By Canadian Press

Harness racing owner Brad Grant tops Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame 2025 class

Apr 23, 2025 | 4:38 PM

TORONTO — Brad Grant is following in his father’s footsteps.

The longtime harness-racing owner was named for induction into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as a builder Wednesday. He joins his father, John, who went into the shrine in 1998, also as a builder.

Brad Grant has, either solely or in partnership, owned Hambletonian winners Atlanta, Ramona Hill, and ’23 Hall of Fame inductee, Bulldog Hanover. Other notable millionaire horses owned by Grant include Its Academic, Stay Hungry, Apprentice Hanover, Wheels On Fire and Sandbetweenurtoes.

Grant was also presented the 2018 Humanitarian Award by the US Harness Writers Association and the Woolworth owner of the year at the 2022 Dan Patch Awards. And last year, he was appointed to the board of Woodbine Entertainment.

Grant, a trucking magnate, was inducted to the Milton Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

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The other standardbred inductees include: Kent Oakes (builder); Dave Briggs (communicator); Muscle Mass (male horse); Yankee Paco (veteran); and trainer John Bax.

The six thoroughbred inductees will be Ivan Dals (builder); Marketing Mix (female horse); jockey Perry Winters; Ghostzapper (male horse), Storm Bird (veteran); and trainer Mike Doyle.

The ’25 class will be formally inducted Aug. 6.

Bax a trotting specialist, was Canada’s top trainer in 2001. Among the horses Bax conditioned was Goodtimes, a Hall of Fame gelding that won 50 races and over $2.2 million in earnings, which at the time of his retirement made the horse the richest Canadian-bred trotter of all time.

Bax has registered 925 wins and over $26 million in earnings.

Meanwhile on the thoroughbred side, Dalos established himself as one of Canada’s top owners-breeders over almost 50 years in the field. He claimed his first racehorse in 1978, creating Tall Oaks Farm.

What was originally a handful of broodmares has grown to several dozen mares, five stallions and close to 150 horses and includes Hall of Fame inductees Victory Gallop and Channel Maker. Dalos received the E.P. Taylor Award of Merit in 2021 for his contributions to racing and breeding.

Winters, an Edmonton native, rode for 33 years (1980-2012), amassing 2,984 wins. He was seven times Alberta’s leading jockey and recorded over 100 stakes wins, including the ’83 Canadian Derby aboard Cozy Grey.

Winters registered his first 100-win season in 1986, a feat he’d accomplish the next 10 straight years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press