Hidden Treasure, Hood Named to Canadian HOF

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame announced that Hidden Treasure and owner/breeder Jack Hood will be "Thoroughbred Legends" inductees for 2013.

On the Standardbred side, horseman Samuel Johnston and trotter Celias Counsel are Legends selections.

Legends, according to the Hall of Fame, are people and horses whose accomplishments and unique contributions to Canadian racing occurred a number of decades ago.

Hidden Treasure, a foal of 1957, was overshadowed in the early part of his career by one of Canada's greatest Thoroughbreds, Victoria Park, also born that year. He was a multiple stakes winner at age 2, 3, 4, and 5, and an added money winner at age 6. Owned and bred by Hall of Fame builder Bill Beasley of Nobleton, Ontario, and trained by Hall of Fame conditioner John Passero, Hidden Treasure retired with earnings of $187,734, second in Canada at the time to Victoria Park.

Hood, an astute owner and breeder known to be garrulous and eccentric, got his start in racing in 1958 with the purchase Round Camera, who became successful as a broodmare. It was the purchase of Quillopolly that would elevate Hood's status, however. She produced four foals in eight years. Two were stakes winners: Allquillo, winner of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes; and Sharp-Eyed Quillo, who won the Prince of Wales and Quebec Derby. Bonquill and Classy Quillo were the others.

Classy Quillo was the dam of No Class, who in turn was purchased in 1975 by Sam-Son Farms and went on to be the grand-dam of Eclipse Award and Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly, the leading money-winning female in Canadian history. No Class is also the dam of four Sovereign Award winners: Sky Classic, Grey Classic, Regal Classic and Classy 'n Smart, dam of world champion sire Smart Strike and Dance Smartly. No Class's daughter is also the grand-dam of Plate winners Dancethruthedawn and Scatter the Gold.

Johnston was cited for saving harness racing in Fort Erie, Ontario, at the turn of the 19th Century when the sport was threatened as a violation of public morals. Johnston's opposition and his arguments before town council culminated in ensuring the future of horse racing at Fort Erie.

Celias Counsel, a foal of 1946, was campaigned by William Earl Rowe. She was one of the most prominent trotters in the early 1950s, including a career highlight win in the 1952 Maple Leaf Cup Trot. She held a record of 2:07 when most trotters were racing in 2:10 or slower. As a broodmare, she produced 9 foals, including Van Counsel who trotted in 2:03 and made over $131,000.