Blogs

I’ve always loved the horses!

Posted Date:

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

“I really never saw myself broadcasting,” says Michigan native Jessica Otten. “When I was younger I always wanted to be a teacher… Why? I have no idea…” Now 23 and living in Hightstown, New Jersey, this third-generation horse person has gone from living on a farm to living in a town - which she says has been a big adjustment, but she does live close to quite a few training centers which helps. “I've always loved the horses,” she says. “They’ve been such a huge part of my life ever since I was a baby. When I got my driver...

Horsing Around With Sorella And Miller

Posted Date:

Thursday, May 21, 2020

#LouKnows Chimes In On Racing “There’s a chance the time off may not be as kind to the horses that were sharp before this break,” says Lou Sorella aka #LouKnows - a horse owner and guest handicapper at The Raceway. “The horses that were in need of some time off certainly got a well-deserved rest, but I think when we come back - it’ll be a pretty level playing field for everyone… Here’s hoping everyone follows the guidelines that will keep us safe and racing for the remainder of this 2020 season and beyond.” Sorella teamed up with Chatham...

It's almost post time for a harness race!

Posted Date:

Monday, May 18, 2020

Here they come! It’s almost post time for a harness race in North America... It’s been way too long! Going behind the gate first will be Scioto Downs (Columbus, OH) this Friday, May 22, with a Race 1 post time of 6:30 ET - without spectators... One of my favourite half-milers - Northfield Park (Cleveland, OH) - will start back on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00 ET - again without spectators. It’s the new horse racing world we’ll be living in for the months ahead - live racing without spectators… Here’s wishing all the tracks, returning to action, the best...

Do you remember old 'Recall Hanover'?

Posted Date:

Friday, May 15, 2020

A little trivia here… What free-legged pacer once had the nickname ‘Recall Hanover’ - among horse people - around the B-tracks of Ontario? Keep reading along for the answer... I spotted a beautiful photo of a veteran racehorse, on Facebook, this past week and then reached out to his owner Jansen Sweet to talk about this former Ontario pacer - now getting set for his 13-year-old racing season in Prince Edward Island. Shiftyn Georgie (Rambaran-Paradigm Shift-Camluck) was bred by Ailsa Craig’s Rick Heamen and he’d make his first career start back on...

Off And Pacing... Soon - hopefully!

Posted Date:

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

"Harness racing has a short window to reinvent itself and become relevant again - in a way that hasn’t been seen for many decades. The status quo will not be sufficient to capture this opportunity when racing returns,” says horse owner/game designer Ryan Clements. “I think there’s a lot we can do. There is going to be many eyes on our sport if we do come back soon. And when we do get that brief moment, with no other major sports in play, we’ll have a chance to build a new fan base and we may never get this chance again. I believe we have to make the most of...

A Throwback To The Molson Pace Of 2014...

Posted Date:

Saturday, May 9, 2020

MacDonald Returning For Molson Pace (May, 2014) A very familiar and former leading driver at The Raceway at Western Fair District is coming back to London for the Molson Pace. Mark MacDonald has been one of North America’s top pilots for a number of years, but he’s never captured the prestigious Molson Pace. “I’ve been in The Pace with some very nice horses,” he says. “Tigerama set the track record there (1:50.4 in 2008) in his elim, but he drew the outside post in the Final and things didn’t work out.” “I finished second with Dr...

There are better days ahead!

Posted Date:

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

On Monday, May 4, officials with The Raceway at Western Fair District announced that the track has cancelled the 2020 edition of the Camluck Classic Invitational. Via a press release, Western Fair announced that the decision was reached after much consideration. The 2020 edition of the Camluck Classic Invitational had been scheduled for Friday, May 29. In its release, the track stated that the $150,000 stakes race is slated to return in 2021. Western Fair also stated that the 2020 City of London Series, which had finals slated for the same night as the Camluck Classic, has been...

Life is good for owner/caretaker Amber Guse...

Posted Date:

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Born and raised into the business, horse owner Amber Guse began her work in harness racing some 25 years ago… “Both my parents, Patti McGillivary and Bill Windsor, owned and trained,” she says. “I began working alongside Mom at the age of 7… I can still remember, back in the day, carrying the pails and blankets down the long path to the old paddock at Western Fair. It was around that time that I just fell in love with the horses.” On her first career win as a horse owner... “That came about 10 years ago, at Flamboro, with Hope Tobea Star and she...

'Here’s hoping we’re back racing soon' - Taylor Spitzig

Posted Date:

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Sarnia’s Taylor Spitzig, 29, works a lot of afternoon and midnight shifts as a border ambassador for a trucking company and that then allows her time in the mornings to help out at the barn in Courtwright. “We’ve got about 30 horses in total,” she says. “Anything from babies, to racehorses, to broodmares, to a stallion - they’re all here. I do a lot of the barn work and my Dad (Rusty) is on the track jogging and training - George Little helps out with that too.” Spitzig mentions that although she grew up around the business of horse racing - it...

Flashback: The Molson Export 'Triple Dead Heat' of 1998

Posted Date:

Monday, April 27, 2020

In 1998 the signature event at Western Fair Raceway was known as the Molson Export Invitational going for a purse of $25,000. It would be raced on the final Friday of May - a warm 26C night with fast track conditions. Programmed as Race 9 on the card - a select field of 8 top class pacers got the invite with 7 starters visiting from Mohawk and 1 shipping in from Montreal... 1. JUMP UP (Keith Oliver - Gregg McNair) 5/1 2. OOHS N AAHS (Clint Warrington Jr. - Gerald Dinelle) 3/1 3. EMERY FLIGHT (Keith Waples - Keith Waples) 1/1 4. ANY EXCUSE (Dennis Morrissey - Dan Morrissey...