By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: It had been 30 years since a jockey appeared at the podium during a BC Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony when Chris Loseth made Honoured Members status in May, 2009. Up until then the only name listed under Horse Racing in the local Hall…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: Carmen Kramer, program coordinator for the New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society, wants to make one point crystal clear. “When people hear the word ‘retired’ they think old and slow,” she says. “That is not the case with the thoroughbred horses we have under our care.…
BY Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: When Pat Jarvis was asked to create a memorial blanket for today’s fifth race – the Mark Walker Purse – she immediately searched her inventory for something in pink. “Mark always wore a pink helmet cover,” says the full-time trainer and part-time seamstress. “It was…
Vancouver, B.C. (June 16/18) – Jockey Aaron Gryder won the last two races on Saturday’s card – including the feature $50,000 Strawberry Morn – and still found time to acknowledge a gentleman’s 84th birthday between victories at Hastings Racecourse. With all the traditional handshakes and high-fives with owners and trainers, Gryder surprised legendary Vancouver…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: Since his father’s passing in 2009, Tom Locke has been placing $100 wagers in his honour on potential Kentucky Derby winners. This year Locke took things a step further in memory of his Dad and picked Justify prior to the Kentucky Derby to become only…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: An enormous amount of the 4,000 published photos Ralph Bower shot over his 41-year career at the Vancouver Sun originated from the PNE grounds. Think about it: during the 1950s and ensuing three decades, the city’s sports action centered around the Canucks at the Forum…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: In the aftermath of the Belmont buzz and bustle, it seems an appropriate time for a little ‘puppy love’. Almost a decade ago when the Wiener Dog Races were introduced to fans at Hastings Racecourse there were critics and naysayers convinced that the novelty would…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: Norm Fridleifson of the Hastings Racecourse security staff will occasionally glance over to the grandstand area on any given race day to see if a certain lady is in the house and comfortably seated where she enjoys her privacy. The lady is Mrs. Avelino Gomez,…