Hollywood Ham Needs A New Role
August 19, 2020
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society’s newest member has likely had more drivers and trips around a racetrack than just about any other harness horse. Hollywood Ham faced the gate 135 times during his racing career but made hundreds more trips around all sized tracks as one of the equine stars of the popular Hands On Horses team.
That program visited many of Ontario’s racetracks where patrons were invited to enter to win the chance to sit behind one of the Standardbred racehorses for a trip around the track between races. As every track operator can attest, this was a very popular attraction, engaging fans, young and not so young, who lined up for the unique experience.
Hollywood Ham, known affectionately as ‘Woody’, and his partners in Hands On Horses converted many casual racetrack goers to devoted fans after their trip around the oval. The horses wouldn’t just give them a ride, they would allow their passengers the chance to have a photo taken with them and they stood for hours as they were given treats and pets by the delighted fans.
Stacey Reinsman, Woody’s owner and trainer, was usually the driver behind her beloved pacer as she gave rides to hundreds of folks behind him in the two seated sulky.
“He actually started giving rides with Hands on Horses while he was still racing and he quickly adapted to giving rides and I think preferred it to racing. I can clearly remember one night when I was warming him up to race and he saw a kid standing near the winner's circle (where we would always pick kids up to give them a ride) and he tried to stop the warm up because he wanted to pick the kid up to give him a ride. I think it was shortly after this that I knew he was ready to stop racing and focus on promoting the sport by giving rides and we never looked back until COVID that is,” said Stacey recently.
Bred by Chris Christoforou and Bobbi Morley, the now 12 year-old son of Mach Three is the second foal from Access Hollywood who took her life mark of 1:52.4 at Woodbine in her three-year-old season. She earned $145,000 during her career. Her son wasn’t quite as successful but he did take in over $55,000 during his racing career.
Stacey’s history with the horse goes back several years. “I met Woody when he wasn't even a full year old on a farm and shortly after made arrangements to purchase him as a yearling. He was a little bit afraid as a baby, very timid, but he trusted me and we bonded instantly. He has become much more laid back over the years and really loves kids.”
Hollywood Ham’s last career start was in October of 2015. “I stopped racing him for a variety of reasons,” explained Stacey. “He wasn't able to perform to the level of his competitors and I didn't want to put him in lower claiming races.”
From that time until a few months ago he and Stacey were still quite active with the Hands On Horses program and the horse absolutely excelled in his second career.
“Woody was so good at interacting with the public, especially kids. He would just stand there for kids to pet him in the paddock or walking along the fence beside the track and not many horses will do that while on a racetrack. Woody loves kids, his whole demeanour changes when a child is petting his face, he relaxes right into the touch of their hand. He also quickly adapted to standing and waiting on the track for the cart to be loaded, which a lot of horses struggle to feel comfortable with,” noted Stacey.
Allowing patrons the chance to ride behind our magnificent Standardbreds is easily one of the most popular fan interaction ever introduced. However, in this era of COVID with no patrons or on track promotions, Woody found himself out of a job and Stacey was faced with the difficult decision regarding his future.
“With the end of the program Woody is in need of a new career and purpose as I am no longer able to offer him the time and love he needs and deserves. He has had his career as a racehorse, his second career promoting the sport and now due to COVID he is ready for his third career as a companion and riding horse. I unfortunately am at a place in my life where I can't offer him the time and interaction he deserves.
“I actually always dreamed of living in the country and giving him a forever home, however, life didn't work out that way and I'm hoping to find someone else who can offer him a loving forever home. I also chose OSAS because of their outstanding reputation for placing horses in adoptive homes, I trust their ability to find him a home that will be the right fit for him.”
Once Woody has settled in at an OSAS foster farm, he’ll be trained to ride. He does have some experience as Stacey started sitting on his back when he was three and riding when he was four.
“He never even hesitated in the saddle, he is happy to walk along through the trails and nothing really bothers him while riding. He is a very adaptable horse and is willing to take on new experiences and learned quickly how to take me on long trail rides.
“I am hoping for him to be placed in a home where he can have a connection and bond with someone special. I am hoping he will have a pasture with another horse because he loves to make friends. And potentially hoping someone will want to drive or ride him to give him continued purpose at this stage in his life. I ultimately want him to be loved and happy for the rest of his life. He has given so much to the sport of harness racing and I want to see him lovingly rewarded for that.”
For the 27 th year, the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society will be hosting a golf tournament to help support our mandate to find forever homes for retired harness horses. This year’s tourney will be held on Wednesday, September 10 th at the Wildwinds Golf Links (near Guelph). Golfers will receive a BBQ lunch, golf, cart, a steak and chicken dinner and prizes. Price per golfer is $165 and hole sponsors are $200. Shotgun start is 1 p.m. Please register early as this popular event always fills up quickly. Non golfers are more than welcome to attend and/or contribute by sponsoring a hole or an item for the prize table. Please contact Joanne Colville 905-339-6748 ( osashorses@gmail.com ) or Emma Christoforou 289-971-4675 to register to play, regarding sponsorship, to donate prizes or for additional information.
A popular pacer on the WEG circuit for the past several years, Sweet Deisel, has joined OSAS on his way to finding his forever retirement home. A son of Sweet Lou, the gelding had his most productive season of racing last year at age eight, winning over $125,000 in purse money, all at Mohawk. It was also a hectic time for him as he was claimed five times in five months in 2024. Sweet Deisel’s quickest time of 1:50 was first earned at four and then matched again at five. In total he faced the gate 120 times and retired with a summary of 30-24-12 for $355,125 banked. Sweet Deisel is the first foal of his Bettors Delight dam Gentlemens Delight, a full sister to the $1.5 million winner See You At Peelers, a world record holder and winner of 22 races in a row in her distinguished career. She is also a half-sister to the dam of last year’s O’Brien Award winner Its A Love Thing. Sweet Deisel will be enjoying some time for R&R away from the racetrack before he’ll begin training for his second career.
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is so grateful for the support of Woodbine Entertainment Group who generously donated $20,000 to OSAS this past weekend. We are so fortunate to partner with WEG on numerous projects including having a Meet & Greet horse at Mohawk throughout the summer months to allow newcomers the opportunity to pet a horse for the first time. We also give patrons the opportunity to sit behind an incredible Standardbred horse through our Drive With Us program with features our wonderful ambassador Reverend Hanover. WEG and OSAS have been working together for the benefit of the industry for close to 30 years and we appreciate their unwavering support. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
Casimir Richie P, who made a total of 157 lifetime starts during his long career, has started training for his second role as a riding horse at the OSAS foster farm owned and operated by Susan and Bert Mollica. A now 10 year-old son of Astronomical, Richie earned $478,000 during his racing career which started as a rookie in 2017. Under the guidance of trainer Dr. Ian Moore, he was competitive as a two-year-old, winning an Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event at Grand River Raceway as well as an elimination of the Battle Of Waterloo (fifth in final). At three he was a multiple OSS winner and took in over $100,000 and his four-year-old campaign was his richest with over $130,000 in purses earned thanks to strong showings in WEG’s preferred paces. The highlight of his five-year-old season was a win in the coveted Gold Cup & Saucer trials at Charlottetown Driving Park. During his storied racing career Casimir Richie P started at 15 different racetracks across North America. His last official start was a four length win at London’s Western Fair Raceway on January 29 th of this year. Bred by Casmir Farms of Hagar, Ontario, Richie is the richest performer of his dam, Casimir Hugs who has produced three other $200,000+ winners in Tuggingoncredit ($307,000), Rays Kredit ($259,000) and Grits N Gravy ($235,000).
The Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association (OCTRA) is reaching out to riders of Standardbreds to participate in a training ride on May 3. There are two rides, one seven miles, the other 14, and will be held at the Dufferin County Forest Main Tract. The event also includes sessions covering the following topics: Camping with your horse Trail etiquette Horse Health, before during and after the ride Vetting the horse in for the ride Taking your horses heart rate Pacing your horse’s speed And an introduction to the different OCTRA disciplines, 1) Set Speed, 2) Ride & Tie, 3) Limited Distance, 4) Competitive Trail Riding, 5) Endurance. The event organizers are encouraging riders with Standardbreds to take part and are willing to pay the entry fee for four participants riding a harness horse. The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society already has representation with Sarah Cutherbertson who adopted the successful trotter West Grey Bay several years ago. Their story may be read here. OSAS strongly supports this initiative as it follows our mandate to showcase the versatility of the Standardbred bred to a wide, relevant audience and encourages anyone interested in participating to visit the OCTRA’s website for more information or to enter the event.
Millionaire trotter Y Chance It was laid to rest last week following a battle with colic. He was 26. The talented trotter joined the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society along with his best friend, Railroad Ron, several years ago. Long time race fans will remember both trotters who were regulars on the WEG circuit from 2001 through 2008. Trainer Ron O’Neill purchased Y Chance It, a son of Yentls Image, as a yearling for $5,000 and would be the horse’s trainer throughout his impressive career. “He was big and uncoordinated when I started to train him. He was never flashy, but he did everything right.” O’Neill remembered for a feature story I wrote in 2005. In total Y Chance It would face the gate 134 times for a summary of 43-15-15 and $1,081,364 in earnings. One of the highlights of his long career, which concluded as a nine-year-old in 2008, was his sweep of the 2004 Horsemen’s Series at Woodbine. O’Neill describes his performance in the first leg of the event: “He broke at the start and we figured he spotted the field a good 20 lengths. He was catching up to them by the quarter and kept digging in and I was thinking we might have a chance to get a cheque. He kept coming and I’m thinking ‘wow, we might get third’ and he just kept going and won. “I could watch the tape of that race every day and not get sick of it. To be able to do that against that calibre of horses in there was unbelievable.” In the $116,500 Horsemen’s final Y Chance It was impressive once more, winning from post eight for his regular pilot Randy Fritz. Fritz drove Y Chance it in most of his career starts but when the driver was sidelined with an injury in early 2005 Paul MacDonell climbed into the sulky and guided the trotter to another Horsemen’s Trot final win in January of 2005. Not only did Y Chance It and Railroad Ron compete against each other on the racetrack, they spent their entire retirement together. For several years the pair received wonderful care from the late Dr. Ted Clarke, his wife Val and daughter Carrie. The Clarke family were ardent supporters of OSAS for years and took in many older, companion horses like Y Chance It and Railroad Ron. When the Clarkes’ farm was sold, the pair moved to the farm of Lynn and Kevin Bodz. “We were asked by their connections if we could accommodate them and take them both as they were great friends and had been together for years,” OSAS’s Joanne Colville said. “We send condolences to Y Chance It’s connections who trusted us with his retirement and gratitude to those who fostered him and let him live the life he so deserved.” Railroad Ron, 23, earned a quarter of a million in his career guided by Paula Wellwood and Mike Keeling. He now has a new paddock mate in Bettor Not Bitter, a 13-year-old Bettors Delight gelding.
The Wellington-Waterloo Hunt Club has hosted many Standardbreds and their riders at their events over the past few years and the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society returned the favour by hosting a large group from the club at Mohawk Racetrack this past Saturday night. OSAS’s Joanne Colville, Emma Christoforou and board member Kelly Spencer were on hand to answer any questions the enthusiastic group had about the races, the horses, betting, etc. In addition to a wonderful dinner, they also enjoyed a backstretch tour and sponsored the sixth race. “It was a great evening at the races for the Wellington-Waterloo folks who were an enthusiastic and lovely group,” Kelly noted. “The relationship OSAS has fostered with the club has allowed us to showcase the Standardbred breed to a new, relevant audience that will ultimately allow us to adopt out more horses.” This year’s W-WH Hunter Pace Series events will take place on April 27 (Meadowrock Farm), June 1 (Snapping Turtle Stables), September 7 (The Kennels at Hunters’ Run) and October 5 (Conestogo River Horseback Adventures). All dates are Sundays and will have strong Standardbred representation as we continue to demonstrate the versatility of our breed to other riders. Photos by Kelly Spencer
Thanks to Chris Loman of Woodbine Entertainment for following up on the story of Shadow Place who was recently found a forever home by OSAS. An iron horse who included the coveted Gold Cup and Saucer among his accomplishments,Shadow Place has found a loving forever home with Alexandra and Tim Dickieson on their farm in Holland Centre. In Chris's feature story, he explains the significance of the Gold Cup victory for his longtime owner Katie Miller, a detective with the Regional Police in Waterloo and the Dickiesons. The full story may be read: https://newsroom.woodbine.com/shadow-place-strikes-gold...
The 2025 OSAS Stallion Auction concluded today with tremendous interest and bidding, and we appreciate everyone who donated and bid to make it another successful fundraiser for our retired harness horses. The following are the stallions and their successful purchasers. STALLION BUYER Alarm Detector Calabode Farms Alarm Detector Calabode Farms All Bets Off Chris Cain Betterthancheddar Zach Carroll Big Jim Chris Bradt Bulldog Hanover Ben Ramsey Cattlewash Philippe Trudeau Century Farroh Bill Mackay Control The Moment Ashley MacDonald Dancin Lou Nancy MacNevin Dancin Lou Michelle Bohrer Lookslikeachpndale Ian Fleming McWicked Stuart Bolender Run Director Vernon Wagler Sunshine Beach Kelly Bryczka We express our sincere appreciation to Seelster Farms, Tara Hills Stud, Winbak Farms, Steve Calhoun, Dave Kryway, Ontario 1362313 and Heather Davies for their generous stallion breeding donations and to all the bidders for your interest and support. Founded in 1996, OSAS is the official agency responsible for finding forever homes for retired Standardbreds and to showcase the versatility of the breed.
A reminder that the 2025 OSAS Stallion Auction closes today, Thursday, February 13, starting at noon. The annual fundraiser features 13 of the province’s top sires as follows: Alarm Detector All Bets Off Betterthanheddar Big Jim Bulldog Hanover Cattlewash Century Farroh Control The Moment Dancin Lou Lookslikeachpndale McWicked Run Director Sunshine Beach It will be a staggered close starting alphabetically with Alarm Detector at noon and the next horse 15 minutes later until it concludes with Sunshine Beach. Note that if a bid occurs in the final 60 seconds of the stallion’s availability, the auction for that stallion will be extended for 120 seconds or until all bidding ceases. To view the auction please click here . A reminder that you are required to register prior to placing your first bid. Any questions or concerns, please reach out to Joanne Colville at osashorses@gmail.com or call or text 905-339-6748. There has been a tremendous response to this year’s auction and we are extremely grateful to the stallion owners for their generous donations and to the many bidders for your support.
