Gil Rowntree

Horseracing personalities infobox


name = Gil Rowntree
|caption =
occupation = Trainer
birthplace = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
birth date = January 17, 1934
death date =
career wins = 1,000+
race = Display Stakes (1967, 1972, 1978, 1983)
Maple Leaf Stakes (1968)
Clarendon Stakes (1969, 1983, 1985)
Frizette Stakes (1969)
Summer Stakes (1969, 1975, 1976, 1981)
Vandal Stakes (1969, 1975, 1978, 1990)
Plate Trial Stakes
(1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1984)
Grey Stakes (1971, 1983)
E. P. Taylor Stakes (1971)
Cup and Saucer Stakes (1972, 1975, 1979, 1991)
Seaway Handicap (1973, 1979)
Eclipse Stakes (1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1986)
Victoria Stakes (1974, 1975, 1976, 1985)
Nearctic Stakes (1975)
Seagram Cup Handicap (1975, 1994)
Connaught Cup Stakes
(1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Highlander Handicap (1976)
Swynford Stakes (1976, 1978)
Whimsical Stakes (1976, 1979)
Wonder Where Stakes (1976, 1977, 1983)
Coronation Futurity Stakes (1977, 1979)
Manitoba Derby (1978)
Stars and Stripes Handicap (1979)
Bernard Baruch Handicap (1979)
Canadian Maturity Stakes (1979)
Bowling Green Handicap (1979)
Col. R. S. McLaughlin Handicap (1979, 1980, 1984)
Jockey Club Cup Handicap (1980, 1981)
Toronto Cup Stakes (1980)
Canadian Derby (1982)
Autumn Stakes (1984)
Durham Cup Stakes (1985, 1986)
Dominion Day Stakes (1986, 1989)
Meadowlands Breeders' Cup Stakes (1989)
Canadian Classic Race wins:
Queen's Plate (1973, 1974, 1977, 1984)
Prince of Wales Stakes (1973, 1978, 1980)
Breeders' Stakes (1978)
awards = Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer (1975)
honours = Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1997)
horses = Royal Chocolate, Amber Herod, Deceit Dancer, Proud Tobin, Northern Blossom, Ten Gold Pots, Allan Blue, Overskate, Sound Reason, Key To The Moon
updated = CURRENTTIME, CURRENTDAYNAME CURRENTMONTHNAME CURRENTDAY CURRENTYEAR (UTC)

Gil H. Rowntree (born January 17, 1934 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and owner.

One of the most successful trainers in Canadian Thoroughbred racing history, Rowntree embarked on his racing career as a jockey in his native Toronto. As a trainer, he learned his conditioning skills as an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer and Kentucky Derby winner, Lou Cavalaris, Jr.. During his training career, Gil Rowntree won eight Canadian Classic Races and following the creation of the Sovereign Awards program in 1975 he was voted the first-ever winner as Canada's Outstanding Trainer.

In 1973, Gil Rowntree set a record when horses he trained ran 1-2-3 in the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series. Although Rowntree has won four editions of Canada's most prestigious race, the Queen's Plate, he is best known as the trainer of the 1978 Queen's Plate runner-up, Overskate. The Hall of Fame colt was twice voted Canadian Horse of the Year as part of his record setting nine Sovereign Awards while competing in Canada and at various tracks in the United States. As well, Rowntree conditioned Canadian champions Deceit Dancer, Proud Tobin, Northern Blossom, Ten Gold Pots, Allan Blue, Key To The Moon and Sound Reason.

Gil Rowntree makes his home near Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario and continues to train Thoroughbreds for various owners plus breed, race and train horses for his own Gil Rowntree Racing Stable.

References

* [http://www.horseracinghalloffame.com/trainers/1997/Gil_Rowntree.asp Gil Rowntree at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame]