Ken Shand dies

Kenneth Shand, one of harness racing's unheralded horseman, died on Jan. 12 at his home in Penns Grove, N.J. at 75.

During the past four decades, Mr. Shand has been one of Southern New Jersey's outstanding and popular horsemen and harness innovators. It was Mr. Shand that brought the trotting hobble to its modern form. While in his native Australia, Mr. Shand started a harness equipment manufacturing company that invented the KA Spreaders for horses that banged their knees while racing. He also modernized the seldom used at the time, trotting hobble. He used his version of the trotting hobble while still in Australia and brought it to North America. He first used his trotting hobble on Yankee Class, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner in the early 1980s.

On his advice, the late Carl Allen added Mr. Shand's trotting hobbles to his freshman filly CR Kay Suzie. In the first five races of her career, CR Kay Suzie set world records on a mile, half-mile, five-eighths mile, and then broke her own half-mile track record.

Mr. Shand never patented his innovations because he said, "I don't have the time or money to fight copiers in the courts." At the time of his death, Mr. Shand was working on a throwaway whip that would be inexpensive and could be used in races that would not harm or injure horses.

Born in the Harboard Beach section of Sydney, Australia in 1933, shortly after his family abandoned their home on the isle of Tonga in the South Pacific, because of the fast-moving Japanese war machine prior to World War II.

Mr. Shand first worked as a merchant mariner before becoming a full-time trainer-driver in his native country. One of his horses, Hamilcar Chief, a pacer, won 72 races. Another Attract, was a trotter who raced against pacers. It was a pacer, Nature Boy, who hit his knees badly, that inspired Mr. Shand to invent knee spreaders.

On a trip to sell harness equipment in the United States in the mid-1970s, Mr. Shand was encouraged by Bill Ridgeway, a horseman at Brandywine Raceway, to come to the States and sell his equipment. For a short time, Mr. Shand opened a shop in Wilmington, Del., then began to train a few horses. Training young horses then became his profession for the rest of his life.

Mr. Shand moved his family, wife Shirley, sons David and Ross, and daughter Tui to a 23-acre farm located near the Delaware Memorial Bridge in south New Jersey. He chose the farm because of it was short distance from racetracks; Brandywine, Liberty Bell and Freehold. Mr. Shand saw a future in racing young horses in Sire Stakes events in New Jersey, Maryland, New York and Delaware, states where lower priced yearlings could be purchased and trained at his Penns Grove farm track.

In short order, Mr. Shand bought Willow Run Gracie for $800 at the First State Sale at Brandywine. The filly became a standout juvenile racing in New Jersey and Maryland, winning several hundred in purses and after her racing days concluded was purchased by Hanover Shoe Farms. One of her foals is world champion filly trotter Windylane Hanover.

In similar fashion, Mr. Shand had last bid on Yankee Windsong, another of his stakes winners. After her racing career, she is best remembered as the dam of the first Triple Crown winning trotter in more than a quarter century, Windsong's Legacy. Another top class trotter developed by Mr. Shand, Street Walk, now also a top producing broodmare, dam of Stunt Man Hall. A Shand-trained juvenile, Trump Image won the Indiana Sire Stakes Championship final.

Mr. Shand selected yearlings at various sales venues. Some of his best remembered are Yankee Rascal, a second-place finisher in the Dexter Cup; and Power Ranger. Shand had inordinate success with young fillies such as stakes winners, Another Spice, Worthy Starlet and Victory Starburst. For several years, Mr. Shand horses won Sire Stakes events in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and Delaware.

Over the years, neighborhood horsemen brought horses to Mr. Shand's track to train and many consulted him for advise on their horses. He also was a strong supporter of the ill-fated harness program for young people at Cowtown, in South Jersey.

Mr. Shand and his family are strongly linked to harness racing with all members sharing in duties around the barn and caretakers when racing.

Mr. Shand is survived by his wife of 40 year, Shirley; son Ross, his second trainer, and David, a U.S. Naval officer and helicopter pilot, and daughters Tui, wife of Joe Stone, Linda, wife of Tony Schadel and Katrina Shand, a senior at Rowan University. Last summer, she was an intern at Harrah's Chester, where she wrote releases and filled in as TV race analyst. There are also seven Shand grandchildren: Danielle, Michael, Kristen, Laura, Kelly, Kaitlyn and Madison.

While in their teens, Mr. Shand's children competed in HTA Jr. Driving Championship Series during the 1970s. Ross went on to win the series final.

At tracks where Mr. Shand raced, he will long be remembered for his comments, still with a strong Aussie flavor, his vast knowledge, which he would share with all who listened, his wit, generosity and friendship to all.

Tentatively, Funeral Services schedule:

A Viewing at Laughrey Funeral Home, Pennsville, N.J. on Monday, Jan 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday Jan. 20 at 9 a.m. A Mass will be held at Corpus Christi Church, Carney's Point, N.J. at 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: The Kenneth J. Shand Memorial Fund, 29 Penns Grove-Auburn Road, Penns Grove, N.J. 08069. (written by Marv Bachrad)

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