Gil Rowntree
Encyclopedia
Gil H. Rowntree
is a Canadian
Hall of Fame
Thoroughbred
racehorse trainer
and owner.
One of the most successful trainers in Canadian Thoroughbred racing history, Rowntree embarked on his racing career as a jockey
in his native Toronto, riding from 1949 through 1951. As a trainer, he learned his conditioning skills as an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer and Kentucky Derby
winner, Lou Cavalaris, Jr. Rowntree obtained his trainer's license in 1959 and was hired by Stafford Farms in 1967 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LqMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g-4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3675,850394&dq=regal+embrace&hl=en where he remained until the death of owner Jack Stafford in 1981.
During his training career, Gil Rowntree won eight Canadian Classic Races and following the creation of the Sovereign Award
s program in 1975 he was voted the first-ever winner as Canada's Outstanding Trainer
.
In 1973, Gil Rowntree set a record when horses he trained ran 1-2-3 in the Prince of Wales Stakes
, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series. Although Rowntree has won four editions of Canada's most prestigious race, the Queen's Plate
, he is best known as the trainer of the 1978 Queen's Plate runner-up, Overskate
. The Hall of Fame colt was twice voted Canadian Horse of the Year as part of his record setting nine Sovereign Awards while competing in Canada and at various tracks in the United States. As well, Rowntree conditioned Canadian champions
Deceit Dancer
, Proud Tobin, Northern Blossom, Ten Gold Pots, Allan Blue, Key to the Moon
, Sound Reason and Tudor Queen
, the 1969 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, and in the pre Sovereign Award
era, the defacto Canadian Two Year-Old Champion.
Gil Rowntree makes his home near Woodbine Racetrack
in Etobicoke, Ontario
and continues to train Thoroughbreds for various owners plus breed, race and train horses for his own Gil Rowntree Racing Stable.
is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
and owner.
One of the most successful trainers in Canadian Thoroughbred racing history, Rowntree embarked on his racing career as a jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in his native Toronto, riding from 1949 through 1951. As a trainer, he learned his conditioning skills as an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer and Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
winner, Lou Cavalaris, Jr. Rowntree obtained his trainer's license in 1959 and was hired by Stafford Farms in 1967 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LqMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g-4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3675,850394&dq=regal+embrace&hl=en where he remained until the death of owner Jack Stafford in 1981.
During his training career, Gil Rowntree won eight Canadian Classic Races and following the creation of the Sovereign Award
Sovereign Award
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
s program in 1975 he was voted the first-ever winner as Canada's Outstanding Trainer
Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer
The Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer is a Canadian thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada. Part of the Sovereign Awards, the "Outstanding Trainer" laurel is similar to the Eclipse Award given to horse trainers in the United...
.
In 1973, Gil Rowntree set a record when horses he trained ran 1-2-3 in the Prince of Wales Stakes
Prince of Wales Stakes
The Prince of Wales Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fort Erie Race Track in Fort Erie, Ontario. Restricted to three-year-old horses bred in Canada, it is contested on dirt over a distance of a mile and three sixteenths . In 1959, the Prince of Wales Stakes became the...
, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series. Although Rowntree has won four editions of Canada's most prestigious race, the Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
, he is best known as the trainer of the 1978 Queen's Plate runner-up, Overskate
Overskate
Overskate was a Canadian Thoroughbred Champion Hall of Fame racehorse. Sired by Nodouble out of the dam Overstate who was a descendant of the great sire Princequillo as well as Man o' War, Overskate was foaled at his owner's farm in Port Elgin, Ontario.A small but versatile horse, Overskate raced...
. The Hall of Fame colt was twice voted Canadian Horse of the Year as part of his record setting nine Sovereign Awards while competing in Canada and at various tracks in the United States. As well, Rowntree conditioned Canadian champions
Sovereign Award
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
Deceit Dancer
Deceit Dancer
Deceit Dancer is a Canadian Champion filly Thoroughbred racehorse, Bred by E. P. Taylor, owner of her sire, Vice Regent, and her dam, Deceit, she was purchased by Kleinburg, Ontario racing stable owner Bahnam K...
, Proud Tobin, Northern Blossom, Ten Gold Pots, Allan Blue, Key to the Moon
Key to the Moon
Key to the Moon was a Canadian Thoroughbred Champion racehorse.-Background:Bred and raced by Bahnam K. Yousif, he was sired by Wajima, the 1975 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse...
, Sound Reason and Tudor Queen
Tudor Queen
Tudor Queen was a Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse in Canada and the United States. Her British sire was King of the Tudors, a multiple stakes winner whose wins included the 1953 Sussex Stakes and 1954 Eclipse Stakes. Grandsire Tudor Minstrel won a British Classic, the 1947 2,000 Guineas Stakes...
, the 1969 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, and in the pre Sovereign Award
Sovereign Award
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
era, the defacto Canadian Two Year-Old Champion.
Gil Rowntree makes his home near Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...
in Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
and continues to train Thoroughbreds for various owners plus breed, race and train horses for his own Gil Rowntree Racing Stable.