Kenny Arsenault w 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1986 at the age of 20. a watershed took 
     
     place in Kenny‘s career. At that time. he 
     
     was working in the joe Arsenault Stable 
     
     when John "Buddy" Campbell decided to 
     
     give up his stable to act as classifier and 
     
     official starter at the (2.1).1’. He asked 
     
     Kenny to take over his stable on a trial 
     
     basis for six to eight months. It was a 
     
     momentous decision because of the high 
     
     responsibility it entailed but this talented 
     
     trainer/driver was not about to refuse this 
     
     opportunity. The first horses in the 
     
     Kenny Arsenault Stable were Hidden 
     
     Ammo. Pride o/‘Bean. Blarney Stone RR". 
     
     and Sontbport for Davis (Campbell: Cabot 
     
     for Robert McGee: and Brand .\'en‘ 
     
     Hooper for his father Alfred. Frank 
     
     Roberts and himself. This successful trial 
     
     evolved over the years and produced a 
     
     horseman who was among the best 
     
     known of Atlantic horsemen. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Most drivers have no difficulty recounting 
     
     their first official drive in a race. Kenny's 
     
    
   
   
    
     first drive was with \l"1'.\‘/)er.\'i/h' Ric/‘2 for 
     
    
   
   
    
     owner Gerald Morrissey. lle remem— 
     
     bered it well because there was a 13 
     
     minute delay. Paddock iudge Jerry 
     
     McCabe announced to the drivers there 
     
     would be a delay because of a malfunc— 
     
     tion at the pari—mutuel. It seemed like a 
     
     plot and someone was trying to psych 
     
     him out before his first race. Kenny left 
     
     in the trailing position and moved first 
     
     over at the half with Albert Bernard and 
     
     Horns/(Ir gaining his cover. Kenny lost 
     
     that race to Albert in a photo in 3:0". 
     
    
   
   
    
     Kenny had four drives that night and got 
     
    
   
   
    
     170 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     his first lifetime win with his last drive of 
     
     the night. It was a rainy. cold December 
     
     night and he was driving Donmarjj for 
     
     his uncle. Joe. Kenny explained. "He 
     
     was a puller and it was a runaway. I 
     
     couldn't hold him. He won in 2:08. 
     
     Everybody complimented me on a great 
     
     drive but I couldn't hold him. He just ran 
     
     away!" That would be his first trip to the 
     
     \X’inners‘ Circle as a driver. There would 
     
     be many more. 
     
    
   
   
    
     I asked Kenny to select a few of his most 
     
     memorable horses and it was a difficult 
     
     chore. Airborne A1]. owned by the 
     
     I’arkdale Stable had raw speed. He 
     
     drove a tough Order To Go for trainer Ian 
     
     Reid and won the Provincial Cup at 
     
     Exhibition Raceway in 1254.4 in the 
     
     fastest deadbeat ever in the Atlantic 
     
     region. (llengr/e .llztr/ owned by ~Iames 
     
     Roach Mact‘iregor was a champion 
     
     Buddy\t"/.)(Il.\‘/.nsn(inie was owned by the 
     
     Blackhorse Stable of .\loncton and Kenny 
     
     drove him to victory in 30 of 28 starts and 
     
     never finished worse than second. lie 
     
     co—owned a gritty lv'elnmh'IIai/l/ with his 
     
     best friend. l)r. Maurice (Ioady. Kenny 
     
     owned Brand New ’lroo/Jer with his 
     
     father. Alfred and l’rank Roberts and this 
     
     horse probably got him started more than 
     
     any other horse because he won quite a 
     
     few races with him early in his career. 
     
     Kenny was certainly involved with many 
     
     other memorable and quality horses but 
     
     these were his top six until he drove 
     
     i‘l.\‘/)‘()ll()}}I/('(l/ in 3008. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Who was his favorite horse? Kenny