Behind the Gate ‘Ygfi 
     
     must do lor our horses. 'l'hey must be 
     
     led. exercised. cleaned. shod and 
     
     watered on a regular basis. ’l’heir stalls 
     
     must be clean, If they haye problems 
     
     with their knees. feet or something else. 
     
    
   
   
    
     they must be attended to immediately. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ln 1998. this talented teamster droye a 
     
    
   
   
    
     sensational three—year—old trotting l‘illy lor 
     
    
   
   
    
     Duncan Maclx’ay that would gi\‘e this dri— 
     
     yer his yery best experience or moment 
     
     in the game. This trotting sensation won 
     
     all ol‘ her races as a threcuyeaiut>ld. In 
     
     fact. she was defeated only once in the 
     
     Atlantic region. She won the l‘inal ol‘ the 
     
     Dairy Queen at the (3.1).1). in 2:()l.2 which 
     
     was still a track record lor lilly trotters. 
     
     Barney fondly remembered that race. 
     
     “She was tons the best that year. During 
     
     the race. I rememl')er somebody roaring 
     
     in the upper turn to gi\e her her head. 
     
     She probably could haye gone in 2:00 
     
     that day and set the track record at that 
     
     time but I wasnt worrying about a track 
     
     record. I was just trying to get her 
     
     around and win the race. It was a really 
     
     nice l‘eeling when I hit the wire." Shortly 
     
     alter that record‘setting race. .lliss [yr/r 
     
     .llac was sold and she went to \‘y'indsor. 
     
     Duncan tried to buy her back as a brood— 
     
     mare but was informed that she had 
     
     become colicky and had to be humanely 
     
     put down. l'nt‘ortunately. the racing 
     
     career and life ol‘ .lll'ss Kay .lluc. a lady 
     
     with great potential. ended prematurely. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Barney and Duncan would neyer lorget 
     
    
   
   
    
     5 
     
    
   
   
    
           
     
    
   
   
    
     Barney McGuigan 
     
    
   
   
    
     .llz‘ss Kay .1Iac or that memorable day. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In a complete turn. I asked this \‘eteran 
     
     trainer driyer to describe his worst expe— 
     
     rience. He answered. “I was driying 
     
     (flu/r/o/les (.‘beer lor (Iecil Ladner. Brian 
     
     Ladner and Keith l’igot in a two-year—old 
     
     \V’a lte r 
     
    
   
   
    
     Cheyerie was driying Bob Craswell's 
     
    
   
   
    
     l‘illy stake race at lnyerness. 
     
    
   
   
    
     .llmzqr Don? .llul/er and l was sitting 
     
     right behind her. In the stretch driye. 
     
     with horses on both sides of us. Money 
     
     Don't .lla/ler went down so quickly that 
     
     there was no way I could get around her. 
     
     It happened right at the wire and I went 
     
     right oyer her. I didn‘t remember any— 
     
     thing alter the accident until I woke up 
     
     later in the hospital. I had four yery sore 
     
     broken ribs and was unable to work for 
     
     eight weeks. That was an experience I 
     
     would not wish on anyone." 
     
    
   
   
    
     I asked him what single best piece ol~ 
     
     adyice he would gi\e a youngster who 
     
     was contemplating a career in harness 
     
     racing. To this question he replied. “I 
     
     would adyise that young person to pur— 
     
     chase an inexpensiye experienced horse 
     
     and learn l‘rom that horse. lixperiment 
     
     and try to improye the horse. Dont be 
     
     too proud to seek adyice from Veterans at 
     
     the track. (iiye your horse lots ol atten— 
     
     tion and good care. Determine if you 
     
     can handle the responsibility because 
     
     your horse requires care and attention 
     
     eyery day ol the week lor the whole year. 
     
    
   
   
    
     “11‘ was a really Izz'c‘c)_/eelz'1'zg when I bit [be wire. ’ 
     
    
   
   
    
     83