(Photo of trainer SCOTT REID and his multiple stakes winner MITFORD by Laurie Overton)
In any breed of horse racing sport, pedigree can play an important role in the success of an equine athlete. The same can be said for horspeople and that is why it is no surprise that 27-year-old Scott Reid, son of one of Ontario’s all-time leading trainers Don Reid, is in the top five trainers at Ajax Downs in 2015.
Scott’s stable of eight horses have won seven races from 33 starts in 2015 with purse earnings of over $102,000 (through August 16) and his stable stars have big events in their future.
Mitford, a multiple stakes winner, is one of the top older horses at Ajax Downs and two of the top juveniles at the meeting are conditioned by Reid.
Immersing himself in a life of training Quarter Horses like his father was not a slam dunk for Scott when he was growing up in Oshawa.
“I played hockey a lot,” said Reid. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do for a living but I was around the horses all the time.”
When Scott was 19, his dad asked him if he wanted to go partners in a horse. The younger Reid took a chance and that runner won two of three races for father and son.
That paved the way for Scott to pursue a training career, learning as much as he could from his dad at their DK Training Centre, owned and operated with fellow trainer Kim Ito.
Don, who became the 33
rd Quarter Horse trainer to win 1,000 races, according to AQHA statistics, in 2012, retired from racetrack training soon after that landmark win and Scott took over.
“My dad is still involved,” said Scott. “He is always there when I have any questions.”
In 2013, the black gelding Mitford, obtained by owner John Wilson the previous fall, provided Scott with his biggest win of his young career when Wilson’s charge won the $89,603 Alex Picov Memorial Championship, setting a track record for 440 yards.
In 2014, the Texas-bred gelding won the Picov Maturity, a race in which he was second this summer. On August 16, Mitford had one of the quickest performances of his career when fourth behind longshot Mr Vicotry Six in the Bank of America Challenge at 440 yards.
“He ran his fastest speed index of the year (101) so what can I say about his race. He gives 100% every time.”
If Mitford is the classy veteran of the barn, then Panther Hero and Speedocracy are the brash young kids who have the soft-spoken Reid a bit more animated.
Panther Hero, an Ontario-bred 2-year-old by Valiant Hero, won the $20,1092 John Deere on July 12 and punched a ticket to the Championships at Lone Star Park in Texas on Nov. 7. The dark bay, also owned by Wilson, came back to be second in an allowance race on Aug. 16.
Then there is Speedocracy, a 2-year-old colt owned by George Coleman, who was bought by Reid for Coleman from local breeder and horsewoman Katie Browne.
Speedocracy overcame a bumping incident at the start of his debut in a trial for the Ontario Sires Stakes Futurity and won in the fastest time of all three trials. The son of Canadian champion It’s All About Speed will be one of the favourites for the $55,000 Futurity final on Aug. 23.
“I was not surprised he won,” said Reid. “But I was surprised how fast he did it.”
Bringing his young horses through the education process of breaking to saddle and learning to be a racehorse is a favourite part of the business for Reid.
“I like seeing how the horses progress from when they are yearlings and developing them into racehorses,” said Reid. “It’s nice to see how they change and improve as they learn.”
Horse racing fans are seeing the same thing with Scott as he continues to work his way to the top echelon of Ontario trainers.
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