On a warm and breezy afternoon at Ajax Downs recently Paul Turney was watching the Quarter Horse races on a special ‘Jockey day’ at the track. Legendary Canadian riders Sandy Hawley and Francine Villeneuve, both friends of Turney, were signing autographs and talking racing. As a resident of Ajax, ON,Turney, who works in Thoroughbred racing, he was taking advantage of a day off from his work in the Woodbine racetrack press box.
Turney, who is originally from Winnipeg, is a horse racing fan and a well-known and respected member of the Ontario racing industry who has owned horses, written in magazines about horses, been a jockey’s agent and been a chart-caller.
Remembering details of horses and races is a skill Turney possesses and when asked about the horse who changed his life, Turney was quickly into a story about one of Canada’s top, young horses in the early 1970s.
"I had watched Zaca Spirit, owned by George Frostad, run in the Kentucky Derby in 1975," said Turney about the Canadian colt. "he ran up the track but when he came to my hometown of Winnipeg for the Manitoba Derby, I thought he should be able to win."
Just out of school and with his own place, the 2-something Turney put $50 on the nose of Zaca Spirit, ridden by Richard Grubb, and watched the colt romp to victory. The colt paid $15.30 to win because in the field was Stafford Farms' top colt, Royal Chocolate.
"I got back over $500," said Turney. "I paid my taxes for a whole year."
Turney was hooked as they say and he came to Ontario in 1991 where he expanded his horse racing presence through journalism and horsemanship.
He owned hs first horses the same year he cashed the big bet and still has plenty of win photos at his Ajax home.
You can read the Montreal Gazette story about Zaca Spirit in the Manitoba Derby here -
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VFwlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3398%2C3701308
(PHOTO BELOW - A win photo from 1975 when Paul Turney jumped into horse racing ownership soon after Zaca Spirit's big win. Paul is the second person from the left with those awesome pants!)
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