Off and Running

y Bob Gates

Has there ever been a more iconic catchphrase in all of horse racing? Who remembers that it also doubled as the name of a weekly newspaper feature that ran in the United States and Canada from 1960 to 1972?

These shortest of short stories were written by John Day, director of the Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) Service Bureau, and illustrated by Joe King, former cartoonist and illustrator for the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

Granted, some of the information is dated, but it serves as a series of “thumbnail essays” about horses, racing in general, and answers to questions that came across the desk of the TRA Service Bureau throughout the years.

This week, we have a selection from the hundreds of stories that graced sports pages all over North America. And yes, our own Assiniboia Downs was well represented in these informative panels.

What better place to start than with local horse racing legend and former Downs General Manager Scotty Kennedy and his 37-cent purchase of Omar’s Gift in the spring of 1942? Later that same year, Scotty’s filly would go on to win the 13th running of the Winnipeg Futurity.

Ever wonder how horses deal with dirt and rain during a race? Well, John Day had the answer.

“Off and Running” also provided the history of racing terms.

In some cases, the sands of time have erased the names of legendary runners like Pan Zareta, yet the mare’s story still begs to be told.

Day’s next story tells of the records set by Swaps and Dr. Fager. These thoroughbred champions once dominated the sports pages, but that was more than a half-century ago.

Not all thoroughbreds gained their notoriety on the racetrack. One such “warhorse” was Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s horse, Vic.

Who knew? Our very own Assiniboia Downs’ 1,100-foot stretch run is longer than the homestretch at Belmont Park, the site of the third jewel in the American Triple Crown.

The last of our “golden nuggets” comes from the Van Wert Times Bulletin in Ohio, dated August 3, 1970. Downs trainer Carl Anderson once described the events of June 25, 1969, as his “most memorable moment!”

In another one of his turf tales, John Day quoted horseplayer Dr. Albert Hammond, who was also professor emeritus of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and author of a philosophical thesis called Properties and Vagaries:

“My thesis is that the life of an actual man in the world is frequently, not always, better if it includes playing the races… irrespective of whether he thereby increases his or anyone’s wealth.”

So right you are, Doc… so right you are!