Saving Sammy: A day of rest for Sam as Denny takes a familiar detour

Saving Sammy: Return to the Races – Part 5 Denny Baxter and his 18-year-old gelding prepare for a race in their honour.

Jayson Baxter, producer and co-host of CTV News at 5, shares the personal story of Saving Sammy, his family’s beloved racehorse.

Sammy earned a day of rest and relaxation on Friday, Oct. 7, just two days before Championship Sunday at Red Shores Racetrack in Charlottetown.

It was a gorgeous fall day, so we let him roam the pasture at the Van Meer farm outside Stratford, P.E.I. -- but not before filling him with copious amounts of carrots and Cortland apples, one of Sammy’s favourite treats.

It gave dad and I time to drive to Crapaud, P.E.I. for the annual Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale. There’s always a buzz in the air just before the auctioneer steps to the mic, but I don’t remember seeing so many people at a sale -- an estimated 1500 at the Exhibition Grounds.

One of the 120+ colts and fillies going through the sale was Ladnamedharry, or just Harry to the Hennigars of Greenfield, N.S., who were selling three yearlings, including Harry.

We introduced him to viewers as a newborn foal in May 2021. Harry’s mother, or ‘dam’ in horse lingo, died just hours after he was born, leaving the colt orphaned.

Horse breeder Jeff Hennigar’s teenaged son Evan stepped in and volunteered to bottle-feed Harry, developing a very close bond. Evan says Harry was more like a dog than a horse at first, roaming the yard and greeting visitors arriving by car.

Harry was hip #49. He sold for $10,000, below the sale average of $15,000. This is the toughest part of the business. Breeding horses for sale is part of the Hennigars’ livelihood, but it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye.

Evan says he’ll miss Harry, follow his racing career closely, and hopes to bring him home when it’s over.

Next spring these yearlings will be two years old. The ones who make the races will compete all season. The best will make the Atlantic Breeders Crown finals, the same championship event Denny and 18-year-old Sammy were invited to attend in just two days time.

Thanks,

Jay