Guy Polillo - The Harness Edge

Guy Polillo has come a long way from shining shoes to succeeding in business and quietly
making his mark breeding Standardbreds but he has never forgotten his origins.
By Harold Howe • Photos by Chris Gallow
Forty-five years ago if you wanted to
find Guy Polillo it would have required a trip
to downtown Brantford, Ontario where he
would be doing his best to put a shine on his
latest customer’s shoes.
Today at age 65 he is in semi-retirement
(not really), waiting for his first Canada
Pension cheque and quietly proud of the fact
that he was the top consignor at The
Canadian Open Yearling Sale last
September. Along the way he raised a family and did quite well for himself considering
his humble beginnings.
On May 21, 1955 at the age of 13, Polillo
made the 11 day journey from his native Italy
to his new home in Canada on his own. From
today’s perspective it’s hard to imagine that
happening but Polillo took it all in stride and
has vivid recollections of the trip.
“There were 2,000 people on the ship
and I came alone because my father sent for
me. He had come to Canada first and gradually brought us all over but could not afford to
do it all at once. I still have the case I had
when I arrived at Halifax that day,” he
remembers.
Polillo was part of the massive Italian
migration to North America that took place
after World War II. So many of the war ravaged European nations were still destitute a
decade after that tragedy and Canada was
one place that represented hope.
Although horses are his greatest interest
today, that was not the case in his homeland.
He came from Spezzano Piccollo, a small
town in the southern part of the country not far
from Sicily. His family were small time farmers but horses were not on the scene.
Interestingly, Canada played a role in
the Polillo family’s history in the 19th century. In 1892 his grandfather and three great
uncles came to Canada to work on the building of the railroad in Quebec and then briefly
in Louisiana.
“My grandfather told stories of working
and seeing the Indians carrying bows and
arrows. But he eventually went back to Italy
to start a family but his brother stayed in
Canada and ended up in Brantford.”
Guy’s father actually came to Canada
in 1948 at the age of 35 because of the
terrible economy in his homeland. He
and his brother first came to Brantford
and then spent time working in Kelowna,
British Columbia and then Niagara Falls
when the power facilities were being
constructed.
PUTTING A SHINE ON MORE THAN JUST SHOES
PUTTING A SHINE ON MORE THAN JUST SHOES
When the call came for young Guy
to join his father he jumped at the
opportunity.
“I wasn’t much on school because I
wanted to get to work to make money.
That’s why I was so hot to get to Canada.
There was no chance of doing that in
Italy.”
From Halifax Polillo took a one and
a half day train trip to Toronto where he
was met by his uncle.
“It seems hard to believe today but
all I did was follow the rest of the Italians
to Toronto. My uncle met me and the
next day I was picking strawberries for
five cents a box in Brantford. Like I said I
came here to work.”
That work ethic is what propelled
Polillo throughout his life. Everything he
has today he worked for and he is
regarded in the Brantford community as
reputable and admired for what he has
achieved with a number of businesses he
has operated over the years. It all began
with a shoeshine stand.
“I guess every city had them and
Brantford was no different. There was this
parlour downtown and lots of kids went
there looking to make some money. I was
given a job and worked it for 10 years
shining shoes, resoling, pressing suit jackets and pants, whatever we could do to
make money. Then I bought the business.”
By then he was married to his
teenage sweetheart Caroline and began
working from eight to four at the
shoeshine business before heading to
the Massey Ferguson factory for the
afternoon shift from five to midnight.
That carried on for 15 years as he worked
to build a life.
“That shoeshine business was pretty
good in the early 1960s. I could make
$600-$700 a week sometimes which was
very good money for that time.”
People who know Guy Polillo will
tell you he is a salesman through and
through. He was born to it and is why he
sold the shoeshine business and turned
his hand to the new industry of aluminum siding.
“That was the place to be. An
Italian guy owned the business
in Hamilton and I started selling
for him even though my English was not
so good. But I had no choice. Massey
think smaller Canadian breeders like me
get overlooked and the Americans
would just rather buy from the U.S. people they know. That’s why I sold a Yankee
Glide colt at the Canadian Open rather
than take a beating in the U.S.”
On the subject of breeding in
Ontario, Polillo shares the sentiments
expressed by many about the ailments
plaguing the industry.
“For starters there is just too much
money in overnight racing, but try telling
that to the people who race at Flamboro
Downs. These guys believe they are entitled to race cheap claimers for as much as
they can get and won’t accept that the
industry needs more races for the young
horses,” he offers.
“I also think we need to make some
changes to see that more money stays in
Ontario. I know that’s protectionism but
the Ontario breeders need some help. If
that does not happen who is going to
supply the horses? We have to stop the
Canadian yearling buyers from running
to Harrisburg and Lexington to get their
horses each fall.”
12 January 2007 • The Harness Edge
hotbed for harness racing. It had been
described as a bit of Kentucky in Ontario
because of the gentle rolling landscape
and of course the abundance of interest
in horses.
More or less by the process of osmosis Polillo was drawn into the game.
“It’s all Harry Rutherford’s fault that
I have these horses. He was a cop on the
beat at the time and convinced me to go
in on a yearling he bred called Tarish. She
was a daughter of Cole Tar. That was
around 1968.
“My wife Caroline was always supportive of everything I did. I had a completely free hand but when this happened all I said when I came home that
night was ‘You’ll never guess what happened today.’”
The late Bob Silliphant trained the
filly who didn’t exactly set the world on
fire with her ability. She did manage one
lifetime win, a 2:18 trip at Garden City
Raceway on a night that the Polillos
decided not to attend. But that was the
start of what will be 40 years of involvement with the horses this summer.
Today Polillo has a band of eight
“All my life I was afraid of flying
but when Giorgio’s son was getting
married I had to go because he had
attended the weddings of my three
kids. I was nervous as hell when we took
off but when I got there it was so awesome,” he exclaims.
“In the town where I was from people actually remembered me. I’ve been
back a few times since and just love it. It’s
still home to me.”
Guy is supposed to be in semiretirement but finds it difficult not
being involved with the operation of
the business.
“I just like being around them and
from the start wanted to succeed with
them so I wasn’t about to give up. You’re
chasing a dream.
“I am looking forward to getting
that first pension cheque although the
government will get it all back in taxes.
It’s been a good life although there have
been some hills to deal with along the
way. I have no regrets other than I would
love to get that champion trotter.”
Not bad at all for a shoeshine boy. CLAUS ANDERSEN
Ferguson had a slow down and I was
laid off so I had no job,” he recalls.
“So I started out going door to door
selling and like I said it was the place to be.
Back then we were working on 60 per cent
commission and made some big money. I
stayed working for them until the business
was shut down and then with a partner
we started our own business.”
Cutlass Aluminum was born and it
lasted for the next 15 years employing 10
people. Guy then sold his interest to his
partner and launched Classic Home
Improvements and again proved he had
an uncanny knack for timing.
“In 1985 people started thinking
about energy conservation and there
was so much work insulating houses and
removing formaldehyde that we were
flat out. My job was to make the sales
and the crew I had did the work. I never
trained in construction and did not do
any of that work myself but I understood
it and could sell.
“I always wanted to do my own
thing because I could see it was the only
way to make money and get ahead.”
Brantford always was a bit of a
Polillo likes to point out that he is
great friends with Chris Christoforou.
“When I grow up I want to be just
like him,” kids Polillo.
“I met Chris probably 25 years ago
when he trained a horse for me called
Passo Avanti. I was there the day he
bought the mother of Astreos for $8,500.
I watched what happened when Astreos
won the Little Brown Jug. When Astreos
died in New Zealand it was a huge loss
for Ontario breeding. I just hope someday I can get a good trotter to race at the
top level and I’d like it to be with Chris.
It would be one year we’d never forget.”
Last fall Polillo suffered a major
blow with the loss of his friend Giorgio
Pella to cancer.
“Giorgio and I had a great relationship that dates back 25 years. The two of
us bought and sold a lot of horses to Italy
through the 1990s when the market was
good for doing that. He was just a great
guy and I really miss him.”
Three years ago Polillo made a historic decision when he returned to Italy
for the first time in 48 years.
Monday, August 6, 2007
2-year-old Ontario-sired Open Pace
Nominations must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2007
Nominations $300 (Feb. 15/07)
Sustaining #1 $300 (March 15/07)
Sustaining #2 $300 (April 15/07)
Complete conditions and nomination form available
at www.GrandRiverRaceway.com or request your
form by calling (519) 846-5455 ext. 238
*Please mail payments ATTN: Kelly Spencer
Tel: (519) 846-5455 • www.GrandRiverRaceway.com
E-mail: [email protected]
16 January 2007 • The Harness Edge
Grand River Raceway
7445 Wellington County Rd. 21, RR2 Elora • N0B 1S0