Orangeville Raceway

[kerwoodfan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=J3F46s-n4_s&fbclid=IwAR1GOI7Y6xADcsH6NX8JmrFO4YGSVyyizbNVkkwQlQexYILHdYCUppib_2g

[pylon]

my dad and I went up  to Orangeville almost every Sunday afternoon....Bill Troy, Clure Archdeken, Paul Matthews,Charlie Lawson...……….BTW Kerwoodfan….TK is out in Western Canada, driving at Fraser Downs

[pylon]

Ice, Mel had so much talent, but he was involved in a nasty accident around 1982/3 and was off for 6/7 months....after he came back, he never was the same...his drives dried up and he got out of the business...a shame really because he could really drive one..

[pylon]

Yeah after that accident he started using weed because he couldn't shake the accident. I forgot another driver Jim McClure how I could do that we were great friends. I would race there Thursday's and Sunday's until the Thoroughbreds cleared out of Greenwood.

Ice, you have kicked in some memories from me....Jim drove a cheapy for me and my dad to victory, years ago at KD.....Fancy Co Star...and a couple of years later drove a trotter to victory for me at Georgian Downs....I still have the picture..it was my last winning photo, because shortly after I got out of ownership.....gre at memories for me Ice

[slimshady]

Jimmy could have been one of the best !!!

[pylon]

He sure had soft hands and a good racing mind but again booze took it's toll. Another driver was Don McElroy great hands and could give a horse a perfect trip and again booze and drugs. Donny was in detox so many times and then a few years ago it looked like he had it beat and Bob McIntosh was giving him a lot of his babies to drive and Donny was winning but again he fell off the wagon. Shoulda, woulda coulda then fall on their face like many.

Donny , too. drove quite a few for us in the early2000,s, not sure about his booze problem, but I do recall smashing up his wrist in a driving accident and was never the same after that...….funny you should mention McIntosh because Don picked off our filly in a Grassroots final in Windsor to drive a McIntosh...he won with her, we recruited Trevor Ritchie and he finished 2nd with our filly

[Jazzman]

sunday perfered pace popular benny mikes dominion del herbert jimmy bing

[Manny]

If memory is right, they had a good gathering on Sundays strictly for their buffett?  Never had it as I was too young.  If anyone can rate how their food was, that would be great.  Happy Sunday all.

[pylon]

Meat pies with gravy, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies on main floor. Sure they had burgers, fries and hot dogs but the meat pies were real good.

hey Ice..i hope your diet has improved over the years...lol...

[pylon]

or have a steak at the Tulip...since closed as of a few months ago...….or crash back some beer at Old Orchard Park Tavern

[kerwoodfan]

And there was Bill and Paul Cass, George Wain, Jack Wray, Colonel Schneider, and later Mel Corbett

forgot Lloyd Spinks!!

[kerwoodfan]

Meat pies with gravy, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies on main floor. Sure they had burgers, fries and hot dogs but the meat pies were real good.

Yeah the buffet was awesome. We used to drive up hwy #10 from Toronto in the early 80's and it seemed like Orangeville was an eternity away. Was quite the haul in winter when heading up as the snow never stopped.

[the real doctor]

A few of us were having a drink the other day and it was mostly days gone by and I noticed Orangeville kept coming up and before long there were so many stories that we were late into the night. Any horseman or race fan will have an Orangeville story. It was unfortunate that mis management by the owner, his name escapes me that we lost a really good track.

cant remember owners name although it ended up with Keeling and Waples holding some type of involvement. Stoikoplous was up there as the "wannabe" race secretary.  Two of my favourite horses raced up there often; Morris' Goodenuff and Ripping Dan (Larry Rose horses).

[STEW MCQUEEN]

i spent alot of days here as a kid sunday afternoons

a few on the back stretch as well