Saving Sammy: Friends step up to help Denny and Sammy get back to the track

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

Earlier this month, my father, Denny Baxter, a 78-year-old retired harness racing trainer and driver, received a special opportunity -- an invitation for himself and our family’s rescued racehorse “Samspace” to revisit their harness racing careers one more time.

Charlottetown’s Red Shores Racetrack wanted Samspace back on the track and Dad in the sulky, parading a special race in their honour.

I wanted to make it happen.

But who was going to pull the horse trailer to get Sammy from Ardoise, N.S., to Charlottetown? Dad sold his truck and horse trailer more than a decade ago.

Where would they stay when they got there? Dad said he needed a week to make sure the 18-year-old pacer was sound and still up to the task.

Turns out, there was nothing to worry about. Friends stepped in to help make the adventure a reality.

My second cousin Sam McLean met us at 5 a.m. on a starless Saturday morning. He trucked Sammy from Hants County to Truro, N.S.

Sam, his wife Lynn, and their family are devoted horse people too – world-class quarter horses are their passion. The McLeans have their own busy schedules and raising horses is a seven-days-a-week job. But they insisted on helping.

Danny Romo, one of the Maritimes’ most accomplished drivers and trainers, is seen here. (Standardbred Canada)

Sam trucked our Sam to Truro Raceway, where we met Danny Romo -- one of the Maritimes’ most accomplished drivers and trainers -- who took him the rest of the way to P.E.I. Danny was racing one of his own horses in a stake race later that day.

Dad has known Danny since they were both young trainers at Sackville Downs in the 1970s. When dad needed someone to drive Samspace’s mother, Lotsa Bunny, at Truro Raceway in the early 2000s, he asked Danny, which tells you what dad thinks of his abilities.

It was a good bet. Danny won with Bunny that day, making it the 2,500^th victory of his career, which is still going.

Talent, hard work, results, longevity -- that’s Danny Romo.

Randy and Donna Van Meer are seen with their racehorse in this old photo. (Submitted: Randy and Donna Van Meer)

Enter Randy and Donna Van Meer, who moved to P.E.I. just two years ago, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They had harness racing success at the big tracks in Ontario, but the Red Shores were calling, so they made the leap soon after Donna retired from the Royal Bank.

“Heaven to me,” is how Dad describes their farm outside Stratford, P.E.I., It’s where 5,000-race winner Gilles Barrieau stables his horses. Their clean, friendly, organized stable would be dad and Sammy’s home for 10 days.

We will always be grateful to the people who helped make this happen for dad and Sammy.

Thanks,
Jayson