Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Reveals 2026 Finalists for Historic 50th Anniversary Class

Two-time Sovereign Award winner Fatal Bullet (by Red Bullet) and three-time champion One For Rose (by Tejano Run) headline the finalists named by the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame for its landmark 2026 induction class. As the CHRHF proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary, a total of 14 individuals, consisting of people and horses, will be inducted as part of the 50th Anniversary Class, to be announced April 8.

The Thoroughbred categories selected for 2026 include Builder, Communicator, Trainer, Jockey, Male Horse, and Female Horse. The Thoroughbred Builder finalists are John Burness, Dr. Robert McMartin DVM, and Stanley Sadinsky. The Communicator finalists are Michael Burns Jr., Neil Campbell, and Bill Tallon. The Jockey finalists are Richard Dos Ramos, George HoSang, and Emile Ramsammy. The Thoroughbred Trainer finalists are Gerald Bennett, Dale Saunders, and Laurie Silvera. The Thoroughbred Female Horse finalists are Careless Jewel, Hard Not To Like, and One For Rose. The Thoroughbred Male Horse finalists are Joshua Tree, Rahy's Attorney, and Fatal Bullet.

One For Rose's case for enshrinement is hard to argue against. Bred by John Sikura's Hill 'N' Dale Farm and owned by the Tucci Stables of Toronto, she was trained by Hall of Fame inductee Sid Attard during her lengthy career. She twice beat the males in the Seagram Cup (G3) and posted repeat wins in the Algoma Stakes, the Maple Leaf Stakes (G3), and the Ontario Matron. Named the Sovereign Award recipient as Canada's Older Female Horse in 2003, 2004, and 2005, she produced five winners from six foals as a broodmare, including two million-dollar-plus earners.

On the Standardbred side, the categories selected for 2026 include Builder, Driver, Trainer, Female Horse, Male Horse, and Veteran Person or Horse. The Standardbred Builder finalists are Al Libfeld, Hugh Mitchell, and Dr. Maurice "Mo" Stewart. The Driver finalists are Mary Clare MacDonald, Roger Mayotte, and Mike Saftic. The Standardbred Trainer finalists are Doug Arthur, Fred Grant, and Rod Hennessy. The Female Horse finalists are Emilie Cas El, Put On A Show, and West Of LA. The Veteran finalists are Frank Daniels, James "Roach" MacGregor, and Western Dreamer.

The 2026 Standardbred Male Horse finalists are Arch Madness, Majestic Son, and Marion Marauder. A two-time O'Brien Award recipient from the final crop of Hall of Fame stallion Balanced Image and out of Armbro Archer, Arch Madness found racing success in Canada, the United States, and Europe. During a race career that spanned from age three to nine, the gelding generated more than $4.3 million in earnings, a record that still stands for Canadian-sired trotters.

Those included in the Legend Category are horses and people whose impact on Canadian horse racing took place at least 50 years prior to induction, with a particular focus on individuals considered "Unsung Heroes" and "Trailblazers" whose contributions helped shape the sport in Canada. The 2026 Thoroughbred Legend finalists are Kemo Inamasu, Osborn Morton, Eva Ring, Alfred Tarn, and Kathleen Taylor. The Standardbred Legend finalists are Retta Harrington, Fred Hill, Georgette Plouffe, William Henry Riddell, and Wayne Smith.

Harrington, who lives in Brighton, Ontario, represents exactly the kind of trailblazer the Legend category was built to recognize. She took up driving after raising her first Standardbred, Lu Attorney, refusing to hand the horse to anyone else to race and pursuing her driving license instead. She became the first woman to compete as a driver in regular races at Old Woodbine, and her philosophy was straightforward: "Women should have the right to become licensed drivers just like men. I think there should be more of them."

Also among the Standardbred Builder finalists, Dr. Maurice "Mo" Stewart brings more than 35 years of service to the table. A 1974 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Stewart has devoted decades to the advancement of racing as a racetrack veterinarian, breeder, and owner. Canadian Racing Hall of Fame inductee Keith Clark has described him as "a tireless worker trying to improve Alberta racing" and "a relentless advocate for Alberta on the national scene."

On the Communicator side, Bill Tallon's résumé stands out. A prolific horse racing writer and avid handicapper, Tallon's work could be read in the Daily Racing Form for a span of 35 years, where he held positions of writer and editor covering racing at Woodbine and other Canadian tracks. In 1995, he won the Sovereign Award in the Outstanding Feature Writing category.

The individual receiving the most votes in each category will be named a 2026 inductee. The full 50th Anniversary Class of 14 will be revealed on April 8.