Over 50 years in, Bryan Lawrence is still not the retiring type

by Matthew Lomon

Bryan Lawrence has made countless memories across five-plus decades in the standardbred business, but when he looks back, it isn’t any single moment that stands tallest – instead, it’s the people and horses he made them with.

“There have been so many people who have been good to me,” he said. “I could go on with a list as long as your arm.”

The list, like it has for many, began with Keith and Gordon Waples of the renowned Waples racing family.

“Gordy and I used to play hockey together, and then I got to helping him a wee bit with horses,” said Lawrence, who worked in construction at the time. “I was never around horses in my lifetime, but Gord and his dad, Mr. Waples [Keith], became very good friends of mine, and they helped me a lot with different advice and tips with the horses. They were great to me over the years… I’m still good friends with Gord.”

After graduating from the Waples school of horsemanship, Lawrence moved from Durham, ON, to Hanover some 30-odd-years ago to pursue racing full time.

In the years that followed, the committed conditioner enjoyed steady success around the Ontario circuit, leaving his mark as a respected trainer and owner.

Then, in 2012, came a change of scenery, or as Lawrence put it, a “first retirement.”

This next chapter took Lawrence south to Florida, where he spent eight years racing at the now defunct Pompano Park.

“I had a big trailer for four or five horses, and we had good luck down there,” he said. “It was a nice way for an old guy to spend the winter. Pompano was a beautiful place, I loved it… Met a lot of nice people down there.”

Being the same friendly face over 1,500 miles from home was working well for Lawrence, who won just shy of 70 races in limited action at the Pompano Beach oval.

With everything running smoothly at home and at the track, Lawrence had no plans to cut his early retirement short – unfortunately, COVID-19 did.

As the pandemic emerged, Lawrence promptly packed his bags, loaded up his horses and set course for home.

“I just thought if I got COVID and ended up in the hospital, I’d have all these horses in Florida, so I better get out of here,” he said.

While it was difficult saying goodbye to the sunshine and Pompano, what awaited Lawrence upon his return home was a second chapter filled with fresh and familiar faces, human and equine.

American Hustle, a bay American Ideal pacer who collected north of $302,000 across 100 starts, was one of the friendly faces who routinely delivered for Lawrence both in Florida and back home.

“He was a good one for me a few years back,” Lawrence said. “He was close to a top horse at Mohawk.”

Lawrence’s already rewarding experience with American Hustle was uplifted further by the presence of drivers Doug McNair, Scott Zeron, and Bob McClure, each of whom go back a ways with the horseman out of Hanover.

“Bobby [McClure] drove a lot for me when he was starting out,” Lawrence said. “Doug also drove a lot for me his first year or two driving – I’ve known his dad Gregg for a long time, and I’ve known Doug since he was a kid.

“When Doug and Scott started, they’d come to Hanover for a drive, I’d sometimes have three, four horses in there or somewhere else and get them driving them. It was good for them and good for me.”

After hanging up the horseshoes in March of 2021, American Hustle was succeeded by a then 3-year-old trotter, Stonebridge Zeus.

Lawrence purchased the son of Resolve—Stonebridge Epic in the fall of 2022 from fellow trainer Blake MacIntosh via onGait for a price tag in the ballpark of $27,000 USD.

The deal was sealed with help from another trainer and mutual friend, Rick Deacon.

“I was looking for a trotter we could afford,” Lawrence said. “Some of them are pretty pricey, and he was for sale.

“The guy that warms up a bit for me, Rick Deacon, he works for Blake MacIntosh and knew a bit about Zeus. He told me more and I bought him.”

Figuring out the enigmatic gelding took time, continued Lawrence, but the process was smoothened with help from a pair of seasoned Ontario reinsmen in Travis Henry and Scott Wray.

“He’s gotten a lot more dependable,” said Lawrence of Stonebridge Zeus. “He had a big problem of getting away, now Travis seemed to figure it out. They get along really well, and Travis has done an outstanding job with him.”

Henry, a winner of over 3,000 races lifetime, has piloted Stonebridge Zeus to several meaningful wins over their three-and-a-half seasons together.

When competing for MacIntosh in August 2022, the pair won in 1:56.4 at Grand River, marking the first of four times Stonebridge Zeus would reach that watermark in his career.

The duo has been equally effectual for Lawrence throughout their tenure, highlighted by a standout summer at his home track.

“Travis won with Zeus twice for us at Hanover this summer,” Lawrence said. “The track had a memorial race for Randy Rier, which Travis drove him in and won. Both of those wins were very special for us.”

Lawrence also lauded the contributions of Wray, who reached the 1,000-career win plateau in 2025.

“Scott did a great job with him too,” Lawrence said. “I remember he liked Zeus and drove him well.”

One of those banner moments with Wray in tow came in their fourth start together on April 4, 2023, at The Raceway at Western Fair District.

Sent off at 10-1, the pair dug in late to complete the comeback and reach the winner’s circle.

The stellar effort, as Lawrence recalled, was both exhilarating and a perfect embodiment of Stonebridge Zeus’ composition.

“He was 10-1 because sometimes he didn’t get away very well,” Lawrence said with a laugh. “That’s been a challenge most of his life, but he’s worked out nicely through time. He’s not real speedy, but he’s pretty tough when he gets away near the front.”

The dependable trotter is joined in Lawrence’s two-horse stable by JGs Pal, a 5-year-old trotter he acquired in the summer of 2024.

“We’ve made some money and he’s racing pretty well,” Lawrence said. “We didn’t steal him or anything, he cost around $70,000 Canadian, but we’ve lucked out. We’ve got about $140,000 made with him, so it’s the pleasure of it all.”

Lawrence co-owns JGs Pal with his cousin Stuart Lawrence and Chane Ballantyne (Smurk Racing), whom he also shares Stonebridge Zeus with.

While his two partners are at very different points in their venture with horse ownership, Bryan has found common ground in the enthusiasm and support each brings to the table.

“Chane’s very nice and a very good partner; he wants to win every week, most owners are like that, but he’s started to learn it doesn’t work that way,” Bryan said with a laugh. “Stuart and I have owned a lot of horses over the years together – JGs Pal is the best one. He’s been buying horses for years. He’s in his 80s now, and he’s pretty happy we have a nice horse like that to watch race.

“Both of these guys are great partners. I’ve been lucky to have a lot of good partners on horses.”

For Bryan, now 75, slowing down isn’t in the cards.

If the opportunity to add presents itself, he’ll consider it. If not, he’s content to celebrate all he has earned today alongside the people he built it with.

“It’s been a great year with everyone,” Bryan said. “A lot of pleasure, a lot of nice wins, and a lot of nice moments that come with it. I tell the guys some nights, ‘When you win, you drive home from the racetrack… and you almost think you know something until you go back next time and finish last.’

“I’m not trying to be smart but it’s still true. I couldn’t ask for a much better year than just having the two horses and this success.”