Maryland Hall of Fame Honors Boniface Maryland Horse Breeders Association Inc
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Maryland Horse® September 2018 Official publication of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association; Vol. 83, No. 9 A Lifetime Tribute: Maryland Hall of Fame honors Boniface MARYLAND HORSE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION INC. By Chris Zang at Goucher College 1021 Dulaney Valley Road Baltimore, MD 21204 P.O. Box 427 Timonium, MD 21094 Longtime horseman Bill 410-252-2100 Boniface fully supports recent www.marylandthoroughbred.com changes to revive the Mary- BOARD OF DIRECTORS land horseracing industry. He Michael Harrison DVM particularly likes a measure President that awards a $500,000 bonus 1 David Wade to the connections of a Mary- Vice-president land-bred Preakness win- Kent Allen Murray ner. He would like to see one Secretary-treasurer amendment, however. Cricket Goodall “I asked the guy who was Executive director working on that bill, ‘Can we Brooke Bowman DVM, make it retroactive?’” Boniface Rebecca B. Davis, David recalled with a laugh. DiPietro, Christy Holden, The vintage Boniface barb Louis Merryman, Sabrina had a special point, given that Moore, D. David Moose, Larry he bred, trained and co-owned Murray, Hunter Rankin, William Reightler, James B. the last local Preakness hero, Steele, Theresa Wiseman Deputed Testamony, in 1983. If the victory remains Boniface’s Directors Emeritus seminal accomplishment, the (served 18 years) Maryland State Athletic Hall J. William Boniface, of Fame has deemed it just one R. Thomas Bowman, King T. of many. Leatherbury, Donald P. Litz The MDSAHOF selected Jr., Robert T. Manfuso, Ann Boniface to receive the John F. Merryman, Michael Pons, Katharine M. Voss Steadman Lifetime Achieve- ment Award, given to a Mary- Advisory Council land resident whose lifetime (past MHBA presidents) career in sports has brought J. William Boniface, honor and distinction to the William K. Boniface, Frank A. state and its citizenry. The Bonsal, R. Thomas Bowman, William G. Christmas, Hal award ceremony will take C.B. Clagett III, Kimball C. place Nov. 8 at Martin’s West Firestone, King T. Leatherbury, in Baltimore. J.W.Y. Martin Jr., Joseph P. For Boniface, the hon- Pons Jr., Michael Pons, James or bears a special meaning. B. Steele Jr., Katharine M. Stead man, the longtime Bal- Voss, Robert B. White timore Sun sports columnist, Anne Litz worked for decades with Sun always said there’s a lot of tion. Eyeing the Preakness, Wide World of Sports legend, to racing editor William Boni- good horsemen and women in Boniface brought the horse create the Maryland Million in face, the trainer’s dad. Maryland, but I think they’re home – but not to rest. 1986, which has become the “Well, I don’t know that intimidated by trying to go A week before the Preak- state’s second-biggest racing I’m worthy of it, but I appreci- against these heavy-hitting ness, Boniface ran him in a day of the year. ate it,” Boniface said. guys. You know, you’ve got to small stakes in Philadelphia, “The second year was a The selection commit- be in it to win it.” where he won and “came out big day for me. I won three tee found worth in a distin- First awarded in 1997, the of it confident, like a million races, and it was the first guished career that has fea- Steadman has honored one dollars.” Boniface added, “A time a trainer had won three tured 20 major winners of 10 other horse trainer – King T. lot of people said it was un- $100,000 races in one day,” he graded stakes, the Haskell, Leather bury in 2003. Eight orthodox to run him that close said. It also was a big day for Manhattan, Ohio Derby and other horse-racing principals but, hell, the old days we used McKay, who won the Juvenile Michigan Derby among them. have gained induction to to run them every three days.” with homebred Sean’s Ferrari, But for Oliver Twist’s ob- the Hall: jockeys Buddy En- Deputed Testamony lived named for McKay’s son. structed 1995 stretch run, Bon- sor (1968), Paddy Smithwick to 32 and is buried at Bonita. “We went down to the iface might have had a second (’70), Sam Boulmetis (’74), “He was a very underrated winner’s circle, and Jim was Preakness score. Joe Aitcheson Jr. (’75), Charlie speechless, the only time I Thrilled and surprised by Fenwick (’88), Phil Grove (’94) horse – to reporters,” Boniface said. “As a 2-year-old, he set a ever saw him speechless in my the Steadman Award, Bon- and Mario Pino (2012) and life,” Boniface said. “Now [Se- iface typically diffused the Thoroughbred titan Native track record in Meadowlands, and reporters said it was be- an’s] the head of CBS Sports, praise beyond himself and Bo- Dancer (’14), the only non-hu- but back then Sean was hus- nita Farm, his family-owned man enshrined. cause the track was frozen. Then, when he won the Preak- tling his old man to get him operation in Darlington. At 76, Boniface still makes a Ferrari, and I said no, for- “What’s significant about the rounds at 5:30 each morn- ness [as part of a 14-1 coupled entry], everybody said he won get the Ferrari, we’ll buy this this award to me is that they ing, for Bonita remains a bus- mare, and we’ll raise a stakes recognized horse racing as tling venture: The 400-acre because the track was muddy. But what a lot of people lose winner. So we named the a major sport in the state of farm can breed, board, foal, horse Sean’s Ferrari.” Maryland,” Boniface said. break, train and retire your sight of is, he came back a year Perhaps Boniface gets his “Because, to me, horse racing racehorse. And the 2018 addi- later in the City of Baltimore ability to recollect facts from is the greatest game played tion of Santa Anita Derby-G1 Handicap, and he set a track his late father, who covered outdoors. There are very few winner Dortmund (joining record on the fast track going a 4 5 horse racing from 1937 until people who can buy a football Alliance and Kobe’s Back) has mile and a 16th in 1:40 ⁄ . That his retirement in 1982. Boni- team or a baseball team, but brought new energy to the record still stands. You know face said of his dad and Stead- there are a lot of people who stallion ranks. how many times they’ve run 2 man: “They were both first- can buy a horse or a part of “You hope that one of them a mile and a 16th at Pimlico class reporters. They didn’t a horse and have a chance to is going to be the next North- in the last 35 years?” Boniface take any cheap shots, but yet win a Super Bowl. That’s the ern Dancer,” Boniface said. paused, and with a catch in still told it bold.” great part about the game.” “All horsemen live in hope his voice added, “He just was No Maryland-bred has and die in despair, but the a hell of a horse.” Boniface and his dad start- won the Preakness in 35 years, hope part is good.” Boniface has been infatuat- ed the original Bonita Farm Boniface said, because large, He said he was hopeful, ed with Thoroughbreds – “the in Bel Air with 40 acres. After mega-funded outfits increas- even confident, about Deput- most magnificent animal on Deputed Testamony made ingly outmuscle smaller ones. ed Testamony 35 years ago the planet” – most of his life. history, they expanded it to “Ten percent of the trainers even after a bad shipping trip He went from exercise rider to 200 acres. have 90 percent of the good led to a poor outing in the Blue jockey as a teen and, after four Now doubled in size, Bo- horses, and they dominate the Grass Stakes and derailed him years in the military, from as- nita remains a family opera- classics,” Boniface said. “I’ve from Kentucky Derby conten- sistant trainer to trainer. “I got tion. Boniface’s sons, Kevin the bug and just never left it,” and John, remain fixtures of he said. the operation, and daughter He doesn’t understand Kim trains part-time. Son Bil- how the sport – and the ani- ly worked there too before mals who star in it – have lost becoming a Harford County their allure. “It’s crazy to me,” administrator. he said. “Way back in the day, Construing his life as “a 90 percent of the 16-year-old big parlay,” Boniface said he’ll boys and girls in the country share the Steadman Award had ridden a horse. Today, 98 with his family and horse-rac- percent have driven a car, but ing colleagues. maybe only 10 percent have “You know, to me, it hasn’t @MarylandTB Maryland Thoroughbred ridden a horse – or even seen always been about the money one.” I make or the trophies I take,” Boniface chuckled softly, he said softly. “It’s really been said his wife, Joan, accuses about the people I’ve met and him of telling too many sto- the memories I keep.” facebook.com/MarylandTB Maryland Thoroughbred ries. Then he told one more. For tickets to the Maryland He recalled teaming with State Athletic Hall of Fame ban- friend Jim McKay, the ABC quet, visit mdsahof.com. R MHIB opens 2019 grant process The Maryland Horse Industry “The Maryland horse industry brings presentation. Grant requests should not Board, a program within the Maryland an additional $1.3 billion dollars to the exceed $3,000; the average grant amount Depart ment of Agriculture, is accepting state economy and impacts more than is approximately $1,000.