One of the most memorable moments in the evolution of the British Columbia breeding occurred on March 7, 1947 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

On that day a young trainer named Gordie Campbell and groom Hank Moerman led Dr. Lyon H. Appleby’s Cum Laude past the bronze statue of legendary Seabiscuit on the way to the paddock for the Lake Arrowhead Handicap.

Amoung other things, mighty Seabiscuit had set the track record for the mile and 1/8 – 1:48:4 – 10 years earlier.

But on this day that record would be surpassed by a horse raised on Appleby’s Running Horse Ranch in the hills near Kamloops. Cum Laude fled the distance in 1:48.3 under jockey Gene Pederson and, more importantly, defeated some of the finest horseflesh in North America.

The opposition included such as Cover Up, Stitch Again, Texas Sandman, Triplicate, El Lobo and Be Faithful. Be Faithful had just been purchased by Louis B. Mayer for $125,000, a princely sum in those post war days.

The pat to the record books had been long and impossible for Cum Laude. Appleby had taken his Kentucky-bred mare Silver Dime to Mrs. Jane Rolph’s English-bred Bypass II. Silver Dime was then vanned home and Cum Laude was foaled at Running Horse Ranch.

He ran with an awkward but effective paddling gait, and had to suffer through three serious ankle injuries, one of which ended his career right at its peak.

The first injury came in a maiden race at Lansdowne, when he was bumped leaving the gate. He was sidelined again as a three-year-old, at Toronto’s Woodbine, this time with severe ankle cuts.

Recovering from both hurts, he started to realize his potential as a four-year-old and ran the fastest mile in Canada at Winnipeg. At five, he campaigned successfully at Longacres and Portland Meadows before heading for Santa Anita in December 1946.

After paying $28 to win in the Lake Arrowhead, Campbell shipped him to Hollywood Park to prep for the $100,000 Gold Cup. He won twice at Hollywood and after finishing second to Cover Up in the Los Angeles Handicap he damaged an ankle beyond repair.

Cover Up, beaten three lengths by Cum Laude at Santa Anita, won the Gold Cup and earned $200,000 in a period of three weeks.

Cum Laude won five of 10 starts that year and also had two seconds and two thirds for earnings of $20,925. That seemingly modest sum placed him third on the list of Canadian money winners for 1947, behind Kings Plate winner Kingarvie but immediately ahead of Windfields, who was becoming an influential sire.

Cum Laude was retired to Running Horse Ranch where he stood at stud for several years but never produced a horse as good as himself.