Blogs

The Amazing Story Of 'Saving Sammy'

Posted Date:

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

If you haven't had a chance to watch the 'Saving Sammy' story just yet - I highly recommend it for any and all horse lovers and horse racing fans... Shannon 'Sugar' Doyle The Raceway at Western Fair District -------------------------------------------------- CTV Atlantic recently featured a five-part series on the story of Samspace, a racehorse born and raised in Nova Scotia but feared deceased by his former connections. As told by CTV's Jayson Baxter, one phone call in December 2019 changed the life of Samspace and his former owner –...

Legendary Race Callers Talk Shop

Posted Date:

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Jean Desautels, Ghislain Paquet and Frank Salive chat it up on Passion Courses.

A pair of Canadian race calling icons were guests of Ghislain Paquet on the Wednesday, May 5th edition of Passion Courses on Facebook Live www.facebook.com/ghislain.paquet.9/videos/10158504147759227. “What a show,” said Paquet. “To be on the air with these two legendary voices of Canadian harness racing was a very big thrill for me. I was more excited than a child at Toys R Us!” Jean Desautels’ career spans over 30 years and he has treated fans with his unique bilingual calls for close to 58,000 races. A great majority of those race calls ...

May Days Ahead

Posted Date:

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Hey there month of April - there's the door - don’t let it hit you on the way out! So in to May we go, with Ontario racing still on ‘pause’, as horse racing rolls on south of the border... Top Canadian drivers Doug McNair, Bob McClure and Louie Philippe Roy all made their way state-side last week and it didn’t take long for them to show up in the winner’s circle. - McNair would guide Betsea to a pocket-riding win, over Harrah’s Philadelphia, last Friday afternoon - his first drive there - paying $5.40 to win. He’d win...

Another Week Goes By...

Posted Date:

Thursday, April 22, 2021

“And they’re off! Great to see racing back at Canada’s oldest racetrack!” - O’Brien Award winning photographer Kyle Burton with a capture and quote on Truro Raceway’s 2021 return to racing.

Some of the Wednesday evening headlines on Standardbred Canada's website... McNair Moving Stateside Get Legs Rallies, Wins Brennan Final Robintheatm Steals Buffalo Win Muscle Ave Headlines At Harrington Filly Speaks Completes Series Sweep Sweet Angel Boy Impresses At Philly Best In Show Sizzles In Qualifier Top Trotters At Freehold Friday Casies Believer Wins Pompano Thriller Ontario Horsemen Head To Hoosier Another week goes by and it’s another week of no racing in Ontario, while racing south of the border continues... This Friday, April 23,...

Records, Leaders & More...

Posted Date:

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

The Numbers A look at some of the recent numbers surrounding The Raceway’s current race meet… Looking back at the most recent month of racing, in London, never before had the Forest City oval seen wagering numbers, over the span of one month, that would match the month of March and it’s not even close... The total handle reads $9,278,708 over the 19 race dates during the month – for averages of $488,353 per card and $45,708 per race – with 203 dashes raced. The final week of racing (March 29 to April 2), before this current ‘pause’ in the...

Winter Racing in London

Posted Date:

Monday, February 15, 2021

Handicapping ‘off a layoff’ is one thing - handicapping ‘off a lockdown’ is another… Ontario returns to horse racing this week and if you’re playing - you’re probably already ‘capping… It may be tough to find winners, over the next few weeks, but you can count on the players to be playing and the pools to be swelling. I always say it’s tough coming back in October at Western Fair - seeing our programmed horses coming in from tracks all over - then trying to come up with selections that have success. This time around we...

Raceway Regulars At Northfield Park

Posted Date:

Monday, February 8, 2021

Trainer Taylor Fritz with Brocks Fortune - in to go Monday at Northfield Park.

With currently no horse racing permitted in Canada – some Ontario horse people have ventured south of the border and have had some luck in recent weeks. Driver Brett MacDonald, a Raceway regular, has been doing it and doing it well at Northfield Park – coming off a huge Mares Open Pace victory with Bettor Trix N for New Jersey’s Curtin Anz Stable and trainer Patrick Shepherd. She literally ran the competition off their feet, on Saturday night, as a pair of race favourites made breaks going to the quarter mile – just as she made front. After that it was fractions of 26....

2020 O'BRIEN AWARD WINNERS

Posted Date:

Monday, February 1, 2021

Congratulations to all the well-deserved 2020 O'Brien Award winners - a wonderful job to all involved in the ‘virtual event’. Here’s hoping we get back to enjoying it in person this time next year! 2020 O'BRIEN AWARD WINNERS - Courtesy of Standardbred Canada PACERS TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER Scarlett Hanover Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, JandT Silva Purnel & Libby & Weaver Bruscemi LLC TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACER Lawless Shadow Owned by Dr. Ian Moore, R G McGroup Ltd., Serge Savard & Frank Cannon...

Flashback: Mohawk Raceway 1978 - 'Mohawk Gold Cup'

Posted Date:

Monday, January 25, 2021

Mohawk Raceway 1978

Last week’s ‘flashback’ blog had me thinking about where and when I first remember seeing old harness racing programs and taking a huge interest in browsing through them. It would be almost 40 years ago where I'd be on the road with my Aunt Sadie and late Cousin Steve... Sadie had made a stop in town and while Steve and I waited for her in the car - we opened up the glove box to find a few old race programs rolled up - likely stashed away there by my late Uncle Ed Doyle. I remember looking though them - saying the names of the horses and drivers -...

Flashback: 1992 International Drivers' Challenge

Posted Date:

Monday, January 18, 2021

This Coca-Cola International Drivers’ Challenge was an afternoon program held on Monday, May 18, 1992 at Western Fair Raceway - featuring 8 leading drivers - with ‘The Voice’ Roger Huston calling the action.

On this day 9 of 12 races would feature the following leading drivers... DOUG BROWN BILL FAHY BILL GALE MICKEY MCNICHOL JACK MOISEYEV BILL O'DONNELL DAVE WALL RON WAPLES Race 1 - Cindy Ley (Gale), off a pocket ride, would win this trot for owners Fred and Terry Heatherley in 2:05. Garmor Dexter (Wall), the longest shot on the board, made a break at the start and still managed a second-best showing. B A Speedstick (Brown) was third. Race 2 - Bethel Park (Moiseyev), from off the pace, won for Joyce and George Dipierdomenico in a 2:01 life best...