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The sad fact is that horses almost have to be sold after their three-year-old year because of the dramatic drop in purses once they turn four. Races can go for purses of $5,000 up to $45,000 in the Maritimes for stake races for two and three-year-olds, while ordinary races (that fill most race cards) range from $800 to $2,400. Outside of the region, purses are dramatically higher.
The pinnacle of the sport in Canada is Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, where every race has a purse of $10,000 to $50,000, and stakes for up to $1.5-million. Thankfully, a high number of Maritime horses have become successful outside the region with hundreds of Maritime-bred horses competing in Ontario, Western Canada, and the U.S. East Coast. Not to mention superstar Somebeachsomewhere, who was owned and trained by a group from Truro, Nova Scotia, and went on to win over $3-million in two years racing in 2007-08.
Even though he hasn’t had a star racing on the big stage, harness racing has turned into a hobby Chappell can’t help but love, between going to see his horses jog in the mornings, to talking to his trainers, and to travelling the Maritimes to watch his horses race. With that love in hand, Chappell has been the owner of 14 different horses. Some were champions and made money like R Es Mary and some he admits “weren’t worth a ham sandwich”, but he still bought more. Today he owns five which are training at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
“Sometimes I think I have too many animals but then I go to the track and I could get seven or eight more,” Chappell grins. “I just get so caught up in it. It’s a great spot to go on a weekend to pass the time. You meet good people, you really do. I enjoy it and Kathy (his wife) enjoys it, so why not?”
A great deal of what keeps bringing him back are the horses themselves. “They’re all different and you get attached to them, and I guess you’re not supposed to do that but I did. It’s hard not to.”
This year he has four two-year-olds but his main hopes look to lie in colts R Es Fred (Mary’s younger brother) and Tiger Williams, named after the Toronto Maple Leafs player from the ‘70s. He was also the NHL’s all time leading player for penalty minutes. Chappell hopes this Tiger Williams gets known for spending his time in the winner’s circle.
