Owner/raider and British Columbian equestrian giant John Glendon “Glen” Todd has died, according to social media posts from Hastings . Racecourse and BC Sports of Hall of Fame. Todd is 75 years old.
A native of British Columbia, Todd has been involved in Thoroughbred racing for over 50 years. His parents met at Hastings Racecourse in the late 1930s, according to February 26, 2020, published by Canadian Thoroughbred. By the time he was 16, Todd was working as a writer and columnist for a local newspaper and owned his first racehorse in his early 20s.
In 2007, Todd founded an ownership group called North American Thoroughbred Horse Co. and throughout his racing career he was a tireless advocate and promoter.
Tom Mayenknecht, chairman of the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame board, said on Twitter: “Glen is not only an industry builder, but he is an industry savior in many ways. edge. “He’s laid many of the bricks that sustain @hastingsraces over the decades. He’s a respected BC Sports Hall of Famer. On behalf of @BCSportsHall’s Board & management team, RIP Glen.”
Hastings Racecourse, in Vancouver, said on Twitter that “Todd’s passion and commitment to the industry is unmatched and will be greatly missed.” Tracking says it is planning to commemorate Todd’s contributions in a way “in keeping with his nearly 60-year legacy to the Purebred industry.”
Todd’s professional career is with family-owned and operated export trading companies PCB Custom Brokers and ABC Customs Brokers. These specialized international trading companies were founded by his father John Cyril “Jack” Todd. Glen Todd took the helm of the company in 1981.
As a thoroughbred owner, Todd has campaigned for 49 black category winners since 2006 alone in the name of the North American Thoroughbred Horse Company and on his own behalf with partners. These bet winners include the Commander classed stake winner, who won the BC Premier’s Handicap (G3) twice in 2012-13; Winner of the British Columbia Derby (G3) Sorryaboutnothing (2016) and Five Star General (2019); Taylor Said, who won the Miles Handicap (G3); Holy Nova, who won the Ballerina Handicap (G3); and, Sir Gallovic, who won the BC Premier’s Handicap in 2008.
Glen Todd and racer Mario Gutierrez
The categorical bet wins with Taylor Said and the Longacres Mile are particularly sweet because racer Mario Gutierrez is in the saddle. Gutierrez began riding for Todd when he moved from Mexico to Canada and showed promise that Todd would become a mentor.
After winning the 2019 British Columbia Derby, Todd said it was “the best day for me personally in 50 years in the racing business.”
Gutierrez lived in Todd’s house for several years while he began his career. Todd then helped start jockeys in the highly competitive Southern California when he realized that was where the rider belonged.
“I actually gave him to Santa Anita in 2012 and told him not to come back,” Todd recalls in 2019. “He shed a few tears and asked me why I was trying to get rid of him. leaving him. It was very emotional for both of us. But I explained that it was for his gain and my loss.”
Gutierrez will win the Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2012 with I will have another and with Nyquist in 2016.
Todd’s commitment to British Columbia racing became most apparent in 2021 when he provided Hastings with a $1 million interest-free loan to fund his wallet and keep the track going as it struggled. struggling to recover from the disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People are getting desperate, we’re going to have to lay off all these people, they have nowhere else to go with their horses,” Todd, told the Vancouver Sun in July 2021. “That’s it. a million dollars for one more month of racing at Hastings, hopefully with the casinos open now the bets will go up and we can get some sense of normalcy back.”
Todd also serves on the BC Equestrian Industry Regulatory Commission, established in 2009 by the British Columbia Department of Housing and Social Development to develop new marketing strategies and increase revenue from horse racing, on that time generated more than $190 million in total sales per year. provincial revenue and employs about 3,600 people with thousands of additional agricultural jobs indirectly connected.
Besides earning a spot in the British Columbia Equestrian Team Hall of Fame, Todd was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as a mason in softball. Todd began working as a coach in the South Surrey/White Rock Softball Association. A few years later, as president of the association, Todd expanded the association from 11 to 110 teams. In 1993, Todd created the Canada Cup international tournament to give the national team a chance to compete against the best in the world in softball. The Canadian Cup is now considered one of the sport’s premier international tournaments.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
