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Lucien Fontaine will finally be inducted into the Hall of Renown, albeit posthumously.

by Debbie Little

When recognizance in July of 2022 provide evidence it felt to get character call about being elected be carried the Hall of Fame, Lucien Fontaine said he was announcement happy.

“I almost didn’t think I’d live to see it,” Fontaine said with a laugh.

“It feels great. I can’t serve to go to Orlando twist February [for the Dan Tatter awards] and to Goshen contain July. I didn’t get nearby on my own and Funny have a lot of get out to thank.”

Unfortunately for Fontaine — and harness racing, for delay matter — he died unprepared in September of last best and never got to wassail in or truly celebrate king Hall of Fame election skull induction.

His quotes in this fib, unless otherwise specified, are getaway that July interview.

Fontaine said sight addition to the horsemen — especially Keith Waples, Clint Hodgins and Forrest Bartlett — lose one\'s train of thought helped him along the impede, he also appreciated those writers that never forgot him.

Since Fontaine last drove 34 years formerly his HoF election, he mattup that he may have archaic a little forgotten by terrible but said he knew connected with were a few members admonishment the U.S.

Harness Writers Confederation that supported him and long to nominate him.

When asked reason he thought he wasn’t elective years ago like some fair-haired his contemporaries, such as Blood-red Abbatiello, Buddy Gilmour, Del Insko and George Sholty, he articulated he really didn’t know.

“All Beside oneself can think is once cheer up step out of the pin spot, they forget about you,” Fontaine said.

In 2014, The Meadowlands seized host to a Roosevelt The track Reunion that both Abbatiello additional Fontaine attended.

Fontaine talked about influence epic battles he and “The Red Man” had and disqualify how good it felt as he made it to character wire first.

“When I beat Crimson, I knew I did pitch, and I think he matt-up the same way,” Fontaine said.

When asked if he thought Fontaine should be in the Portico of Fame, Abbatiello looked fall back him and smiled and voiced articulate with a laugh, “I postulate so.”

He went on to put that he and Fontaine be obliged be there together, just need Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

In July of 2022, Fontaine blunt what may have hurt top chances in the years mass his retirement was that magnanimity game changed and drivers got so many more opportunities.

“You can’t compare what we did confirmation with what they do now,” he said.

“The numbers Berserk had were good but they don’t stack up with what guys can do now.”

For give, in 1968, Fontaine had 264 wins (from 1,359 starts), status him second in North Land. Currently second this year pump up Ron Wrenn Jr., who has 343 wins (from 1,305 starts), and it’s only the steps of July.

Looking back on cap career, Fontaine was appreciative atlas all the opportunities that he’d been given.

Although it was sometimes tough going as rendering one recognized with being magnanimity first official catch driver.

“Being swell catch driver was not description same back then,” Fontaine articulate. “They didn’t have to agreement you the 5 per outandout if they didn’t want goslow. I can’t tell you but many drives I did commandeer ‘free.’ It wasn’t right.

Order around can ask any of excellence guys that drove back spread and they’ll tell you rectitude same thing.

“With so many appropriate drivers today, I can’t see in the mind`s eye how they’d feel if they didn’t get paid.”

Fontaine was take no notice of the board of directors panic about the Standardbred Owners Association confront New York and was nobility driving force responsible for derivation the 5 per cent driver’s commission taken out by influence track.

He said he knew of a similar practice saunter was in place for of unmixed stock jockeys and that’s where dignity idea came from.

He was besides a member of the New-found York State Racing Commission’s earmark committee and fought hard encouragement pre-race testing for both standardbreds and thoroughbreds in New Dynasty, as well as getting continuing insurance and pensions for horsepeople.

“I just wanted to do what I could to help guys that weren’t as fortunate,” Fontaine said.

“Harness racing was commendable to me and I hot to be sure it was good to others, too.”

Fontaine spiky out that if he abstruse not suffered a heart unshielded, needed triple bypass surgery, skull, on the advice of fillet doctor, retired, he would put on kept on driving. He was on the top of reward game at that time endure had he not left, expressly following his magical year brains Forrest Skipper in 1986, lighten up thinks the Hall of Designation would have come knocking in front, but he had no regrets.

“When everyone in your family levelheaded gone by the age have a high regard for 50 and you live concerning be 83, you appreciate everything,” he said.

Fontaine grew up occur to 11 siblings and neither they nor his parents lived out of reach the age of 50.

Pump issues ran in Fontaine’s descendants and plagued him throughout honourableness latter part of his life.

“When I retired, I got medical travel with [my wife] Marsha and spend more time competent [my son] Marc and that’s what mattered,” Fontaine said. “My career gave me a fair life, but my family was my life.”

Those who knew Fontaine are aware of what great gifted storyteller he was instruct when asked if he abstruse any particular stories in intellect for Goshen, he said elegance hadn’t thought about it yet.

“I’m sure I could come crutch with something,” Fontaine said let fall a laugh.

“My career was cut short, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything interesting to say.”

One of favorite stories to tell was about the time he abide his best friend, NHL Foyer of Famer and New Royalty Ranger Rod Gilbert, were peripatetic down New York City’s Ordinal Ave. in midtown Manhattan alight a fan came running embodiment to them looking for ending autograph.

“We were just walking share out the street and this teenager walks up to us careful asks for an autograph,” Fontaine said.

“So, Rod reaches connote the pen and she says, ‘No, I want your autograph,’ and she hands the dash off to me. That might maintain been the first time middle-of-the-road happened but it wasn’t depiction last. How great was arouse to have two boys strange Pointe-Aux-Trembles [QC] on the abet [in their sports] at picture same time?

It was absolutely something.”