and is the fastest horse I ever owned. He held the trotting record of 159.1 at the C.D.P. with driver Bill Hicken. I never drove this horse in a race. Magic Dexter was a pacer that made $58,000 for me and never left the Maritimes. I would have liked to have seen her race on a big track. Harrods Route was a nice pacing mare that won a lot of big races including the Dairy Queen at Sydney for $38,000 with Clare MacDonald driving. This mare would only race for six weeks at a time because her lungs would get bad. True Lady Lou was the first horse that I ever owned on my own. She was a nice little mare that I raced in the stakes. She bowed a tendon. Morleys Pride was a good horse called after my younger brother. This horse and I were involved in a bad accident on the track in 1962. 019 That Treasure held the track trotting record at the Summerside Raceway for quite a few years. She had success in the Atlantic Sires Stakes. She was the dam of Maple Leaf Hawk. Maple Leaf Dare was undefeated in the two—year—old Atlantic Sires Trotting Stakes, until he had a career ending accident. He meant a lot to me. Maple Leaf Noble won 27 consecutive races as a colt."

Maple Leaf Bramble was Ralph’s favorite horse. In Atlantic Sires Stakes, he was undefeated as a two— and three—year—old. He won the first prestigious and lucrative Rothman’s Cup for two-year-old trotters. He raced against and defeated invitation— al pacers at the GDP. when he was five. He was the first quality horse that Ralph

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Behind the Gate

raced. Bramble took Ralph to Montreal for one winter where Ralph raced him with success and then sold him. He had great ability and great courage and was able to bounce back after experiencing difficulties in his sophomore year.

I asked Ralph if there was any one race he remembered more than all the others in his lengthy career. Ralph had difficul— ty selecting one particular race; however, he was justifiably proud of the fact that he once won 24 races in stakes action during one year. That year he won the award in the Maritimes for Trainer-of—the— Year. Ralph loved to vxin a race and his latest win was usually his most memo— rable. That victory w>uld often make him believe that that particular horse might have some real potential.

One event that Ralph didn’t expect to win was a two—year—old futurity at the C DP with] Orland C ard that was a long while ago. He stated, There Was a big field of horses in that event and they could go pretty good. George Callbeck had the two favorites and Lem Neill drove one of his entries All of the colts were making their first start and it was a double dash event. In the first heat, I got to the front. controlled 'he race and was able to win in 2:24. I nust have scared them because they followed me again in the second heat and ‘/ ('rland C. won in 2:26. We sold the colt :0 Sam Johnston right after the race and le went to the Joe Hennessey Stable.”