 Confederation Cup History
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Confederation Cup, which moved into
its 31th year in 2007, has evolved into the finest day Canadian harness
racing has to offer.
If it takes prestige, tradition, excitement and
world-class performances by champion horses to make a race great, then the
Confederation Cup is truly a great race.
In 1977, Governor Skipper was named North
America's Pacer of the Year with John Chapman driving in what was a
spectacular season. One year later, Abercrombie added more prestige to the
Cup by winning the Cup in his Horse of The Year season.
Cam Fella, with Pat Crowe driving, became the
second winner of the Cup to be named Horse of The Year (as a three year
old) in 1982. He then went on to win 28 straight races as a four year old
to take the horse of the year title for the second consecutive year. Cam
Fella truly was a "Pacing Machine".
Matts Scooter, winner of the 1988 Cup, was voted
both three year old pacer of the year and pacer of the year in his
sophomore season and then captured Horse of The Year honours as a four
year old. His performance in the 1988 edition was one of the most exciting
in Cup history.
On The Road Again (Buddy Gilmour) won Cup VIII in
1984 and was named Pacer of The year. His 1:56.1 established a new
Canadian record for three year old pacers on a half-mile track. This
champion pacer went on to record a mark of 1:51.4 and earned more than
$2.8 million.
Hot Hitter (Henri Filion) in 1979 and Jate Lobell
(Mark O'Mara) in 1987, captured 3-year-old Pacer of The Year titles after
winning the Cup.
Nobleland Sam (Sam Noble III) set a new stakes
record of 3:52.1 for two heats in 1986. However, that Cup will best be
remembered as the year that local favourite Armbro Emerson was
disqualified and placed down after winning the first elimination in what
would have been a new track record of 1:55.4. Emerson was exceptional
again as a four year old. He won Aged Pacer of the Year honours in 1987
for trainer Brian Burton and driver Walter Whelan.
Whats next (John Plutino) was awarded the 1985
Cup when race winner Armbro Dallas was disqualified. His two world records
later in his career stamped him as yet another champion winner.
Justin Passing (Doug Arthur) in 1980, and
Conquered (Dr. John Hayes) in 1981, were Canadian three year old pacing
champions. Bill Gale won the 1989 Cup with Mystery Fund with a 1:56.3 mile
after winning his elimination in 1:56.4.
In 1990, Center Strip nosed out Apaches Fame in
their elimination, but was no match for him in the final as Apaches Fame
streaked to a 1:55.0 victory to become the first Ontario sired/bred/owned
winner of the Cup with Bud Fritz driving.
Arcane Hanover (Norm McKnight Jr.) set a new
stakes, track, and Canadian record of 1:53.3 in winning the 1991 final
after a 1:55.1 victory in his elimination heat. Survivor Gold and Doug
Brown teamed up for a 1:54.3 win in 1992.
Village Connection's spectacular win in 1995
helped him earn the title of Canada's top 3-year-old pacing colt of the
year. The Cam Fella colt experienced road trouble in his elimination and
had to settle for second, but in the final, driver Paul MacDonell scored a
decisive gate-to-wire decision in 1:54.0.
The 1996 Cup was won by a pint-sized pacer named
Stout for Hamilton owners Matt, Pat, and Dan Daly, setting a new two-heat
record for elimination and final in a combined time of 3:48.2. Tony
Kerwood drove for the 1:54.2 elimination and the 1:54 time in the $175,000
final.
Owner-trainer Bill Wellwood achieved his second
Cup in 1997 with the pacing son of Jate Lobell. Village Jasper won his
elimination for driver Paul MacDonell in 1:57.4, and the $180,000 final in
1:55.3, running gate-to-wire as the clear favourite.
The 1998 event was nick-named Woody's Cup as
trainer Bill Wellwood collared his third Cup with Rustler Hanover, who
pushed his lifetime earnings over the one million dollar mark in an
impressive win. Driver Paul MacDonell also landed his third Cup victory in
four years.
1999 saw the names Teeth Of The Dog and John
Stark Jr. etched on the Cup for the last time in the century when he
cruised to victory in 1:55.
At the dawn of the new millennium, Flamboro Downs
completed its expansion into a world-class gaming and entertainment
centre. In the 2000 Cup edition, driver Ron Pierce brought High On Emotion
to the wire in 1:54.1 for owner George Millar Sr. of Millar Farms in
Newmarket Ontario.
In 2001, Ring Of Life, trained by Yves Filion,
finished second in his elimination by a head, and then went on to win the
record $531,500 final in 1:54.2 for driver Sylvain Filion.
The 2002 edition saw Art Major, trained by Bill
Robinson, break the all age flamboro downs track speed record in the
final. After winning his elimination heat in 1:52.2, Art Major was driven
by Steve Condren to a wire to wire victory in the final in 1:51.1.
In 2003, Stonebridge Premio, a last minute supplemental entry, won
his elimination race and was subsequently driven to victory by Mike
Lachance to capture the $558,000 second and final heat.
In 2004, in the 28th edition of the Confederation Cup, Paul
MacDonell became an unprecedented four-time Cup winner by steering
Sparkler to victory in both the elimination heat and the $567,000
final.
2005
Confederation Cup XXIX in 2005 produced one of the most spectacular
races in Ontario.
Despite starting from the ninth trailer position, American Ideal
made a breath-taking three-wide move on the final half-mile back
stretch, exploding into a huge lead he would not relinquish, and
then a 7 3/4 length margin at the finish.
In demolishing Art Major's previous 1:51.1 mark set three years
earlier, American Ideal set a new Confederation Cup record, plus an
all-age Canadian record and was just 1/5 sec off the world record
for three-year olds on a half mile track.
Casie Coleman, who made history as the youngest trainer and the
first woman to win the Confederation Cup, in 2005 garnered the
O'Brien Award as Canada's Trainer of the Year.
Mark MacDonald went on to break the all-time Canadian single season
win record and also captured the coveted O'Brien Award as Driver of
the Year.
2006
A record crowd of 11,285 watched a record-setting race Sunday
afternoon in Confederation Cup XXX in 2006.
Armbro Deuce won the $608,000 Flamboro Downs’ classic in 1:50.2,
eclipsing the mark set last year by American Ideal by a fifth of a
second, setting a new track and Confederation Cup record, a Canadian
all-age record on a half-mile track and a world record for
three-year-olds on a half miler.
Driver George Brennan had Armbro Deuce (trained by Blair Burgess)
leading all the way to the finish line ahead of second place
finisher Western Ace with Ron Pierce in the sulky and Secluded
Island, guided by Roger Mayotte, who placed third.
The Ontario-based owners of Armbro Deuce, Robert Burgess of
Campbelleville, Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton, Neal Cooper and
Richard Kostoff of North York, supplemented the colt into the race
for $25,000. It proved to be a very wise choice. After winning his
elimination heat and earning back the entry fee for his owners,
Armbro Deuce banked them another $254,000 by winning the
Confederation Cup XXX final.
2007
Tony Chiaravalle will be laughing all the way to the
bank.
After watching his horse, Laughing Art, win Confederation Cup XXXI
this afternoon (Sunday) at Flamboro Downs, the Hamilton, Ontario,
owner said the only thing that could make the win any better would
be to have former Flamboro Downs owner, Charlie Juravinski, write
the cheque.
After a tough battle to win his $50,000 elimination race, Laughing
Art electrified a crowd of over eleven thousand shooting up the rail
down the homestretch to win the $548,500 final in 1:53.3. Mark
MacDonald drove the early pacesetter, Domitian Hanover, to a second
place finish while Forensic Z Tam, with Pat Lachance at the reins,
eagerly hung in for third.
Local boy, Jody Jamieson, got the winning drive for trainer, Bill
Elliott. For Jamieson, who started his illustrious career at
Flamboro Downs, it was his first Confederation Cup win and “an
unbelievable dream come true.”
The thirty-first edition of the Confederation Cup offered a record
purse of $698,500 for the Flamboro Downs signature event.
Additional Confederation Cup Notes
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