It was at 9:59 p.m., on Sunday when the coronavirus pandemic delayed version of the Canadian Derby, with a paltry purse of only $100,000, went to the post.
With a dramatically restricted and reduced social distancing crowd and the insane start time for the feature event of every season in Alberta horse racing, it was like Century Mile had decided it was best to run the race as something of a non-event and move on to next year.
But when the horses came down the stretch in the 91st running of the Canadian Derby it became one of the most compelling stories in the entire history of the race.
Emotion filled the air from everywhere when Real Grace, from the Assiniboia Downs stable of former Northlands Park worker Shelley Brown — an 18-to-1 long shot that paid $38.80, $17.30 and $9.70 — won the race.
Trainer Brown wasn’t on the property to witness the triumph in person as she deals with cancer. She shipped horses from Winnipeg to long-time Edmonton-based trainer Rod Cone to condition and race for her.
“Shelley sent me this horse two months ago to prep for the Canadian Derby,” Cone said before he went to bed for a couple hours of sleep before making his early 5 a.m. morning trip to the barns as usual.
“I ran Real Grace here in the Count Latham but I chose to leave him in Shelley’s name and did the same for the Derby.
“She is in very bad shape with cancer so I wanted to win the Derby for her. I have three of her horses in total here at Century Mile and I’ve left them all in her name,” he said of the 47-year-old former Manitoba trainer of the year who is in a Winnipeg hospital with what was initially diagnosed to be Stage 4 cancer on her left lung that doctors later informed her had spread to other parts of her body and is now terminal.
“They have a ‘Go Fund Me’ page for her trying to raise enough to send her to Texas for treatment,” said Cone.
“She’s a great person and a good friend,” added the 50-year veteran at the track.
“Shelley worked at Northland and Stampede Park years ago. Back in the ‘90s Shelley cleaned stalls for many trainers including myself. She worked as a groom and later started training in Winnipeg.
“I won the Canadian Derby with Cozy Greyvin in 1993, Afleets Dancer in 1997 and Double Bear in 2017, although that one is still being disputed in court. But this is the best win of my career.
“It’s not in my name as trainer but in the name of an honest and great horse trainer that I’m lucky enough to have as a friend. I just wanted to help her.”
Cone ended up with local apprentice jockey Mauricio Malvez for the Derby assignment. Malvez went wire-to-wire for the win.
“Mauricio picked up the horse to ride for me after another rider took off on entry day for another horse and I’m glad he did. Mauricio gave this horse the perfect ride.”
This Canadian Derby was supposed to be a one-horse race when top jockey Rico Walcott chose B.C. invader Synergy trained by Barb Heads to ride in the race. Synergy ended up fourth.
It was the voice of Edmonton’s excellent race-caller Shannon (Sugar) Doyle that betrayed his emotions as well as those of just about everyone else on the backstretch that knew the backstory.
“I knew that many on the backstretch were cheering for this horse and for Shelley, especially when local favourite Maskwecis had been scratched.
“Real Grace then, in my mind anyway, while he’d only been here a few weeks, became the ‘hometown boy.’
“I just happened to say it as he turned away heavy (4-to-5) favourite Synergy going into the stretch.”
You could hear the choked-up emotion in Doyle’s delivery as Real Grace won the race and uncommon dead air that followed as he collected himself.
“The winner’s circle was emotional for many — myself included,” said Doyle.
“I was getting online messages from horse people in tears and I was trying to keep it together.
“I’m an emotional guy calling races. Sometimes it’s tough to contain the excitement and sometimes it’s tough to contain the emotional stuff, too.
“I own it, though. It’s who I am.”
Considering the storyline and the emotions of most everybody else at the track and how real it was, it was perfect.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020
