The Inverness Oran

Inverness Raceway’s horse of the year for 2025 was Windemere Best Man. Owned by Beverley McIsaac and Danny Gillis, who does the training and driving, it is the second time in the past three seasons the seven-year-old has won the award.

-by Bill Dunphy

                For the second time in his five-year connection with Inverness Raceway, Windemere Best Man was named horse of the year for 2025 at Friday’s annual awards banquet at the Inverness fire hall.

                Owned by Beverley McIsaac, of P.E.I., and Port Hood trainer/driver Danny Gillis, the  gelded son of Malicious out of Art Blanche had eight wins, six seconds, and two third-place finishes in 23 starts last season for earnings of $10,299 as a seven-year-old.

                With a best time of 1:57.3, Best Man was a top contender in the top class, notching five wins and four seconds.

                Best Man first made his debut in 2021 as a three-year-old for owners Simon Poirier and Chad MacDonnell and trainer Lanny Hanscombe. He was named horse of the year in 2023 and was sold to McIsaac and Gillis in July of last year.

                McIsaac was unable to attend the banquet, but in an email said, “Best Man is a beautiful horse who loves his home track. He had a fantastic 2025 and looking forward to the new racing season starting up.”

                The annual banquet recognizes the efforts of the trainer, drivers, owners and, of course, the horses that keep Inverness Raceway a going concern year after year.

                Following the delicious turkey dinner catered by Red Seal chef Sharon MacEachern, of Judique, head table guests gave a few words.

                A piece on the history of the raceway, written by Oran columnist and author Frank Macdonald, was read by Bill Dunphy.

                Inverness MLA Kyle MacQuarrie noted the strong, generational ties of the track and noted, “How important your work and your enjoyment is for the community.”

                Track announcer Gordie MacNeil reminded everyone to respect the people that were her before you, including those who have passed and who are still active in the sport. He also noted those who are making their living with harness racing, including Wayne MacLean, Donnie Rankin Jr., Joe MacIsaac, Jamie Copley, Logan Gillis, Meghan MacPherson, Keith and Mark MacDonell, and Damian MacLellan.

                Shane Ryan, who announces at Northside Downs and occasionally in Inverness, said there is a “sheer sense of belonging” among the Inverness racing community.

                Mare of the year for 2025 was Bettie White. Owned by the mother-son team of Darlene and Brock MacLellan, the four-year-old fan-favourite grey mare, trained by Zach Mullins, had six wins, five seconds and a third in 21 starts for earnings of $7,798.

                I Got Socks was a triple winner on Friday for owners Anita Gillis and D.F. Beaton. The five-year-old stud horse, trained by Beaton, had the most wins at Inverness with 10. Along with six seconds and three thirds, and earnings just shy of $11,000, I Got Socks was the top $9,000 claimer of the year. And for all the  Fantasy Stable Contest players, he was the top horse in 2025.   

                Whats Up Doc was the Iron horse of the year, collecting three wins, three seconds and five thirds in 18 starts for owner/trainer Wayne MacLellan.

                The Route 19 Racing stable out of Long Point came on strong in 2025, making three trips up to the podium on Friday.

                With the most wins last season, the stable collected 15 along with 13 seconds and seven thirds.

                Leading the way for Route 19 Racing was nine-year-old Southfield Sandy which won the $7,000 claimer of the year award. Trained and driven by Lewis MacDonell, the Western Paradise gelding was 8-2-2 in 17 starts for earnings of $7,156 and a top time of 1:57.4.

                As well, Route 19 Racing’s 11-year-old campaigner Free Proof earned a tie for the $5,000 claimer of the year award.

                Free Proof was 3-4-2 in 18 starts with a best time of 1:59.4.

                The GG Stone and Mac Stable of Port Hood also earned a share of the $5,000 claimer award with their 12-year-old stud ABs Future.

                Locally bred, by the sire Driven To Win and the mare Trudys Future, and trained by Bernie MacDonald, ABs Future had a 3-4-4 record and a top mile of 1:59.

                Divisional champions included:

                Two-year-old filly: Effie May Clay, owned by Donald MacEachern and trained by Walter Walker.

                Two-year-old colt: Galway Bay, owned, trained and driven by Monica Sutherland.

                Three-year-old filly: PA Ava, owned by GG Stone and Mac Stable, trained by Bernie MacDonald.

                Three-year-old colt: One Can Dan, owned by Redmond Doucet Jr. and trained by Lennan MacIsaac.

                Moving on to the human awards, veteran horseman John Wayne MacInnis was the recipient of the Gerard Kennedy Celtic Financial award for his lifelong dedication to harness racing.

                John Wayne began his career in Inverness in 1965 at the age of 15 and through the 1970s and 80s established himself as good driver, owner and trainer. Today, he busies himself at Venture Downs in Port Hawkesbury where he helps out at the Kennedy stable.

                Another longtime horseman was recognized on Friday.

                Angus MacQuarrie received Inverness Raceway’s Lifetime Dedication award, presented by the Mullins Stable and Meagan MacQuarrie. Unable to attend, the award was accepted by his daughter Angela MacArthur, granddaughter Laura, and brother Alex Trapper.

                Zach Mullins’ career year last season was recognized by him receiving awards for most wins as a trainer with 20 and most wins as a driver with 25.

                Mullins shared the driving award with Danny Gillis, who also recorded 25 wins.

                Redmond Doucet was the busiest driver in 2025, receiving the award for most drives with 141.

                Top drivers with 70-plus starts: 1. Danny Gillis, UDRS of .483; 2. Lewis MacDonell, .416; 3. Zach Mullins, .361.

                Top drivers with 25-69 starts: 1. Andrew MacLean, .287; 2. Travis MacLean, .251; 3. Ardon Mofford, .237.

                Top trainers with 40-plus starts: 1. Zach Mullins, UTRS of .406; 2. Lewis MacDonell, .392; D.F. Beaton, .384.

                Top trainers with 10-39 starts: 1. Danny Gillis, .666; 2. Kevin MacDonald, .456; 3. Andrew MacLean, .419.

                The top grooms for 2025 included: Stuart MacKinnon of Mullins Racing; Lily MacLean, Todd and Monica Sutherland’s stable; Will Basker, with Ronnie Garland stable; James Doyle, with Redmond Doucet stable; and Cole Mullins, of Mullins Racing.

                And last, but not least, Daryl and Patti Parsons were recognized as Inverness Raceway’s top fans for 2025.

Dr. Kate MacInnes is part of a unique three-generations at the Boston Marathon. Along with Kate, her mom, Laurie MacInnes, ran it four times, and Kate ran it in 2017 while pregnant with her daughter Elise.

Mile 19 of the Boston Marathon is a challenging series of hills that lead up to Heartbreak Hill, and Dr. Kate MacInnes wrote Mile 19 on her arm in honour of her cancer patients.

-by Bill Dunphy

                Dr. Kate MacInnes is proof that age is just a number.

                Competing in her seventh Boston Marathon on Monday of last week, the 41-year-old mother of two set a Cape Breton female record for the course with a sizzling time of 2:58:34 – the first woman from the island to crack three hours at the famed race.

                “It was a lifetime goal for me (to run a marathon under three hours). It was a great day, a bit of a tailwind, and I enjoyed every step,” she said.

                A hematologist at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital’s cancer clinic, MacInnes said she had some extra motivation this time around.

                “One of my patients, who is having a challenging time, planned on going to Boston to cheer on a friend. Unfortunately, he was unable to go and he asked of me, ‘Think of me, think of me and all the runners who aren’t able to go.’”

                Her patient’s birthday was the day before the run, the 19^th, and, knowing the course, she wrote “Mile 19" on her arm.

                While Heartbreak Hill, between Mile 20 and 21, is well-known as a difficult part of the course, MacInnes said Mile 19 has three challenging hills leading up to Heartbreak.

                “Mile 19 and Heartbreak is actually four of the Newton Hills and it was a poignant moment for me. A lot of us in health care carry our patients in different ways,” she said.

                In setting what was a personal best for her, MacInnes maintained a steady pace, averaging 6:49 minutes per mile.

                In fact, she barely slowed while tackling those hills, going from 6:51/mile at Mile 20 to 7:06/mile at Mile 21, then resuming her 6:40/mile pace for the remainder of the race.

                “I was really excited about that,” she said.

                “You know the parts of the race that are going to be your weaknesses, so you prepare for that. Last year I cramped up on Mile 16-17 and every downhill step was misery. I thought if I hold back and preserve my legs and quads, then it truly is all downhill from there.”

                A Sydney girl who has made her home in Scotsville with her husband Patrick Gillis and their children, Elise and Freddie, MacInnes trains regularly on Highway 395 and with her Cape Breton Roadrunners friends when she works two days a month at the Cape Breton Regional.

                “I do a lot of treadmill in the winter and in the summer I get out early in the morning on 395. I avoid Route 19, but I will do the trail from Kenloch to Mabou, and arrange to be picked up at the end of the line,” she laughed, noting that she does not run back to Kenloch.

                “And as we know, training for endurance events is not possible without the support of the entire family.”

                MacInnes said she has always been a runner, but breaking a three-hour marathon was not in the cards during her 20s and 30s.

                “In my 20s I was at med school and in residency. I was injured in my early 20s but in my mid-20s I had a running coach in Ontario, where I was running the marathon in 3:18:00 at the time. It wasn’t until after I had kids that my times started coming down, running it in 3:03 twice and 3:02:10 at the 2023 Cape Breton Fiddlers Marathon,” she said.

                “We often think as we get older that we get slower, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Proper nutrition and staying active can keep a body going.”

                MacInnes said Peter Hanna, the “Godfather” of Cape Breton running, said to her once, “I can’t run 26 miles anymore, but I can run one mile 26 times.”

                Hanna, who passed away three years ago at the age of 80, ran more than 50 marathons in his life and was the first person to run all legs of the Cabot Trail Relay Race twice.

                MacInnes said the Cabot Trail Relay is the next event on her calendar for May 23-24 where she will run one, maybe two, of the 17 stages of the 185-mile course.

                MacInnes was greeted with balloons and a turnout by her co-workers upon her return to the ICMH cancer clinic last week.

                “We are so proud of Dr. Kate,” said Melissa Beaton, an RN at the cancer clinic.

                “She is a hard-working hematologist who goes above and beyond for our cancer patients at ICMH and now she is the fastest female from Cape Breton to run the Boston Marathon.”

                Beaton added, “Dr. Kate is the entire package – the kindest person in the world, incredibly smart, musical and athletic. She is amazing.”