From the starting gate to the home stretch: Here’s to you, Bud

Bud received no horsey dreams when his dad passed away last Sunday at the age of 89. The final payment for the annual subscription to horse racing journalism was $205.00 plus GST for one year. Dad's love for horses began decades ago when he owned a 1970 model named Peak Efficiency, which was part of his partnership with Daily Racing Form trackman Paul Turney.

Over the years, he accumulated several successful racehorses including Jadosa Gambler, Buck Domino, and Hook the Dragon. Jadosa Gambler won six races in a row, while Buck Domino won two consecutive Assiniboia Downs Gold Cups and was named the champion older horse in 1985. After retiring from the military, Bud's dad became a bomb disposal expert and an excellent handicapper.

He also charted races and wrote articles for the Daily Racing Form. Bud's dad turned their family's love for racing into a career and eventually became a trainer for Buck Domino and other horses. When his dad was in poor health, he became attached to a new two-year-old horse at Woodbine. They spent a lot of time together racing the horse, and the horse seemed to give Bud's dad a new lease on life.