Thoroughbred › Trainers

Few trainers have ever made a more lasting impression in their first year of conditioning thoroughbreds in Canada than the affable veteran trainer from Wilmington, Del. Known simply as "Mac", he arrived at Woodbine in 1978 to assume the job of Windfields Farm's exclusive Ontario trainer and was an immediate success, winning the Queen's Plate for owner E.P. Taylor with Regal Embrace, who upset favored Overskate. Delighted with the unexpected victory for his owner, who hadn't won the Plate since Northern Dancer's year in 1964, Benson said "What can you say? Your first year here and you win the Plate."

In 1985 Benson would spring another upset in the Plate, this time with bay filly La Lorgnette, who defeated the odds-on favorite Imperial Choice and became, at that time, only the second filly to win both the Canadian Oaks and Plate. Ironically, on both occasions Windfields got "stuck" with their Plate champions. Regal Embrace, who was offered at auction for $15,000 but got no takers, had numerous infirmities but as Mac put it, "he turned out to be a running machine." La Lorgnette was catalogued for the yearling sales by Windfields but developed colic days prior to the sale and was reluctantly withdrawn.

Benson also guided the careers of Sovereign Award winners Choral Group, Canada's champion 2-year-old filly of 1981; turf champion Bounding Away in 1984; Legarto, 2-year-old filly of the year in 1988; Deputy Jane West, a double Sovereign Award winner at two and three, and Santa Amelia, 1998 leading older filly or mare. Benson's list of stakes winners in Ontario is lengthy and, besides the Sovereign champions, includes Silver Deputy, Bristol Pistol, Allende, Hagley's Quest, Alexis, Hot Pepper Hill, Social Director, Heretic, Canadian Envoy, Tarage, Classic Result, Autumn Slew and Classic Threat.

Born in 1930, Benson earned his trainer's licence in 1958 and was initially employed by William DuPont's Foxcatcher Farm. Until the mid 1970s he ran a public stable on the Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware circuit. However, Benson would be the first to admit that he was struggling in 1976 when Taylor's chief executive, manager Joe Thomas, asked him if he was interested in taking some horses for Windfields. He couldn't get his response out quick enough. "Man, would I love to." He wasn't among the leading trainers but numerous associates of Windfields in Maryland recommended Benson to Thomas.

Benson now has only one Windfields' horse in his barn. His main client is George Strawbridge (Augustin Stable). "I've been successful up here and very lucky," said Benson. "I've had seven champions and, hopefully, a few more years to go, too. I think it's more and more important to promote racing, to be an asset to your profession."

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