From slapshots to sulkies, Todd Ratchford is a rising star
by Matthew Lomon
Todd Ratchford’s journey from globetrotting professional hockey player to 2024 O’Brien Award finalist is a lesson in resolve, trust, and most importantly, what can happen when people believe in themselves.
“If you really want something, then just go do it,” said the 28-year-old reinsman. “It doesn’t matter what anyone says, or whatever happens, or any circumstance like that. If you want it, just go get it.”
The Caledonia, ON native set off to do just that when he left home at age 15 to pursue his childhood dream of lacing up the skates at the pro level.
Five years later, Ratchford’s bold move paid off in spades.
“All I wanted to do was go play professional hockey,” he said. “I had never been overseas or anything like that, but I went over there and did it all on my own. And I’m so thankful for it, because it did teach me a lot about myself through the experiences I had there.”
After making stops in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and finally, the United Arab Emirates, Ratchford was ready to return home and swap slapshots for the sulky.
A fourth-generation horseman himself, the harness game is embedded in Ratchford’s DNA. His father, also Todd Ratchford, is the son of Gus Ratchford, a renowned industry man who created Rabbit’s Liniments – a popular emollient for the skin.
The younger Ratchford is also a second cousin of Hall of Fame driver Paul MacDonell through his mother’s side of the family.
Following in his family’s footsteps, Todd made his professional driving debut in 2023, recording 26 wins from 340 starts for $304,617 in purse earnings.
That, however, was merely the appetizer for the young man, who relied on the formative experiences of his playing days to break through in a major way in 2024.
The dogged competitor finished his sophomore campaign with a 94-81-108 line across 854 starts ($1,062,281 banked), shattering all previous career highs in the process.
“I wasn’t intimidated or scared of what people thought or what they would say or anything like that, I just went and I trusted myself,” he said. “I trusted the people around me putting me in the right situations. It’s about not being afraid of doing what you love and what you want to set out to do.”
The young reinsman’s outstanding efforts returned national recognition, as he was named a finalist for the 2024 O’Brien Future Star Award. The honor spotlights the brightest young stars Canadian harness racing has to offer.
Brady Sweet, a 22-year-old horseman from Springfield West, PEI, was also nominated in the category.
After receiving notice of his accomplishment one day before the results were made public, Todd thought best to hold onto the exciting news.
“I had to keep it a secret,” he said. “I didn’t tell anyone, not even my family because I wanted to have them read it online too.”
Although, that didn’t prevent the deserving horseman from appreciating the moment.
“It was a good feeling,” he said. “You have a solid year, and it’s nice to get the recognition for it.”
Over the course of his award-worthy campaign, Todd collected several standout tallies. The most noteworthy came with then 3-year-old trotting filly Winning Alliance in a New York Sires Stakes tilt at Vernon Downs on May 27.
As the regular reinsman for the daughter of Chapter Seven–Perfect Alliance, Todd pressed all the right buttons en route to a front-leading half-length score in 1.53.
The victory serves as his ‘welcome to the show’ moment.
“It really put in perspective what I was doing this season,” Todd said. “I have the picture at home, and I look at it, and I’m thinking ‘who I beat in that race was pretty cool.’ In the picture, there’s Ake Svanstedt, he’s one of the top trainer/drivers, and then Dexter Dunn, he’s one of the top drivers in North America.
“To have that picture and have that race be my first big sires stakes win, that told me I might be on the right track with what I’m doing here.”
Not only did Todd make his mark as a first-rate horseman, but he did so while also being a supportive big brother.
Todd’s sister, Mary Ratchford, is the latest member of the Ratchford clan to join the family business.
A trainer by trade, Mary put together an impressive rookie season in which her charges produced 22 wins from 122 starts for nearly $152,000.
As fate would dictate, Mary’s first ever win came with Todd in the racebike on Jan. 27 at Flamboro Downs.
The brother-sister duo teamed up with Ratchford family favorite Shay Seelster (owned by Todd) – the first horse he qualified after earning his driving license – to secure the landmark triumph.
As Todd said, the pair is each other’s biggest critic. But that drive to get the best out of each other is what drives their relationship as competitors.
“I think it’s the respect that we both have for each other,” he said. “Sure, we have our arguments just like every other family, but it’s very respect oriented. If she has an idea, I say, ‘Yeah, go for it. Try whatever you want.’ Or if I say, ‘I think this needs to be changed,’ then she follows through with it.
“It’s very understanding on both parts.”
For Todd, trading in his hockey jersey for driving colors was always part of the plan; doing so allowed him to live two boyhood dreams. But at the core of it all was a trust in himself and the roadmap that took him to parts both unknown and all too familiar.
Todd’s next landing spot, the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale on Saturday (Feb. 8) for the 36th O’Brien Awards, will perhaps be his most validating so far.