2024 – Standardbred Trainer
Dr. Ian Moore has successfully balanced his professions as a Standardbred trainer and practicing veterinarian. His induction into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame marks the pinnacle of his exceptional career in harness racing.
In his early years of involvement with Standardbreds, his horses helped finance his veterinary education. He launched his training career in 1971, and for the past two decades Dr. Moore has competed at the highest level in North America.
With well over 700 training wins at the time of his induction, the Sheffield England native who grew up in Prince Edward Island has raced primarily in Ontario training horses to earnings of more than $23 million including ten years with earnings exceeding $1 million per year, all with an average stable size of only 10-15 horses.
Astronomical kickstarted Moore’s success, earning almost $800,000 before retiring to stud. He would race through his seven-year-old year making starts in races including the North America Cup, Confederation Cup and the Gold Cup & Saucer.
Moore’s career continued to flourish and his focus changed from racehorses to purchasing and developing yearlings. He’s had considerable success in the Ontario Sires Stakes program and trained seven millionaires, led by Tattoo Artist, who earned over $3 million. His roster of champions also features State Treasurer and 2022 Hall of Fame Inductee Shadow Play, who has become an exceptional sire. Other notable horses trained by Moore include Stockade Seelster, Century Farroh, Percy Blue Chip, and Rockin In Heaven.
Shadow Play was a World Champion and winner of the Little Brown Jug, Adios and US Pacing Championship during his career which saw him race 49 times, earn almost $1.6 million in purse money and post a mark of 1:47.4. As a sire he has produced six millionaires including the world’s fastest Standardbred, Bulldog Hanover, along with Desperate Man, Lady Shadow, Backstreet Shadow, Kendall Seelster and Percy Bluechip.
Moore’s resume of major stakes race victories is extensive and includes: The Little Brown Jug (World record for 2 heats); The Adios (World record 5/8 mile track); Eternal Camnation (multiple times); Canadian Pacing Derby (2 times); Molson Pace (3 times); US Pacing Championship (twice), Battle of Waterloo; Nassagaweya (five times)’ Somebeachsomewhere (three times) Breeders Crown; Gold Cup & Saucer (twice); Champlain Stake (three times); Simcoe (three times); SBOA Final (twice); OSS Gold Finals (3 times); Ohio Sire Stakes Final; Canadian Breeders Championship.
Moore and his stable have received 15 O’Brien Awards. His trainees State Treasurer and Century Farroh won bronzes for their divisions, along with Horse of the Year honours in Canada, in 2015 and 2020, respectively.
A two-time recipient of the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship over the past decade, Moore was presented with his first Canadian Trainer of the Year title at the 2023 O’Brien Awards which was hosted in his home province of PEI. That season’s training highlights included a career best $3 million in purse earnings, a divisional O’Brien Award for older pacer Tattoo Artist, winner of more than $1 million and 9 races including the Canadian Pacing Derby Championship, and a divisional O’Brien for three-year-old pacing colt Stockade Seelster.