By Kyle Burton

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 is the year of the rabbit; bringing with it a year for which we can catch our breath and calm our nerves. 2011 was a hopping year at Truro Raceway, with its fair share of unforgettable races and sensational performances.
In the past 12 months, Truro Raceway has had its fair share of ups and downs. We had two new track records and some people close to us passed away. A few nasty accidents sent drivers and upset horse lovers. We also witnessed some heartwarming stories on the racetrack and the generosity of the many great horse people that help keep the industry alive.
In this year-end edition of Tracking Truro, I will look back at some of the unbelievable moments that shaped 2011 at Truro Raceway.

New Calendar
Winter racing was axed from the racing program in 2011. Becoming a common trend at many “B” tracks throughout the country, Truro Raceway put the starting gate away in December of 2010 and fans were greeted to racing once again on April 4, 2011. Obviously hard for many of the people who depend on horses racing, it’s now clear that the right move was made – in terms of replenishing purse pool accounts via the winter simulcast bet.
O’Brien Award winner Phil Pinkney was quoted in an April edition of the Truro Daily News as saying that he thought shutting down for the winter was a good idea. A little break from a hard track and winter conditions probably didn’t hurt any of the horses either!
Also interesting was Diane Daniels’s push to have racing return during the annual Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition in August. Daniels determination paid off as Truro Raceway hosted a card of live racing during the third day of the week-long exhibition. Twelve races were on tap and many newcomers were in attendance as the horses strutted around the Bible Hill oval. Thanks to prepared “How to bet” packages and well-trained staff, those newcomers were able to make well-informed bets and many of the newcomers returned throughout the year.

New Track Records
There must have been something in the air on July 26, 2011, because the only two new track records of 2011 were set on that warm summer night.
The first track record came in the first race when Lil Miss Abbie front-stepped to a 2:05.2 maiden-breaking performance in Atlantic Sires Stakes action. That win gave her the track record for two-year-old trotting fillies. The Wayne Bell-trained filly was a wrapped-up winner by five plus lengths, giving Mike Stevenson his first of many wins at Truro Raceway during 2011.
Later on in the card, trotting sensation Waiting On A Woman was smooth as silk, winning a division of the Atlantic Sires Stakes, for three-year-old trotters, in 2:01.2. The time was good enough to shave more than a second off the previous record and the Mitch Tierney trainee now holds both track records for two- and three-year-old gelded trotters. Waiting On A Woman’s lengthy win streak was cut short the following race in Woodstock, NB as Maple Leaf Spirit exploded onto the scene when a worrisome and troubled gait got in his way.
Fastest Mile of the Year
Formal Affair, for the second consecutive year, was the fastest horse to travel around the Truro Raceway oval. With Mark Bradley in tow for the Johnny Conroy Memorial on September 18, Formal Affair was sent to the front and didn’t look back en route to a 1:54 score. The Rennies’ pacing machine loves Truro Raceway. Earlier in the year, during Atlantic Grand Circuit Week, Formal Affair won the $7,500 Exhibition Cup in 1:55.2 over a sloppy track rated two seconds off. You do the math and subtract the two second variant and that trip would have been good enough to tie the overall track record which he currently has his name on, along with Dunachton Gale.

Horse of the Year
Based on opinion only, either Putnams Force or Dream Matters showed more determination and grit throughout 2011 than any other local horse on the grounds and either one of these hard-hitting older pacers deserves “hotty” honours. In one corner, Putnams Force was powerful and explosive early in the season, but his speedy ways might have been the reason behind shutting him down at the end of the summer.
Dream Matters on the other hand, was consistent in the 1:57 to 2:00 range, from April to December. A homebred owned by Susan Karrel of Great Village, Nova Scotia, Dream Matters recently won on December 11 in 1:57.2 over a hard track.

Driver of the Year
Opinion based only once again, Ryan Ellis had the best year in the local driving ranks. The young Air Canada Jazz pilot by day and harness racing driver by night was victorious 44 times and was one win behind stablemate Darren Crowe (as of December 11). The big difference for Ellis is the amount of drives he had compared to the competition. Sitting behind 50-60 fewer horses in 2011 is a true testament to his driving talents throughout the year. He also had the highest win percentage among the Top 10, sitting at a high 24 per cent.

Claims
Trainers looking for new stock weren’t active at Truro Raceway in 2011. Perhaps telling of the times, only three horses were claimed throughout the course of the year. Kathy and Robin Clarke opened their wallets for Island Eagle when they claimed the pacer out of Toby MacDonald’s barn for $2,000 on May 8. M D Joey, from Danny Romo’s barn, was then claimed on July 12 for $2,000 by Joseph O’Brien of Cape Breton. On June 26, Mitch Tierney found a diamond in the rough when he claimed Everything Zen for $2,400. Coming from the Kenny Greene Stable, Everything Zen went on to establish a five-race win streak under Tierney’s care and won multiple times in 2:00.

Passing Notices
Throughout 2011 we also lost quite a few members of the racing community due to death and illness. A few of those who passed include Truro Raceway paddock judge Kenny Urquhart, former race secretary Lois Fielding and long-time horse owner Don Kirck.

Looking Forward
Like the rabbit in ancient Chinese astrology, we must pause, take a deep breath and plan for the future. We must align ourselves not with the moon or funky stars, but on a path to success; one filled with new ideas and determination to tackle a new direction.
We have had the exact same racing schedule since I’ve been going to the races at Truro Raceway, possibly even longer. I’m only 19!
Each year the bet continues to plummet, and yet things are still the same as they were in the “hay days” of a more popular sport. From my point of view, it’s time to experiment with the alternatives, or at least take the time to look at them.
Perhaps in 2012 we can all sit down, talk this through and those who want to lead the way will finally be able to do so. One never knows. 2012 is the year of the dragon, the creature of power and success.