Jim Doherty passed away more than three years ago, but his legacy in the horse racing industry lives on.
The Saint John native is being posthumously inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this August.
His brother, Bill Doherty, tells us he was excited when he heard about the honour for his late brother.
Jim got his start in the 1950s by helping their father — who ran a lumber mill and had draft horses — before going on to work for the late Milton Downey.
“He raced Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire, and he raced Foxboro, where he was the lead driver for years,” says Doherty. “Then he went on to the Meadowlands [in 1976] and won over 1,600 races there alone.”
Doherty developed numerous champions during his career and drove or trained winners of 4,700 races and $45 million in purses.
Bill, who lives in Ontario, says his brother was not only a great driver but also a kind-hearted person who earned the nickname “Gentleman Jim” because he was always trying to help others.
“If somebody had a horse and they asked him to drive it or train it, he’d never say no even though the horse wasn’t too great,” he says. “He’d always find something good to say about the horse — he was an upbeat kind of a guy.”
Doherty was also previously inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, the Saint John Sports Hall of Fame, the New England Harness Writers Hall of Fame, and the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York.
“He was very pleased about getting into the Goshen one … but he was like a true Canadian really and he’d really love this,” says Doherty. “This probably would have meant the most to him, you know.”
You can find more details about Jim Doherty’s induction by clicking here and you can hear the full interview on Pulse NB this Sunday.
CHRHF Class of 2018 includes Bill Andrew, Reade Baker, Jim Doherty, Dave Landry, Dan Loiselle, John G. Sikura, along with Blissfull Hall, Chancey Lady, Judy the Beauty and Shaman Ghost
The Canadian… https://t.co/uzZUirQxTn
— Horse Racing Hall (@Cdn_HallofFame) April 10, 2018
