From the Tavistock Gazette, June 1, 2011

The ladies arrived in their finest outfits and many wore designer hats, not unlike those worn at the Royal Ascot races in England. The men wore their black ties and jackets. However, this occasion was not for a race to be run, but for one completed; the sometimes lengthy heat to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

For Tavistock’s famous race horse, The Eel, it was almost 100 years in the making. Standard- bred pacer The Eel, known as ‘The Grey Ghost’, was one of harness racing’s greats in the early 1900s, setting countless records both on the ice and on the half-mile tracks.

Owned by Frank W. Entricken, the Eel died in September, 1912.

The Eel was one of four Legends inducted in the Hall of Fame on Friday evening, May 27, 2011 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. This is the first time since 2003 that people and horses have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The following is the tribute to The Eel that was unveiled Friday.

“Foaled in 1902 in Deerfield, MI, The Eel, also affectionately known in 1903 by Frank W. Entricken of Tavistock, Ontario. In 1906, he was handed over to Dan McEwen of London, Ontario to begin training as a pacer.

While he was first tested in 1907 in Syracuse, it was 1908 when The Eel began to establish himself as one of the most successful pacing stallions of his time. In that year, he was the year’s highest money winning pacer, earning $12,450, setting two world records (three consecutive heats by a pacing stallion and three consecutive heats over a half-mile track by a stallion). He also set the American Grand Circuit season record for the fastest half-mile mark of the season, 59.0, doing it twice.

In January of 1909, he smashed the world record on ice by more than three full seconds when he paced in 2:14 1⁄2 in Toronto. Later that month he beat his own record while on the ice in Ottawa, pacing the mile in 2:11 1⁄2. He also set the Canadian half mile track record in 1909, pacing a mile of 2:05 1⁄2 in Stratford, ON. his 1910 campaign, and only raced three times, he rebounded for a solid season in 1911. In 1912 he returned to his record-breaking form, setting the Canadian record for a half-mile pace, recording a time of 1:01 1⁄2 in Mitchell, Ontario.

Upon his death, the Horse Review wrote, “he paced 152 contested heats, 94 of which he won, while in 37 he was second, in 14 was third” and “in those 152 heats, paced over dirt and ice, over mile and over half-mile tracks, he was never once distanced, drawn, or ruled out.”

Legendary writer John Hervey, in a 1941 retrospective, called The Eel ‘in many ways one of the most wonderful that the Standard breed has produced.’

‘In action he was a fascinating thing to watch and this added to his popularity – he was far and away the most popular pacer of his time with race-goers. When to this we add his lion’s heart, his endless gameness, stamina and consistency, we have indeed a horse such as seldom comes into There to join in the unveiling on behalf of Tavistock residents was Ken Mogk of RR 2, Tavistock, along with his wife, Carol. Ken has been secretary of the Woodstock Trotting Association since 1987 and took over the additional duties of treasurer last year. He is also an active member of the Ontario Harness Horse Association and Standardbred Canada.

Ken said he was first introduced to stories of The Eel by friend and neighbour the late Roland Heinbuch who reminisced about The Eel’s accomplishments. Ken was able to obtain a photo of The Eel and driver, Dan McEwen, passed down through local horse enthusiasts along with an advertising sheet published by Mr. Entricken. He also found stories about the distinguished local horse in other publications and The Gazette.

Ken and Carol have raised several winning harness horses of their own over the years and are currently on the circuit with Ken Car Kasper, a 4-year-old trotter trained and driven by Embro’s Brent Belore. Although Ken says they’re only running on the ‘B’ tracks, their horses have “paid their way, plus”, winning stake and feature races each season. “I started at the bottom,” Ken admits, breeding a mare to produce some workable trotters. One of the Mogk’s first winners was Linda Rova, the mare’s second colt, who won two stake races in London as a 2 and 3-year-old, and went on to run successfully in the Sire Stakes in Ottawa and Sudbury. Ken Car Johnson was another harness winner, their fastest, finishing in 1:59, and winning stake races in 1996-97.

Ken Car Kasper can be seen competing at London, Windsor, Hiawatha, Elora, Grand River and Hanover throughout the season. He won the feature race last year at Woodstock and will compete at the Woodstock Raceway this week. The horse’s name, Kasper, comes from Ken’s great great grandfather Kasper Mogk who first settled in Tavistock in 1853.

Ken also has a collection of carriages. He purchased a turn-of- the-century Polish carriage, three antique buggies, and has a cutter and butcher sleigh that his grandfather drove.

Louis E. Cauz, author and Managing Director of the Hall of Fame, unveiled the 2011 Legends panel following a professionally-narrated video presentation of the four inductees. That video, which includes a 45-second tribute to The Eel, will soon be available to view at the Tavistock and District Historical Society, courtesy of the Hall of Fame, along with other information about The Eel.

John Stapleton, President of the Hall of Fame, welcomed everyone to the evening event and said it was “a great occasion, a time of celebration.” Milestones included inductees finally recognized after 100 and 110 years as well as a special tribute to the great Canadian race horse, Northern Dancer, on the occasion of the 50th year of his birth. He won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Queen’s Plate in 1964 and went on to become the sire of 147 stakes winners. He is considered the most influential sire of the 20th century.
The other 2011 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees include W.J. Hyatt of Petrolia, inducted in the Builders category; and thoroughbred inductees Mrs. Lily A. Livingston, breeder of two King’s Plate winners; and jockey Thomas H. Burns of Cedar Springs, twice North America’s leading jockey in the late 1890s.

The contemporary Hall of Fame inductees include Burning Point, winner of O’Brien and Dan Patch awards, who earned $3.1 million during her six-year career. Invitro, bred by Gord Irwin of Cobourg, and Murray Ross of Norwood, retired in 2008 with earnings of over $2.3 million from 35 lifetime wins. Wesgate Crown captured numerous major trotting races both in North America and Europe, including two Breeders Crowns. In the Veterans category Silver Reign, who ruled the pacing scene in the late 1980s before her successful broodmare career, was owned by Eugene Forbes. Steve Condren has put together three decades of remarkable performances while winning more than 6,600 races for earnings of over $109 million to capture the Driver/ Trainer category. In the Builder category Robert Burgess, is a renowned breeder and owner for more than four decades.

The five members of the thoroughbred class include Dancethruthedawn along with her SamSon Farms connections – the late Tammy Samuel Balaz in the Builders category and Mark Frostad, who trained three of Sam-Sons’ Plate winners. Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold, owned and bred by Frank Stronach and partner William Holtsinger, earned the vote in the Male category while Square Angel, owned by the late Gen. Preston Gilbride, was elected in the Veterans category.

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, August 18, at the Mississauga Convention Centre on Derry Road.

Along with these and hundreds of other notable race horses, The Eel is now immortalized in the Hall of Fame on a panel at the entrance to the hall. He’s in the first panel on the left as you enter. It was specially made to extend around the corner of the wall and includes the four 2011 Legends. Woodbine Racetrack is at the corner of 427 and Rexdale Blvd. and the Hall of Fame is located in the West Entrance. It’s a great spot to tour if you’re a horse racing enthusiast.

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