Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Trainer of the Month
for April 2007

Keith Waples

Keith Waples was one of Canada's greatest horsemen ever. Born in Victoria Harbour, Ontario on December 8, 1923, Keith drove in his first race at Canadian fairs as a 12-year-old. He's been at it ever since, and with remarkable success. Grey Ghost, at Sundredge, provided his first win, and his wins total exceeds 3,000 although the exact number will forever remain buried in the columns of countless papers in those areas where he drove during his early career.

Keith Waples & Strike Out
in the 1972 Little Brown Jug

Canadian fans at Blue Bonnets, Greenwood, Garden City, Mohawk, Dufferin, Richelieu, Thorncliffe and Woodbine have seen him capture leading driver honours on many occasions. Fair racing fans boast of watching him sweep entire cards on occasion.

Highlights of his career include winning the Roosevelt International Trot in 1962 with Tie Silk, the American-National at Sportsman's Park with Choir Boy, and setting the Richelieu Park pacing record of 1:59.3 with Mighty Dudley in 1959, for his first two-minute trip, the first 2:00 mile ever in Canada.

Blaze Pick, Zip Tar, Rob Ron Robbie and Rob Ron Tarios were all standouts for Waples. However, Keith is perhaps best known throughout North America for his partnership with the great pacer Strike Out, with whom he won the 1972 Little Brown Jug, Adios Pace and Prix d'Ete.

In 1973 he won several major three-year-old pacing stakes with temperamental Rob Ron Ritzar. In 1974 Rob Ron Ritzar continued winning Ontario Stakes for Keith, and so did Kawartha Ilene and Albert's Star.

Despite training a large stable and competing on both sides of the border in many seasons, Keith found time to star with several amateur hockey clubs for ten years.

In his later years, Keith took an active interest in the front-office operations of two of Canada's most successful tracks, Orangeville (Ontario) and Cloverdale (B.C.). He, along with Jim Keeling, was instrumental in taking major league harness racing to the west coast, where it has enjoyed unprecedented success. To date in 2007, Keith has driven 3,206 winners to the tune of $6,768,320, and has 67 winners as a trainer with $783,863 in career earnings.

Keith Waples Career Driving Statistics
Year  Starts    Wins     2nds     3rds     Earnings
2003      3           0           0           0           $1,658
2002      4          0           0           0           $227
2001      27        4            3           3           $21,768
2000      15         2            4           0           $18,354
1999      13         1            4           4           $17,550
1998      14         4            2           1           $30,293
1997       2          0            0           1           $12,749
1996      18         3           2            1          $50,865
1995      26         4            1            8           $37,833
1994      12         0            3           3           $4,934
1993      11         1           2           3           $49,149
1992      39         9           7            6           $12,119
1991      21         7            5           2           $17,840
1990      3           0            2            1           $5,149
1989      4           4            0           0           $1,925
1988      92       14            8           12          $28,790
1987      28         2            6           2            $12,082
1986      45        10           7           6           $46,093
1985      212      30           34           23        $153,426
1984      245      30           26           30          $252,742
1983      401      63           53           39          $345,599
1982      192      26           27           33          $88,978
1981      86        11           10           15          $156,516
1980      94        14           14           12          $160,795
1979      106      25           16           11          $277,940
1978      84        10           13           9           $98,488
1977      201       31           28           32          $241,959
Total                3,206                                $6,768,320