Hervé Arthur Filion, OC (February 1, 1940 – June 22, 2017) was a Canadian harness racing driver. He was the brother of Yves Filion who drove and trained the 1988 North America Cup winner; and the brother of Henri Filion (1941–1997) who died from his injuries following a racing accident at Hippodrome Aylmer, Quebec; and the uncle of Sylvain Filion who won the 1999 Harness Racing World Driving Championship .[1]
| Hervé Filion | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Harness racing driver, trainer, owner |
| Born | February 1, 1940 Angers, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | June 22, 2017 (aged 77) Mineola, New York, U.S. |
| Career wins | 15,180 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Dexter Cup (1970) Hudson Filly Trot (1971, 1977, 1991, 1994) Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace (1973, 1974, 1978, 1981) Adios Pace (1979), Prix d'Été (1979) Maple Leaf Trot (1986) Lady Suffolk Filly Trot (1990) Breeders Crown wins: U.S. Pacing Triple Crown wins: Cane Futurity (1978) | |
| Racing awards | |
| Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year (1969-1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1989) Harness Racing World Driving Championship (1970) | |
| Honours | |
| Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1969) Order of Canada (1971) Lou Marsh Trophy (1971) Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1976) United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame (1976) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Hot Hitter, Nansemond, Nero | |
Born in Angers, Quebec, in 1940 Filion became the first driver to win over 400 races in a year and was able to achieve this accomplishment 14 more times. Filion is second all-time in career wins in North America, with 15,180. He was voted the Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year a record ten times.[2]
In 2000, Filion pleaded guilty to charges that he failed to file New York State Income Tax Returns, ending a five-year investigation into race-fixing.[3]
Filion officially retired in October 2012, his final win at Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1971, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy. In 1976, he was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame.[4]
Filion died on June 22, 2017, from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).[5][6]
References edit
- ^ Sylvain Filion Archived 2017-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ^ Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year Award Archived 2018-07-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 23, 2016
- ^ "Harness Drivers Enter Pleas of Guilty in Yonkers Raceway Case". September 13, 2000. Archived from the original on October 15, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
- ^ Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame bio for Herve Filion
- ^ Hall of Fame driver Herve Filion, 77, dies
- ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. (29 June 2017). "Herve Filion, for Many Years Harness Racing's Top Driver, Dies at 77". The New York Times.
External links edit
- Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame citation
- https://nypost.com/2017/06/22/herve-filion-the-goat-of-harness-racing-dead-at-77/
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