East
Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands
is pleased to announce that beginning with the 2015 edition, the Merrie
Annabelle stake for two-year-old trotting fillies will be retitled the
"Jim Doherty Memorial" recognizing the legacy of that Hall
of Fame horseman.
Jim Doherty was born in
New Brunswick, Canada. He learned horses at the hand of his father Frank at
Exhibition Park in Saint John and drove his first winner in
1959. Honing his skills while rising through the levels of
racetrack quality, Doherty eventually excelled on the
ultra-competitive New England circuit through the 1970's.
New England was where
his talents would draw the interest of Joe DeFrank
when that Hall of Fame Racing Secretary was assembling the nucleus of
horsemen that would launch the inaugural Meadowlands meet in 1976. Jim became a
part of the fabric at the fantastic new venue and his talents as both a
horseman and a driver led to his operating a large and powerful
stable for decades.
On the racetrack his
stars were many, led by the champion trotter Fools Goal who earned more
than $3 million while winning all the major races for his division. No Nonsense
Woman was a million dollar winner, counting the Goldsmith Maid, World
Filly Trotting Derby and Breeders Crown among her successes. Starchip
Enterprise promised greatness before succumbing to a career-ending
injury at three.
Beyond his
Meadowlands achievements, Doherty enjoyed great success on a national level
including the 2002 Glen Garnsey Trainer of the Year award. His life's
work culminated in his 2002 induction into the Living Hall of Fame, the
highest award bestowed upon a Standardbred horseman.
In a game that is
defined by competition, "Gentleman Jim" Doherty's class and grace
earned him the respect of his peers as few have in the long history of racing.
The inaugural Merrie
Annabelle stake was raced in 1977 for a purse of just $30,000. It quickly
became the "must win" race for the feminine freshmen and by 1985 the
purse had risen to its apex at $627,250.
Past winners of the
stake include champions like Peace Corps, CR Kay Suzie, Check Me Out,
Shake It Cerry and last year's sensation Mission Brief (who set the stakes
record at 1:52.2).
“Jim Doherty was one of the
horsemen that helped put the Meadowlands on the map more than 30 years ago,”
said Meadowlands chairman Jeffrey Gural. “His contributions to the Meadowlands
and harness racing are numerous and this is another way to honor his legacy.”
“As a young harness racing
fan growing up in Ohio, you couldn’t help but look up to “Gentleman Jim”
Doherty,” said Jason M. Settlemoir, Meadowlands CEO and General Manager. “He
was the consummate horseman that you always respected and rooted for on the
sport’s biggest stage. He touched so many people in this industry and we hope
attaching his name to one of the sport’s premier races will help keep his
memory alive forever.”
The 2015 $350,000E Jim
Doherty Memorial will be raced on Hambletonian Day, August 8, 2015.
