from the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

Toronto, ON — The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its 2012 Legend inductees.

The Legends section of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame honors the people and horses whose accomplishments and feats occurred a number of decades ago. These people and horses made unique contributions to horse racing in Canada and the Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize the special roles they played in the development of Canadian horse racing.

Below are the two Standardbred Legend honorees:

Dalyce Blue

Dalyce Blue became the first Canadian-bred trotter to record a sub-2:10 mile as a 2-year-old and a 2:05 mile at three. Bred by Madawaska Farms Ltd. of Arnprior, Ontario, Dalyce Blue was trained and driven by veterinarian-horseman Dr. John S. Findley who co-owned the farm with his father, John H. Findley.

In the early years of her career she had to race against older horses and even pacers. As a 2-year-old she won eight of nine starts. In 1959 as a 3-year-old she won 13 of 16 starts and was second in two others. No 3-year-old trotter, colt or filly, American or Canadian bred, beat her that season. Her defining moment came at Suffolk Downs near Boston where she faced most of the best 3-year-old trotters in the United States including world champion Sara Black, in the $28,400 Suffolk Downs Trot. At odds of 14-1, Dalyce Blue “Came out of the pack in a corking five-way duel in the last sixteenth” to win going away in 2:04.3h.

She raced until the age of seven, and attained a lifetime mark of 2:03 at six. She retired with earnings of $90,119.

As a broodmare, Dalyce Blue produced the $273,000 winner The Black Douglas (2:01.2) and stakes winner Crimson Duchess (2,2:09.4f), a winner of $73,195 who was voted the top Canadian 2-year-old trotter in 1969.

Mildred Williams

Often referred to as “The First Lady of Harness Racing,” Mildred Williams was a true pioneer in the sport. In the days when a female harness driver was a rarity, Mildred Willliams was a trailblazer as one of the first women in Canada granted a driving licence. She went on to fight for the right to drive in pari-mutuel races the United States when in both 1960 and 1964 the USTA denied her a licence. She eventually won the battle and was granted her US licence in 1968.

In 1969 she represented Canada in the “Mondiale des conducteurs feminins” against Italian and American ladies. In 1973 she was declared to be the winningest woman in recorded harness racing history in the U.S. and Canada with over 400 victories.

The Mildred Williams International Women’s Driving Series was established in 2006, and continues each year with races contested by female harness drivers and held throughout North America as a charity event in support of breast cancer.

Her last visit to the races was in 2007 when she joined the women who participated in the Montreal leg of the series, by participating in the winner’s circle presentation.

She died in 2008 at the age of 92.

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame will celebrate the inductions of these deserving legends at a Wine and Cheese reception ceremony scheduled to take place Friday (May 25) at 5 p.m. in the Hall of Fame at Woodbine Racetrack. The reception will also feature the official unveiling of the display boards for the 2011 inductees, as well as the introduction of the 2012 inductees.

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is a dual hall representing both Standardbreds and Throroughbreds. Inductees are added annually to build an ever-growing honor roll in the category of Builders, Drivers/Trainers, Jockeys/Trainers, Veterans and Legends.

Additional details are available at: www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com.