On Wednesday, the longtime harness racer was selected to be inducted as a builder into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He follows in the footsteps of his father, John, who also entered the temple as a constructor in 1998. Bulldog Hanover, a member of the ’23 Hall of Fame, and Atlanta, the Hambletonian champion and Ramona Hill, have all been owned by Brad Grant, either alone or in collaboration. It’s Academic, Stay Hungry, Apprentice Hanover, Wheels On Fire, and Sandbetweenurtoes are some of Grant’s other well-known millionaire horses. In addition, Grant received the 2022 Dan Patch Awards’ Woolworth owner of the year and the US Harness Writers Association’s 2018 Humanitarian Award. Additionally, he was added to the Woodbine Entertainment board last year. Trucking tycoon Grant was admitted to the Milton Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
John Bax, trainer; Dave Briggs, communicator; Muscle Mass, male horse; Yankee Paco, veteran; and Kent Oakes, builder, are the other standardbred inductees. Ivan Dals, a builder; Marketing Mix, a female horse; Perry Winters, a jockey; Ghostzapper, a male horse; Storm Bird, a veteran; and trainer Mike Doyle will be the six thoroughbred inductees. On August 6, the ’25 class will be formally inducted. In 2001, Bax, a trotting expert, was the best trainer in Canada. One of the horses Bax conditioned was Goodtimes, a Hall of Fame gelding who earned almost $2.2 million and won 50 races, making him the richest Canadian-bred trotter ever at the time of his retirement. Bax has earned more than $26 million and recorded 925 wins.
Over the course of over 50 years in the thoroughbred industry, Dalos rose to prominence as one of Canada’s leading owners-breeders. In 1978, he established Tall Oaks Farm after claiming his first racehorse. The number of horses has increased from a few broodmares to several dozen mares, five stallions, and about 150 horses, including Hall of Fame entrants Channel Maker and Victory Gallop. Dalos’s services to racing and breeding earned him the 2021 E.P. Taylor Award of Merit. Winters, who was born in Edmonton, rode for 33 years (1980–2012) and earned 2,984 victories. He won nearly 100 stakes races, including the ’83 Canadian Derby with Cozy Grey, and was Alberta’s top jockey seven times. In 1986, Winters recorded his first season with 100 wins, a mark he would later achieve the next 10 straight years.
