Robert Sampson

[bello]

Not too confuse things even more, there is a 4th one.

Robert Sampson Jr. is the son of the 80 year old guy that won today and he also drives in Amateur races in the mid-atlantic.

Sorry to start this mess.

[Fuguzzi]

Yes and he was the only one to drive rouge..fantastic closer...last 8 th always airborne. .yo

Well then who was Bernard Gervais? because he won all over the country with Le Baron Rouge? Meadowlands  Chicago  Hollywood - you can look that up

[Fuguzzi]

There are 5 races involving Le baron Rouge at YR/RR/Big M  1977 -79  Driscolls vs Whata Baron  and Opens vs Governor Skipper and so forth where Le Baron Rouge is driven By Bernard Gervais  mostly white colors with a big dark V shape on the back  sits upright
Thewre are press clippings of him winning at Hollywood and in Chicago ( beats Gov Skipper ) also Bernard Gervais   I know that the Robert Samson drove him in 80/81 meadowlands and RR  So apparently Robert Samson drove him after he arrived on the east coast from Canada and Gervais before 77.78.79  So not 100% Samson at all at BigM, but I wont name call

[Fuguzzi]

Well I have exhausted every means at my disposal and my Grandfather is long gone, so i have no way to confirm but rthe very first time i ever went to the Meadowlands with him, winter of 78 to see my fave horse Whata Baron in person, I know Le Baron Rouge was in the race and I could swear he was being driven by Carl Le Cause. but the world tells me I am wrong and i can't find any evidence he drove him even once. It appears it was Gervais then Samson, so that's that

[WTF Hanover]

Was down in Maryland over the summer and watched him drive in many of the Amateur races in Motion at the Ocean. Was an auto-toss for me from a gambling standpoint.

[Jctoronto]

HERES THE DEFINITIVE  I used to go to Blue Bonnets in Montreal in the early-mid 70s . I want to say 1972-73,and again 76-77 and I remember this phenom in the black (and white) colors named Robert Samson. He was around during Jacques Hebert, Benoit Cote, Albert Hanna, young Yves Filion, Gendron family and Lachance families too, etc. time. 80-81 BIG M forays as well. He was gifted. Alas he was killed in bad crash coming back south from quebec city on a sunday night, after a day card back in montreal.   

here is a Montreal Gazette lift...still trying to pin down date. 80s

Blue Bonnets Montreal , . gloomy after Samson's death
It was dawn and work had begun as usual at Blue Bonnets. But there was no enthusiasm. There was a gloomy air to the west end track: Robert Samson had not been there urging on a young colt during its daily workout Early Monday morning Samson was killed when a truck he was a passenger in apparently struck the carcass of a moose on a highway outside Quebec City. Samson had driven Six Point Seven, an 11-1 longshot, to a surprise third-place finish in the 10th and final race at Bonnets Sunday afternoon. Along with trainer Andre Blouin, Samson loaded Chantilly Gem into the trailer hitched to Blouin's 4x4 truck and headed for Quebec City where his 3-year-old was entered in the ninth race of Sunday night's 10-race card. After the race, Samson and Blouin stopped for an hour to eat, and then headed back to Montreal. But between 1 and 2 a.m., the truck struck the dead animal on Au-toroute 20 in Ste. Appolinaire, 15 kilometres south of Quebec City. Samson died instantly. Blouin was taken to a nearby hospital with suspected internal injuries. But he suffered only a broken leg and yesterday be was discharged. Samson, 33, who also owned and trained horses but concentrated mostly on driving, captured the Bonnets' driving championship in , 1972 and 75. He spent the 1980-81 season competing at the Meadow lands track in East Rutherford, N.J., before returning to Montreal where he drove fulltime and became one of the most popular reinsmen. In 7,733 starts, the Verdun native registered 1,382 victories, 1,-238 second-place finishes and placed third 1,068. He earned $5,424,305 in total purses.
Montreal Gazette

[Fuguzzi]

HERES THE DEFINITIVE  I used to go to Blue Bonnets in Montreal in the early-mid 70s . I want to say 1972-73,and again 76-77 and I remember this phenom in the black (and white) colors named Robert Samson. He was around during Jacques Hebert, Benoit Cote, young Yves Filion, Gendron family and Lachance families too, etc. time. 80-81 BIG M forays as well. He was gifted. Alas he was killed in bad crash coming back south from quebec city on a sunday night, after a day card back in montreal.   

here is a Montreal Gazette lift...still trying to pin down date. 80s

Blue Bonnets Montreal , . gloomy after Samson's death
It was dawn and work had begun as usual at Blue Bonnets. But there was no enthusiasm. There was a gloomy air to the west end track: Robert Samson had not been there urging on a young colt during its daily workout Early Monday morning Samson was killed when a truck he was a passenger in apparently struck the carcass of a moose on a highway outside Quebec City. Samson had driven Six Point Seven, an 11-1 longshot, to a surprise third-place finish in the 10th and final race at Bonnets Sunday afternoon. Along with trainer Andre Blouin, Samson loaded Chantilly Gem into the trailer hitched to Blouin's 4x4 truck and headed for Quebec City where his 3-year-old was entered in the ninth race of Sunday night's 10-race card. After the race, Samson and Blouin stopped for an hour to eat, and then headed back to Montreal. But between 1 and 2 a.m., the truck struck the dead animal on Au-toroute 20 in Ste. Appolinaire, 15 kilometres south of Quebec City. Samson died instantly. Blouin was taken to a nearby hospital with suspected internal injuries. But he suffered only a broken leg and yesterday be was discharged. Samson, 33, who also owned and trained horses but concentrated mostly on driving, captured the Bonnets' driving championship in , 1972 and 75. He spent the 1980-81 season competing at the Meadow lands track in East Rutherford, N.J., before returning to Montreal where he drove fulltime and became one of the most popular reinsmen. In 7,733 starts, the Verdun native registered 1,382 victories, 1,-238 second-place finishes and placed third 1,068. He earned $5,424,305 in total purses.
Montreal Gazette

[Jctoronto]

and one more DEFINITIVE R Samson

HECTOR CLOUTHIER
Robert Samson
7 March 2023 - 4:59 pm
Robert Samson was an exciting, gifted driver from the province of Quebec who passed away tragically at a young age while driving back to Montreal from Quebec City after competing in some races. The truck in which he was a passenger hit a moose and Samson was killed instantly. His drives behind the free for all pacer Le Baron Rouge were a thing of beauty, always coming from the back end and swooping the field. Robert was a “showman“ for sure but his style both on and off the track garnered great publicity for the sport of harness horse racing among the general public.
Thank you Robert Smith for your Rewind articles, as you can notice from the avid response to them you are keeping us in touch with our history and that is vitally important. Merci bien and bravo!!!

[Fuguzzi]

yes, i am aware of him.  Tragic loss.   Do you remember a trainer names Robert Samson who raced NY metro/ Mdlnds in the 80s and 90s  Montreal guy, I think   owned many   Ecurie Robert Samson   sharp guy  used Luc    I know I paddocked one for him  fresh off claim  stepped up to 33k, 3 hole   Luc first up and grinded by   Guy gave me 80 in stead of the usual 40 even though it was a catch paddock   red and gray or white or something like that

[Fuguzzi]

and one more DEFINITIVE R Samson

HECTOR CLOUTHIER
Robert Samson
7 March 2023 - 4:59 pm
Robert Samson was an exciting, gifted driver from the province of Quebec who passed away tragically at a young age while driving back to Montreal from Quebec City after competing in some races. The truck in which he was a passenger hit a moose and Samson was killed instantly. His drives behind the free for all pacer Le Baron Rouge were a thing of beauty, always coming from the back end and swooping the field. Robert was a “showman“ for sure but his style both on and off the track garnered great publicity for the sport of harness horse racing among the general public.
Thank you Robert Smith for your Rewind articles, as you can notice from the avid response to them you are keeping us in touch with our history and that is vitally important. Merci bien and bravo!!!

[Fuguzzi]

So who was Bernard Gervais that drove LBR previous to Bobby Samson    Until i started digging i didn't recall Gervais at all

[Jctoronto]

race vid

November 4, 1979
George Morton Levy Memorial Pace - Purse $200,000
Equals track record 1:56.3

1- Try Scotch with rail, 'bottomed out' these tough customers (inc #5 Le Baron Rouge-not sure if Samson in bike for this) Dresden, Ontario's Shelley Goudreau wins..but was killed three years later, at 34, at Hollywood Park
2- Lime Time
3- Rambling Willie
4- Wizard Almahurst
5- Le Baron Rouge
6- Flight Director
7- Sirota Anderson
8- Hot Hitter
9- Direct Scooter

https://youtu.be/y4OI90wsEUc?si=o0mj2mJBDqYrqrBv
   

[Jctoronto]

re: R samson

a 2020 HH post by Kelso --
I know it's a long long long time ago..but does anyone remember when young Robert Samson testified against drivers at Monticello for "fixing"...I liked Bobby at the Big M although the win % was never good. Back in Montreal, he was one helluva young driver..

emporer dapple countered --
The boys offered him $500..Pretty good money back in 1972

[Fuguzzi]

Yes, ty  I have seen all that.   Do you know anything about Bernard Gervais who drove LBR for years  or  the trainer of more recent named Robert Samson I was asking about?

[Jctoronto]

THIS ONE FOR FUGUZZI   
'BERNARD GERVAIS;

A PIECE FROM SHANNON SUGAR DOYLE JAN '21
This trip to Mohawk would have been when Uncle Ed was 43… A coincidence that I’d make my way to Ontario, as well, when I was 43 to join the team at The Raceway in London… It appears the excitement, of Ontario horse racing, appealed to us both as we got into our 40’s and we just had to be there in person.

It would be a Sunday - for that Mohawk card of 1978 - featuring some real nice horses and they were going for some real good money. I’d assume Uncle Ed would look forward to Race 7 on the day - the $59,800 Mohawk Gold Cup Pacing Stake - featuring a small, but select field of five…

1. SENOR SKIPPER (TOM STRAUSS)

2. BATTLING BRAD (ROSS HAYTER)

3. LE BARON ROUGE (BERNARD GERVAIS)

4. DREAM MAKER (RON WAPLES)

5. GOVERNOR SKIPPER (JOHN CHAPMAN)

Uncle Ed was always good for marking his programs… His penmanship showed that Dream Maker had won over Le Baron Rouge and Governor Skipper - then came Battling Brad and Senor Skipper. Fractions were 29.4, 1:00.3, 1:28.4 - leading to a mile in 1:58 flat. A big trip for late in the season and a new track record for the aged pacers.

********
plus this 1970 Edmonton, Alberta xtra

Bernard Gervais in Edmonton Journal - ‎Sep 1 1970
"... the city offering and thc company asking Family enjoys raving Blaze Butler, u daughter of former world pacing champion Adios Butler, paced a Sunday in a matinee race with Bernard Gervais of Quebec City in the sulky. Thc race was part of harness racing Open House at Northlands Park. Over 2.500 enthusiasts, including 1.500 children, attended thc famil) day to learn ..."