framed yearlings have feet that are too small. As for colour I would prefer that all are dark. I am one of those with a slight fear that white feet could be a sign of weakness. And comparing to Cam Fella’s shoe was interesting for me too”.


TESTICLES

Rest assured no attempt to measure Bulldog’s testicles was done. Instead, I called Ann Straatman at Seelster Farms assuming that a measurement had been taken in assessing him for stud duty.

“We did not as generally it is done only when acquiring fertility insurance. He will be syndicated but even there I think it will not be necessary. The proof of his virility is the fact he bred 80 mares and got a 91 percent conception rate”. (Just as an aside Seelster Farms have 10 mares in foal to the Bulldog).

Jack does not wear a stud support on Bulldog Hanover stating it is virtually a thing of the past. He has used them in years gone by but it was Ron Waples who convinced him they were of little value.

“When I look at a yearling I do check quickly to see they look normal and I have seen some that are small to the point of being very small. I steer clear of riggings so would never have bought Cam Fella”.


HOPPLES

The morning that I went to Classy Lane Training Centre to measure Bulldog I ran into Paul MacDonnell. Spontaneously I asked him if Somebeachsomewhere could have raced free legged. If anyone would know it would be him. I asked that because the late Jack Kopas had declared to me that Somebeachsomewhere was the most perfectly gaited and efficient horse he had ever seen.

“Absolutely not. There was an occasion I was asked to take him to go a mile and he had no hopples. Went right into a little gallop and I looked like a complete moron. I’m not sure if he just liked to feel the hopple when he extended or what but he had an enormous stride for a 60” hopple. But free-legged was not his thing”.

Jack stated that Bulldog goes with a 61 inch hopple and might be able to go a bit longer but who would chance that? “I don’t think he could go free-legged though not given the speed he has to race at”.


HEADPOLES

Darling has two on The Bulldog but he puts it down to more his own preference.

“I use headpoles a lot and probably more than some other trainers. I’m fussy about making sure they go straight but I’m sure he could race without them”.


MISCELLANEOUS

When asked if one could look at a yearling too many times Jack had this to say…”If I think I like one I will look at least three times and maybe five times. I like to have a good first impression that it is my type of horse.  Is it the kind I look for and then I set about picking him apart”.


“People have asked Dexter (Dunn) what it was like to be in that 1:45.4 mile. Had I been asked I would have said no different than any of the previous winning miles. The fastest ride I ever had was 1:52 aboard Beaumond Hanover here at Classy Lane two years ago. I believe that the top horses produce these crazy fast miles and the driver does not realize how fast that it because the horse does it so easily. Nothing really changes when you are aboard as they do it so easily”.


“I’ve been asked about what mares I would suggest mating with Bulldog. It does not take much thought to think that daughters of Somebeachsomewhere and his sons like Capataintreacherous, Stay Hungry, Downbytheseaside and Huntsville would be a good place to start. And then there are a ton of Bettors Delight fillies. He is fortunate that he has all these options”.


There still a couple other story angles that will be forthcoming about the extraordinary Bulldog Hanover. A groupie I am not but a great admirer I am and appreciative of having so much access to this brilliant performer.

Enter Matt Bax

By Harold Howe • 07 Nov, 2022
Matt Bax is the new trainer of record for the Bax Stable. That announcement came late Friday. The 32-year-old horseman will take over the spotlight from his father John after some 40 years of running a public stable. It comes in the wake of the Campbellville, Ontario operation posting stable of winnings of $1,936,494, its highest since 2002. There are plenty of story lines related to the Bax stable season but one that never fails to amaze this writer is the dismissal of a stable’s average earnings per starter. If that is not important to the bottom line…well, what is. The barn averaged $9,091 per appearance from 213 starts. Now the banker for the Bax team is only interested in the figure in the bottom right hand corner of the ledger. It better be in black ink and the larger the better but what average earnings per starter measures is consistency. That is the ultimate goal in every single sport known to man. The Bax Stable has been for a number of years now a true partnership between the father and son. Only this year has Matt received any acknowledgement in the game. Last winter, John made his annual sojourn for the winter months to Palema Trotting in Vero Beach Florida. He took just six yearling fillies. Matt was left with the balance which included four two-year-olds headed by $631,000 winner Duly Resolved and 15 yearlings for a total of 19 head. The Campbellville farm operation was all his until April as his father basked in the sunshine. Be very clear…John blew no snow last winter. The total result was remarkable with 20 of the 21 yearlings in total qualifying. The one went to the qualifiers but did not succeed and was turned out. Remember, these are all trotters. In addition to having the responsibility of bring 2021 champ Duly Resolved (198,000) back to the races, Matt orchestrated the development of Snowpiercer ($178,000), Oh Look Magic ($149,000), Southwind Coors ($88,000), Quite Fast ($73,000) and Deadline Hall ($70,000). This was in addition to keeping things ticking over at the farm as well. While Matt has no intention to become a top driver (he lacks the attitude), he did show he most definitely has a way with problematic trotters. Oh Look Magic is a handful to put it charitably. He gets worked up prior to the start of the race and will not relax until he gets to the front so it makes him one dimensional. Bax showed he knows the colt though when he guided him to a win in a $95,000 elimination of the William Wellwood and then promptly took himself off the horse for the $665,000 final in favour of James MacDonald. Few if any would make such a decision and speaks volumes to his focus of doing what is best for the horse. Regrettably, that move was ill-fated after a very odd race and he finished out of the money but the intent was there. Another good example of his mentoring ability is Watch A Pro, a Grassroots player that suffers from anxiety problems behind the gate. The addition of trotting hopples and a patient approach turned him into a useful performer. Regrettably, he blew apart at the start of the $60,000 Grassroots final but eight months could get him over that issue. So now the table has been reset or almost. Heading into the Harrisburg auction the stable is constructed quite differently. No less than 15 of the juveniles are being carried over into 2023. So far there are 16 yearlings as compared with 21 last year. The plan is for Righteous Resolve to head for Florida along with five yearlings leaving Matt with the 15 returnees and at least 10 yearlings. There is also Duly Resolved. In many ways it was a disappointing year for that horse who battled allergies and stomach issues all season. $198,000 is nothing to sneeze at but more was hoped for. The decision was made the retain the gelding and try a little different approach for next season. The actual racing of horses for Team Bax ended with the Breeders Crown but that does not mean there is any downtime. Even before that, the next yearling crop was in the harness. So the new public face of the Bax Stable is Matt and John regresses somewhat not unlike what Mark Steacy has done with Shawn Steacy. That barn won $2.7 million in 2022. At 32 years of age, Matt has more or less taken the traditional route of a proper apprenticeship in learning about training horses and the business of operating a stable. There were no short cuts taken as so many do. Everything says he is totally ready for this move. It’s more or less the way things should be done in becoming a professional horse trainer.

Dave And The Healing Horse

By Harold Howe • 12 Oct, 2022
It’s difficult to imagine the feeling one would feel when they are told they have cancer. It is even more unimaginable to comprehend living with the dreaded disease for nearly 20 years. But that has been the life of Dave Hudson. Dave is many things, but one that is near and dear to his heart is that of being a co-owner of Duly Resolved who will head postward Saturday night in the $225,000 Ontario Sires Stake Super Final for three-year-old trotting colts at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Hudson who makes his home in Dallas, Texas, is a native of St. Thomas, Ontario. He’s been involved in horse ownership for many years after his father first took him to the races as a boy. Today, he has horses with Matt/John Bax and Trevor Henry. He is a former National Hockey League centre. He played 409 games with the New York Islanders, Kansas City /Scouts and Colorado Rockies from 1969 to 1978. A Stanley Cup is not in his resume but a lifetime of memories from those 10 years is and today at age 72 he still maintains many hockey connections and friends from that era. ColorMark is a printing firm he and partners started 29 years ago. From the startup stage with 6 employees it is now remains a privately owned company with just under 100 employees. It specializes in high end printing, owns its expansive building and does $20 million in business annually. In 2003 Hudson was diagnosed with cancer, specifically multiple myeloma. “It was reasonably manageable up until two and a half years ago. It has been quite a challenge since but on July 1 I underwent a stem cell transplant. I was hospitalized for 16 days but I’m expecting to get word next week that I am cancer free. If so, I’ve been told I should be good for at least five years”. Hudson is quick to admit that his involvement with Duly Resolved played a significant role in dealing with his health problems. “I guess I’ve had horses with the Baxs for 10 years. Duly was purchased in the fall of 2020 and I took a piece of the colt. He was just a $30,000 colt but as early as January the Baxs both told me that he might be something special. They were right on the money. I cannot tell you how much I looked forward to seeing him race. Like me, maybe he is a bit of an overachiever”. Duly dominated the early Ontario Sires Stakes last year but the most exciting time came in the $1 million Mohawk Million. He was a charging second to Venerable, arguably one of the best two year old trotting filly’s ever to look through a bridle for a 90 day period. The gelding finished the year with $660,000 but it was the pride of involvement that registered with Hudson. The youngster faded somewhat in the remaining races but Hudson never wavered. “He won his first Gold this year but then ran into health problems which turned out to be allergies and a bit of stomach ailment which kept him from eating like he should. But I never lost faith he would come around. It appears the Baxs found the keys because in his last Gold event at Western Fair he showed he was back. It was a terrific effort and we have big hopes for the Super Final Saturday night at Mohawk. He looks to be right back on his game”. And if things go well there will be a start in the Breeders Crown at Mohawk as well. “Through my illness I’ve had so much support from people even dating back to my days in college. Then there is my family and of course Duly. I cannot say enough about the horse”. It’s easy to get emotional hearing Hudson’s story. And it is so refreshing to hear someone so devoted to a horse and not because of the earning power. There is a good chance Duly will be retained to race in 2023. Not many people noticed, but Hudson was in attendance at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. He came up as a partner on two yearlings including the $120,000 (US) Resolve colt purchased from Cool Creek Farm. “You should not forget about our two-year-old trotter Southwind Coors (Walner) who I am a partner on. He is still a maiden but look at his lines. We have big hopes for him and will start him in the Breeders Crown. He could be the big sleeper”. It is an exciting time for Hudson. His health appears the best it has been in years, he’s connected to two quality horses and he’s in the process of adding reinforcements from the yearling sales. People tend not to think of harness horses as being therapeutic animals. Ask Dave Hudson and he will tell you they are dead wrong.

Brad Has His Say…

By Harold Howe • 02 Oct, 2022
Boredom can be a terrible thing for some people. Take Brad Grant in mid-June 2021. Grant owns a number of trucking companies including John Grant Haulage. Covid was still prevalent and he was working from his Milton, Ontario home. He then had this notion to call trainer Jack Darling for a casual chat but it is my experience there are no such things as casual chats. Grant and Darling have some history over the years. The call was not something out of the blue. It started off innocently but by the time the call concluded the groundwork was laid for Grant to purchase a 50 percent interest in Bulldog Hanover. “I had watched the horse race as a two-year-old. We just had a nice chat that night and I made the casual comment that if he ever wanted to sell part of the horse I’d like to talk with him. He had not thought of selling before that and it all took about five minutes”, recalls Grant. Darling later told this writer that Grant was one of the very few if not the only person he would have entertained as a partner. Jack is pretty much a solo act has said he likes to think of himself as a businessman who races horses. Here was an opportunity to take a very nice chunk of change off the table, eliminate some of the risk, still retain a half share and be able to continue to train and race the horse. Just an intelligent piece of business. It also is quite likely the best piece of business that Grant has ever done with horses. He is a businessman too but it is the horses that give him his greatest satisfaction. “Listen, my role in Bulldog is just that of cheerleader. I’m flattered that Jack let me in. While we talk regularly, the decisions regarding the racing of the horse are all his.” By mid-September, Grant’s decision looked to be positively brilliant as Bulldog Hanover went into the $1 million North America Cup as the heavy favourite. But we all know what the result of that was. “That one hurt. Along with a lot of other people I thought he was a winner going in. That race is a bit sentimental for me because my Dad won it with Bettors Delight all those years ago. I don’t know what happened and Jack does not know what happened to this day. Nothing wrong was found with the horse’s health so all I can say is that it was just not meant to be. But I am still not convinced the best horse won that race or the remaining races Bulldog lost. I ended the year believing he was the better horse”. At this point Grant again expresses his admiration for Darling. “Bulldog won his last four starts at three so was put away in a great frame of mind. That was part of what has happened this season. Jack is a total professional who cares about the horse first. Not once has there been any second guessing on my part. It has all been the most wonderful experience”. But even then there was a hiccup in May’s Juravinski Cup at Flamboro Downs. That half-mile track proved his undoing but then the onslaught began. Last night’s victory in the Dayton Derby makes it four (count that FOUR) months since The Bulldog tasted defeat - an 11 race undefeated string that has earned the partners $1.2 million. “Most people talk about the four wins at the Meadowlands in 22 days but they are missing the fact that in his last start at Mohawk before shipping to New Jersey, he made a big statement. Then getting Dexter Dunn to drive was a big step and a huge decision on his part. Walking away from Rockyroad Hanover and Tony Alagna was an enormous decision but Dexter comes across to me as being very analytical. And when he drives he reminds me of Wayne Gretzky who seemed to know where the puck was going next rather than where it is in the moment”. Interestingly, of all the races it was the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby win that Grant talked the most about. “He just crushed the field and the way he did it left the crowd in awe that night. Overpowering which says a lot because in so many of the starts he just drove away from the field. Sooner or later one has to think he will get beaten but I believe he is the type that if that happens he will come back the next start and be right back on his game”. Grant gives full credit to Darling for coming up with the idea to breed the horse this past spring. “He’d been thinking about it and asked what I thought. Why not I said so we’ll be reaping the reward of that. He got 80 mares which I thought was pretty good but there will be a lot more next season. And there will be some very, very good mares.” Grant is quite proud of the fact that the horse has captured the attention of people particularly in the United States. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been involved with Atlanta and Romona Hill but this is much bigger. He has star power and people want to see him. He is a generational horse”. So the next step is The Red Mile and the Allerage next Sunday. If the team is lucky enough to hit a perfect October day on Kentucky they may take a run at trying to improve on his 1:45.4 record but winning the race gets the greater priority. “I’m a great believer that records are made to be broken. The weather there may not be the greatest so that would negate any shot but it would be great just to see how fast he could go. I’d love to see him break it and just have to pray to the man upstairs for good things to happen”. Bulldog Hanover has absolutely nothing left to prove in terms of his speed, ability to win against all comers and overall greatness. However, Brad Grant has to prove he can make another casual telephone call pay off.
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