2024 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Inductees

The results of the voting conducted by the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (CHRHF) Standardbred Election Committees have been counted, and the CHRHF harness racing Class of 2024 has been officially confirmed. Previously, the CHRHF Board decided that the Class of 2024 would consist of six inductees for each breed. They also allowed the Nomination Committee to choose only five categories if necessary, and in that case, two inductees would be selected from one category to reach a total of six inductees per breed.

The Election Committee, composed of 20 individuals for each breed, voted on the list of finalists in the designated categories. The following individuals and horses have been announced as members of the CHRHF Class of 2024 and will be formally honoured in an induction ceremony on Wednesday, August 7. More details about the event, including ticket information, will be disclosed in early May.

Class of 2024 – Standardbred Inductees

Dr. Moira Gunn, DVM – Builder

Sylvain Filion – Driver

Ed Tracey – Driver

Bee A Magician – Female Horse

Dr. Ian Moore, DVM – Trainer

Ross “Cowboy” Curran – Veteran

Equine Veterinary and Breeding Career

Dr. Moira Gunn completed her veterinary education at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, Scotland. She then pursued a postgraduate internship at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, followed by a two-year residency in large animal surgery. After her formal education, she gained experience working alongside Dr. Carl Juul Neilson at Belmont Racetrack.

In January 1988, Dr. Gunn began her career at Armbro Farms, a prominent Standardbred breeding operation in Canada, initially serving as the farm veterinarian. Over time, she progressed through various positions, including Manager, Vice-President, and eventually President from 2000 to 2004, following the guidance of her mentor, Dr. Glen Brown.

Throughout her career, Dr. Gunn held several other important roles within the industry. She served as the Director of the E.P. Taylor Equine Research Fund and Co-Chair of the Equine Guelph Advisory Council. She also held the position of President of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario and served as a Director, Vice-President, and member of multiple committees for the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society. Additionally, she was a Director for the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association and Standardbred Canada. Dr. Gunn played a significant role in the amalgamation of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society and the Canadian Trotting Association, resulting in the formation of Standardbred Canada.

As part of Paradox Farm, Dr Gunn engaged in breeding activities for both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, including the notable achievement of breeding Queen's Plate winner Lexie Lou. After her tenure at Armbro Farms, she operated her private equine practice, specialising in stallion management, embryo transfer and freezing, and addressing reproductive challenges faced by difficult-to-breed mares.

A Driving Force in Canadian Harness Racing

Sylvain Filion, the current representative of the respected Filion harness racing family, has achieved an impressive feat of winning over 10,000 races, making him the sole driver to accomplish this milestone primarily in Canada. In 1999, he was chosen to represent Canada in the World Driving Championship, where he secured a gold medal for his country. This victory added to the family legacy, as his esteemed uncle Herve had previously won the inaugural championship in 1970.

Filion's exceptional skills and accomplishments have been recognised with four O'Brien Awards, which honour him as Canada's top driver in the years 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Throughout his career, he has driven horses that have collectively earned over $140 million in purses. Even at the age of 55, Filion shows no signs of slowing down. In 2023, he triumphed in over 200 races, contributing to total purse earnings of nearly $6 million.

Ed Tracey, who was born in Weyburn, Sask. in 1943, hailed from a family deeply involved in Standardbred ownership, training, and driving. At the age of 15, he acquired his driving license. Initially participating in race meets with three heats per day in his home province, his passion for harness racing led him to travel across six Canadian provinces and various states in the United States.

Throughout a remarkable career spanning 55 years, Tracey achieved 3,168 victories as a driver, accumulating over $7.5 million in prize money. The pinnacle of his achievements occurred in 1978 when he triumphed in the ice racing championship on Ottawa's Rideau Canal. Recognitions for his accomplishments include being named Alberta Horseman of the Year in 1978 and receiving the Dr. Clara Christie Award in 1998, which honoured his contributions to Alberta's harness racing industry. Additionally, an annual race held at Century Downs in Alberta bears his name as a tribute to his legacy. 

Record-Breaking Trotter

Bee A Magician, a trotting mare, achieved great success in her racing career from the age of two to six. She was named the Horse of the Year in Canada and the U.S. in 2013 and won the prestigious Breeders Crown twice. With a total of 72 starts, she had an impressive lifetime race record of 45 wins, 14 second-place finishes, and 3 third-place finishes.

During her two-year-old season, Bee A Magician triumphed in the Peaceful Way Stakes and the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. Her outstanding performances earned her the O'Brien Award for the Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year. At the age of three, she added notable races such as the Breeders Crown, Hambletonian Oaks, Elegantimage, Delvin Miller Memorial, Moni Maker, and Simcoe Stakes to her achievements. She was crowned the Dan Patch and O'Brien Horse of the Year in 2013, as well as the Dan Patch and O'Brien Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year, thanks to her flawless record of 17 wins.

At the age of five, Bee A Magician continued her winning streak with victories in races like the Maple Leaf Trot and Armbro Flight. Once again, she received the Dan Patch and O'Brien awards. In her final year on the track in 2016, she emerged victorious in the Yonkers Invitational Trot and the Mack Lobell Elitlopp Playoff. Throughout her career, she competed against top-level competition, including both male and female opponents, and amassed a total of $4,196,145 in earnings, making her the highest-earning trotter in harness racing history to have exclusively raced in North America.

Veterinarian's Journey as a Trainer

Dr. Ian Moore, who was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, has led a dual career as both a veterinarian and a Standardbred trainer. During his early years working with Standardbreds, his horses played a crucial role in financing his veterinary education. While he officially started his training career in 1971, it is in the last two decades that Dr. Moore has achieved remarkable success and actively participated in the Ontario Sires Stakes. Throughout his career, he has trained horses at the highest level, accumulating an impressive total of over $23 million in winnings. Racing primarily in Ontario, he has consistently averaged over $1 million per year, reaching a personal record of $3.1 million in 2023. What sets Dr Moore apart is not only his accomplishments in Canadian horse racing but also the fact that he has achieved this level of success while managing a relatively small stable of only 10-15 horses.

Dr. Moore's training achievements are truly noteworthy. He has trained a remarkable 69 horses, each of which has earned over $100,000. Additionally, he has coached 14 horses with earnings exceeding $500,000, 20 horses that have earned more than $75,000, and seven horses that have accumulated over $1 million in winnings—among them, one horse surpassed the $3 million mark. Some of the notable horses he has trained include Astronomical, Malicious, State Treasurer, Arthur Blue Chip, Rockin In Heaven, Percy Bluechip, Century Farroh, Lawless Shadow, Stockade Seelster, Tattoo Artist, and Shadow Play, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2022 and has become an exceptional sire of top racehorses in recent times. Dr Moore has been honoured with 15 O'Brien Awards, including two for Horsemanship and the prestigious Trainer of the Year title in 2023.

A Harness Racing Legend

The late Ross Curran was renowned for his exceptional natural talent and his unique approach in handling difficult-to-manage horses. At the age of 16, Curran embarked on his harness racing career in Smiths Falls, Ontario. By the time he turned 20, he had already claimed his first driving title at Connaught Park. Throughout his career, he continued to amass numerous driving titles and established himself as a prominent driver at various tracks including Mohawk, Greenwood, Garden City, Blue Bonnets, Richelieu Park, and Rideau Carleton. His competitors included esteemed figures such as Keith Waples, Bill Wellwood, Ron Feagan, and Ron Waples, all of whom are now in the Hall of Fame.

Between 1964 and 1973, 'Cowboy' Curran held the distinction of being the leading dash winner in Ontario. Over ten years, he maintained an impressive average winning percentage of .317. His outstanding performance during those years earned him the recognition of being ranked as the second and third-best driver in North America. According to the Universal Driver Rating System statistics, Curran finished in the top three in nearly 50 per cent of his 8,686 career starts. He recorded a total of 1,711 victories and accumulated over $2.7 million in lifetime earnings.

In 1988, Curran was inducted into the Sportsman Hall of Fame in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Living Legend Award by the Ontario Harness Horse Association. He formed successful partnerships with notable horses like JJs Tequila and collaborated with owners such as John Grant. Notably, Curran's expertise extended beyond driving, as he established himself as one of the top trainers in the field.