Canadian horse of the year Odies Fame - with London area connections - was a story that caught the imagination of horse racing enthusiasts across the country during her racing career.

Her's was a Cinderella tale. Overlooked by almost everyone at a yearling sale in London, the pacing filly went on to set multiple track records, including a world mark. In 1998, she was named the Canadian horse of the year.

During her two-year-old and three-year-old campaigns, the pacing filly filled the stands wherever she raced, including at Western Fair Raceway in London, where she also set a record.

The daughter of Apaches Fame has just been announced as an inductee into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

I had the pleasure of covering her throughout her career. She created a buzz wherever she raced, unlike anything I had seen before in the sport.

Even after her death, Odie, as she was affectionately called, is still creating excitement and is even helping one family heal from a broken heart.

Odie was owned by St. Marys Norm Amos, along with Stratford’s Buddy Wellwood, who also trained her.

Buddy died unexpectedly in 2000 and Odie died in 2004.

Buddy’s daughter Nicole lost her seven-year-old son Evan Leversage last fall.

Evan was the boy whose town of St. George brought him Christmas in October because he was terminally ill with brain cancer. Evan died on Dec. 6.

Nicole wrote this on her Facebook page after news that Odies Fame is going into the Hall: “Dad I know you will be watching over Evan till we meet again. I am so proud of you dad and honestly feel thankful that you are being honoured. Odie proved how amazing of a horseman you were!”

Nicole went to all of Odie's races and still considers that time a highlight of her life. She is so thrilled with the induction announcement.

Her grandfather, Harold Wellwood Sr., is also in the Hall.

Odies Fame was purchased for $7,500, but made $1,410,720. She set six track records as a two-year-old and a world record of 1:52 on a five-eighths mile track at Rideau Carleton.

She won two O’Brien Awards as top national competitor in her division at ages two and three.

Odie won the U.S. Dan Patch Award for her division, despite not setting ever competing in the U.S.

She was a remarkable horse and deserves this latest honour.

Also going in to the Hall is the late John Ferguson Sr., of NHL fame and, Bruce Johnston of Aylmer, who ran The Canadian Sportsman magazine.

Ferguson was a player, scout, coach and general manager in the NHL.

According to the Hall of Fame, Ferguson’s best horse was Hardie Hanover, Canada’s three-year-old pacing filly of the year in 1994, a winner of the Fan Hanover and Breeders Crown and over $718,000 in purse money.