Keeping Up With Krcmar: A Lifetime of Loving Horses and a Career-Year at 79

Courtesy Woodbine Communications

TORONTO–When Zeljko Krcmar arrived in Ontario, he carried two dollars in his pocket, hope of a better life, and a dream of rekindling his association with horses.

It was 1968 when the young man from Yugoslavia first set foot in Toronto. He can recall the moment as though it happened yesterday.

“I came here to work as a chemist, that was my trade,” recalled Krcmar. “But because my love and my passion was horses, I knew I had to do something for my career that was built around them. I was in show horses most of my life. When I was in Yugoslavia, I was a show jumper. The horses, throughout my life, I have always felt a closeness to them.”

His daughter, Mary Self, has seen the countless photos of his father’s show horse days.

Although each picture is different in what’s depicted, every image shares a connection with the others.

“He’s very, very passionate about horses,” said Self. “He’s one of those old-time horsemen, and he’s been doing it his whole life. Dad started riding when he was in Yugoslavia. The only place to ride horses was in the military–and there was mandatory military duty–so he would ride with the soldiers.”

Krcmar’s skills in the saddle led to other roles outside of the show ring.

“My dad used to box and he was also a stuntman,” said Self. “I remember when I was young going to movie shoots with him. He played Tonto in a movie, and he did tricks on the horses. We had dogs that he would teach tricks to and they were in TV shows. I had quite the childhood seeing him doing all of those different things.”

Horses, however, were, and still very much are, Krcmar’s greatest joy.

Seven years after he came to Canada, he found his way to Woodbine Racetrack. Krcmar felt contentment the moment he walked onto the Toronto oval grounds.

After earning his trainer’s license, he saddled his first horse in 1975. Now, some 45 years after sending his first Thoroughbred postward, Krcmar, nearly 80, is still finding happiness at the racetrack.

His career numbers aren’t nearly as flashy as some of his contemporaries–98 wins, two stakes triumphs (including the 2008 Deputy Minister at Woodbine with Piper in the Glen) and just shy of $2 million in lifetime purse earnings–but Krcmar’s training talents are indisputable.

And he hasn’t lost a step.

In 2020, he won 16 races, a career-best number, from 75 starts. His horses produced $283,401 in earnings, also a lifetime-best mark.

“I changed a lot of things this year,” noted Krcmar, whose racing silks feature the Croatian national flag and colours. “My feeding program was different from anyone else’s program. Plus, with so many years experience, what you learn over time, it all helps. Even mistakes. You learn from your mistakes and that helps you perfect things.”

It also helps when you have a talented team at your side.

Krcmar’s wife, Gail, is a prime example.

“They are just the nicest people on earth,” said Self. “Dad, with his feed program, and the way he takes care of the horses, and Gail–she’s in her 70s–she’s on her hands and knees every day doing their legs, it’s incredible.”

Self is also heavily involved and invested in horse racing, including as a Thoroughbred owner.

Along with Tim Murray, they started owning horses together last year. In 2020, they began the season with six horses. By the end of the Woodbine campaign, they had four–one was claimed, another became a show jumper.

“We’re blessed to have them taking care of our horses,” said Self. “We buy at the sale or privately. We’re not big-time buyers, owners or breeders. We do it the best we can.”

Murray, a native New Yorker now living in Florida, had no prior knowledge of the racing business.

After meeting Self and Krcmar, his interest piqued with more horse talk.

“I knew nothing about horses,” said Murray with a laugh. “I didn’t even know what a halter was. Mary somehow talked me into going to OBS [Ocala Breeders’ Sales] last summer, and she started telling me about the great bonuses you get for purchasing an Ontario-sired or Ontario-bred horse. So, we went off from there. She taught me how to read the pedigree books and everything else.

“I leave it up to Mary and her father when it comes to the conformation side of things. I stick with the paper. I’m like the Brad Pitt character in the movie Moneyball, analyzing the data and the competition. Somehow, our horses always seem to be in the top three.”

Murray has high praise for Krcmar, and not just for his training abilities.

“He’s one of those people that will always help anyone. He treats his horses and people the same way. He’s very humble, family-oriented, and someone who would give you the shirt off his back. He’s a great person, someone you are proud to know and proud to work with.”

Just like those Murray worked alongside during his days as a Marine, a FDNY firefighter and an NYPD policeman.

He was at ground zero the day of 9/11.

“We all went down there. They lost 343 people in the fire department… I can tell you that I’ve been to one too many funerals over the years, but it was an honor to serve in each role I had. I went from the police to the fire department, and that’s how I finished out my career.”

Now retired and living in central Florida, horses have become his hobby.

His ownership silks pay tribute to the firefighters that perished Sept. 11, 2001.

“I had my niece design the colors, which are the colours of the Marines, the red and yellow,” he said. “I have the Marines, my first career, and on the left sleeve is the NYPD, and on the right sleeve is the FDNY. On the blinkers, it has the number 343, out of respect for those from the fire department who died. I feel like… it’s like they are rooting for me from heaven. As corny as it may sound, that’s how I feel.”

Seeing those colors represented in the winner’s circle for the first time was an emotional moment for Murray, Krcmar and Self.

It was Make No Mistake, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Raison d’Etat, who provided the emotional score for her connections on Aug. 9, 2019.

“This sport, it can be a rollercoaster, but you just have to go into it knowing that,” said Murray. “But just that one time in the winner’s circle… it’s just an amazing feeling. There’s really nothing else like it. We won our first race at Woodbine and we were there. I can’t even describe that feeling.”

Although they weren’t able to stand railside at Woodbine July 31 this year, Make No Mistake added another memorable highlight.

The dark bay skipped over the Inner Turf in 1:34.35 for one mile on that day, setting the track record in the process. It was one of four wins she had on the year for the trio.

It was another high point in a banner year for a veteran trainer.

Nothing, not even the premature ending to the Woodbine Thoroughbred season due to COVID-19, could take away from Krcmar’s outstanding 2020 campaign.

“My dad, he just takes it all in stride,” offered Self. “You know, they are just doing what they have to do. He’s so flexible and easy about everything. I think that’s why people like him the way they do. One of our horses got claimed this year and I asked my dad, ‘What are we going to do?’ He said to me, ‘Listen, it’s all part of the sport. It’s okay.’ My dad, he doesn’t want to claim from anyone. He doesn’t want to take the horse away from someone. He did claim two from Mark Casse this year, but he went and asked if it was okay to do it. He smiles every day he is at the racetrack and around his horses.”

For now, Krcmar will attempt to relax, something, admittedly, that is often easier said than done.

Not surprisingly, his association with horses will stay strong over the winter months.

“My son has a big show stable in Aurora, so I’m going to go there and help any way I can, something to keep myself busy, teaching and coaching.”

Krcmar will also no doubt think about the 2021 racing season at Woodbine, which will be his final one as a trainer.

“Two wins away from 100? I will get that,” Krcmar said. “I want to pass that. Hopefully, next year will be the same as this year. I would be happy with that. It was a wonderful year. My wife, she is my stakes horse. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to do this. She just never stops and she takes such good care of the horses. She keeps me going too.

“I still love it, or otherwise I would have quit a long time ago. I’m happy if I have a horse in a stakes race, the same way I’m happy if I have a horse in a $15,000 claimer. It’s exactly the same feeling. I just love my horses.”

And it’s obvious the horses love to run for Krcmar.

“They really do,” said Self. “I always think to myself, ‘Can you imagine being almost 80, getting up every morning and doing what you love?’ But that’s what my dad has done. He defected from a Communist country. He came to Canada with two dollars and he was able to keep his bond with the horses.”

It’s a bond that Krcmar treasures.

“Horses gave me a life in this country,” he said. “If I didn’t have that, I’d probably be working in a chemical plant and be an unhappy guy. But I have done something that has brought me great joy. Always be good to your horses, and don’t push them. They are like crystal and that’s how they should be treated.”

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Beyond The Win: Banach’s Patience Turns ‘Problem Child’ Samurai Queen Into Seasoned Winner

He had heard all the stories about the ornery Ontario-bred filly, but Darwin Banach didn't think twice when he put in a claim on her.

Samurai Queen, a 4-year-old dark bay daughter of First Samurai, had already built up a reputation on the Woodbine backstretch, and it wasn't a flattering one.

Of all the words used to describe the filly, “difficult” was perhaps the most often-used term attached to her name.

But for all of her quirks, bad habits and poor manners, Samurai Queen had the one quality Banach was looking for when it came to adding a horse to his barn.

“Talent,” said the conditioner who has recorded 288 lifetime wins. “You knew she had it. You knew it was there. But you also knew it would take a lot of work. She's been scratched at the gate, she's been scratched in the paddock – I think she kicked a jockey in the paddock when they went to get on her – and some of the trainers that had her before, you heard that she flipped in the barn, or on the way to the track. Rob [lead outrider, Love] used to pick her up at the tunnel and pony her the whole time. They used to have to walk her, with Rob ponying her, and try to saddle her that way. So, we knew we had a problem child. She definitely needed a lot of attention and she needed a lot of patience.”

Even more than Banach had anticipated.

In 2018, her first year racing, Samurai Queen posted a second and a third from five starts. One year later, she had four top-three efforts from 11 starts, including her maiden score.

The milestone victory came on Sept. 11, 2019, a wire-to-wire 11 ¼-length romp at 1 1/16 miles over Woodbine's main track.

That was followed by a fifth and eighth, respectively, in her next two outings.

On behalf of owners John Hillier and John Lofts, Banach claimed Samurai Queen on Oct. 4, 2019, a race she would go on to finish eighth of nine as the even-money choice.

She would finish seventh and fourth, respectively, for Banach and co. to end her sophomore season.

“We didn't have a lot of time with her that year and obviously it showed. She was showing speed and then stopping all the time in her races.”

Soon enough, the veteran conditioner would get to work with his work-in-progress horse.

Those efforts would be rewarded, but not until hours, days and weeks of labor were dedicated to Samurai Queen's mental fitness.

“Because of the COVID situation and getting shut down temporarily, we had a chance to spend a lot of extra time with her. We were out on her for an hour or more every day, doing everything. She was the type of horse that if you backed her up to the wire, she'd flip over backwards in the morning. She couldn't handle it. We just did all kinds of different things. We would train and walk half way back to the wire with her and try to make her stand and relax. Then we would back up a little farther. Once she got that, we'd walk back a little farther. We also had to let her jog and look around. Since there weren't that many horses on the track, we were able to do figure-eights at the wire to let her know that this wasn't a place that was going to hurt her.”

It's then that Banach draws a deep breath and exhales.

“We spent a lot of hours with her. I bet you I schooled her 10 times before her first race this year, to the paddock and back, myself. In between every race, she schooled a minimum of five times.”

In her first start of 2020, she won by a whopping 9 ¼ lengths over six panels on the Woodbine Tapeta, stopping the clock in 1:10.51 and earning her connections $18,573.

Sent off as the 9-5 second choice, Samurai Queen had a 10-length lead at the stretch call and coasted to the wire the easiest of winners.

None of it came as a surprise to Banach.

“I actually was [expecting it]. She had been training really, really well all spring. She had talent. We thought if we could get her to turn the corner and give her a chance to be good, that maybe she would be. When we got her, we just gave her lots of chances, and at some point, we came to some kind of agreement. We would let her do so much and when she would accomplish that, we stopped, and then gradually did a little bit more until she reached her comfort level. And she responded to that. By the end of the year when she schooled, a 2-year-old could have taken her over.”

It has been a gratifying journey for Banach, who won 18 races and posted 44 top-three finishes from 100 starts in 2020.

For the multiple stakes winning trainer, who finds himself 12 wins shy of 300 for his career, all of it – setbacks, successes and everything in between – has been worth the hours logged.

“That's exactly it. When hard work like that – watching them change, grow and seeing behavioral issues corrected – pays off, it's a wonderful feeling. The whole racetrack at Woodbine knows her. We never had to worry about anyone claiming her because everyone was deathly afraid of her.

“She was a funny horse, in the fact some horses you try to keep away from doing the same thing, but she wanted it to be a routine. If you took her out of her routine, that's when you'd have problems. We found that she would like to go out early in races, before the rest of the horses. She wanted to go behind the gate and walk around behind it. That was her happy place. We did that so much because she was bad at the gate, and she ended up being comfortable. And the gate crew would always load her first. Usually, you load the tougher ones last, but she got upset if other horses were in the gate ahead of her. She always wanted to be the first one in.”

Samurai Queen will have the winter off from race action, spending the next few months relaxing at Vera Simpson's Curraghmore Farm in Waterdown, Ont.

All of it well deserved, offered Banach.

“Vera couldn't believe how much she's filled up, grown up and turned into this amazing horse. 'Samurai,' now that she doesn't fret over everything and everything isn't a fight, she's put on weight, muscled up. She looks great and she's doing fantastic. We're thrilled to have her with us.”

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Beyond The Win: Red Hierarchy Was Worth Waiting For

The road to one Ontario-bred's first win came later rather than sooner, but for the chestnut's connections it made the victory all the more memorable.

For trainer Jamie Attard, watching Red Hierarchy in the seconds before he burst from the starting gate on July 12 at Woodbine Racetrack wasn't an unfamiliar sight.

But this time the scene wasn't just in his imagination.

“In all honesty, he came in with a presence about him when he was a 2-year-old,” recalled Attard. “He was a big, big, handsome colt. I looked at him and everything about him stood out. He just had this really nice look to him. You'd take him out to gallop and he was classy from the start – all about business and a beautiful stride to him. You couldn't wait to see him race.”

At the end of the maiden optional claiming race, contested over 6 ½ furlongs on the Toronto oval's Tapeta, Red Hierarchy, under Justin Stein, was a six-length winner.

He stopped the teletimer in 1:16.14 and returned $13.70 for the win.

The victory, over a year in the making, was exactly how Attard had envisioned it.

“It was a big field the day he won. He passed the front-runner and then started opening up. I was speechless. It's such a good feeling that you knew what you had, but you trusted your gut, you stayed patient and you stuck to the plan. When he crossed the wire, I was happy for the horse. Everything that you had said all along, he just proved it. It was really rewarding that day.”

How Red Hierarchy made his way to the winner's circle on that summer afternoon is a coming-of-age tale, literally.

Bred and owned by Howard Walton's Norseman Stables, the horse that was foaled on March 25, 2017 caught the attention of Attard immediately.

Looks, with a mind to match, made Red Hierarchy a welcome addition to the trainer's barn.

“That's the thing that really puts into your head that a horse could be special,” said Attard. “You have a lot of horses that come through your barn with talent, especially 2-year-olds, but this horse, he had the mind to go with it. Whatever you asked him to do, he did it. He was just so kind and sweet right away. He had the mentality for it.”

For all that Red Hierarchy had going for him, he also had a few issues, albeit minor ones, to be dealt with.

Rushing the horse to the races wasn't an option for Attard.

“Even though we had him gelded, he was still too big for a 2-year-old. Mentally, he was there, but he had issues that all babies go through. And I thought if I push on this horse, I'm going to ruin him. It was just that realization that he's not meant to be a 2-year-old. I told Howie, even though it wasn't easy for him to hear, that the horse wasn't sore, but I think the best thing for this horse is to put him away. Right away, he said, 'If that's what you think is best, let's do that for him.' It's amazing how much he trusted me.”

That trust and Attard's game plan would eventually pay off handsomely.

But there were times, plenty of them, when it wasn't easy for him to be separated from Red Hierarchy.

“I'm taking care of my horses, and in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about him every day. I'm thinking about him being on the farm, growing up, turned out, and growing into himself. He had a lot of experience up until that point. He had three or four works for me as a 2-year-old and then we gave him the summer, fall and winter off. He was with Gayle Woods in Ocala, Florida, and as soon as he got down there, she told Howie how special this horse was. It was nice to hear the horse was continuing his maturation and progression to being a 3-year-old. He went down December last year. When she started working him – he had about four or five works before he came up to me, just easy ones – she told me he was something special.”

All of that confidence had Attard brimming and eager to welcome his young prospect back into the fold.

He counted down the days until Red Hierarchy made his way back from the Sunshine State to the Woodbine backstretch.

“I couldn't wait to get him off the van and when I did see him, that big, soft 2-year-old had turned into a nice-looking 3-year-old. All that baby fat turned into muscle. I couldn't wait to get going with him, but I realized that if we had given him all that time, you still needed to do things the right way. So, we worked him and he did everything so easily. You start bringing him to the gate, to the paddock, and he's doing everything the right way. All told, we had 13 works for him before he ran.”

The long wait was finally over on that July 12 afternoon.

“I didn't want to have the horse ready to run, I wanted to have him ready to win first time out. His last work before his race, it wasn't the time that mattered – it was the way he did it. He broke well, he settled, he finished well, and galloped out strongly. I knew the horse was ready to run.”

Red Hierarchy would go on to win his first three starts before testing open company in his three subsequent races.

At season's end, he fashioned a mark of three wins and three thirds from six outings.

“It's tough for Ontario-sired horses to step up to those ranks, but he ran with them, and didn't miss by much in those races. It's not easy for any horse to run six consistent races in a row, and to have three wins and three thirds. It's not making excuses, but 2020 was his 2-year-old season if you think about it, and he still showed he had talent.”

Attard will have to wait about four months before he's reunited with Red Hierarchy.

Now back in Florida, the soon-to-be 4-year-old will gear up for his sophomore season at the races.

At the very least, Attard can have some warm thoughts over the cold winter months.

“We're thinking there could be a nice Ontario-sired stakes race for him in 2021. He's going to have a nice winter. He's with Gayle Woods again and she called Howie the minute he got there. She was thrilled to see him. It's really exciting that we got him to the races and he made it through safe and sound. You just hope he can take that next step and be a nice 4-year-old.

“He's a full-brother to another one in my barn, Red Equinox, and I have the full-sister, Peace Sign. They've all won first time out for me now. So, keep them coming. We actually have another full-sister coming next year… she'll be a 2-year-old. The year after that, the one Howie is really excited about – he sent that mare [Majestic Red] to Mucho Macho Man, so we've got a colt coming. He told me that could be my Queen's Plate horse.”

Attard would love to deliver Walton a Plate score.

“Howie takes a lot of pride in the horses he breeds and standing his own stallion Signature Red, who's proved to be a very solid sire, is something he really enjoys seeing. A lot of his mares, he's bred them going back two or three generations and to breed them to his own stallion that he raced and now stands at stud is a labor of love for him. It's great to see the success Signature Red has had for Howie. Maybe one of these days – because of his maturity and abilities – Red Hierarchy could be a nice, older Ontario-sired sprinter for Howie. That's the exciting thing.”

So, too, is the thought of recording a special milestone with “Red.”

It's something Attard has thought about often over his training life.

“I've been in a lot of nice stakes win pictures with Howie's horses when was I assistant to my dad [Hall of Fame conditioner Sid Attard], but it would be nice to get one of my own.”

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Woodbine: Frost King Stakes Rescheduled For Friday, Nov. 20

The $100,000 Frost King Stakes has been rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, at Woodbine in Ontario, Can.

Originally slated to run on Sunday, Nov. 15, the race was postponed after Woodbine Entertainment cancelled Sunday's Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto due to an extreme weather warning issued by Environment Canada.

The $100,000 Frost King Stakes, a 6 ½-furlong Tapeta event for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds, will be the eighth race on Friday and included in the weekly Racing Night Live broadcast from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on TSN. First post time on Friday is 4:45 p.m. ET.

World-class Thoroughbred racing will return to Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday, Nov. 19 (2:25 p.m. first post time). Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$100,000 FROST KING STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Avoman – Justin Stein – Don MacRae

2 – Souper Classy – David Moran – Michael De Paulo

3 – Candy Overload – Rafael Hernandez – Krista Cole

4 – De Only Solution – Patrick Husbands – Cole Bennett

5 – Blind Trust – Luis Contreras – Norman McKnight

6 – All Canadian – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Gail Cox

7 – Red River Rebel – Steven Bahen – Rachel Halden

8 – Dragon's Brew – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

9 – Forest Survivor – Kazushi Kimura – Norman McKnight

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