Blogs

Week Two At The Raceway - Giddy Up!

Posted Date:

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

So here we are with a brand-new race meet in London... It's now 'week two' and one thing that certainly stands out, for me anyway, are the number of quick opening quarter miles we've seen. Last night we witnessed Oakrock Eldorado (Austin Sorrie) taking on Phone In (Colin Kelly) to the quarter mile in 26.3... And I'm pretty sure we've seen more 27 and change opening quarters, in just five race cards, than we saw during the whole 'shortened-up' race meet last season. Of course racing in summer-like temperatures, in October, is likely aiding in the...

"They're Off And It Is On!"

Posted Date:

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

P L Portia and Lorne House explode for the win. (Photo by Ryan Clements)

Monday's Action "They're off and it is on!" for a brand-new race meet at The Raceway at Western Fair District - London, Ontario's half-mile harness racing destination... Shadowmoon Rising would kick-start the meet in a two-year-old colt pace for owner's Rick Rier and Paul Berberich - Travis Henry would be driving for trainer Dale Fritz - using a 29-flat final quarter to win easily in 2:00.2. Driver Natasha Day would hit the winner's circle twice - early on the card - scoring with a pair of Brett Lester trainees in the...

Just One Week Away - Here We Go!

Posted Date:

Monday, September 27, 2021

Come Monday, October 4th - the start of a brand-new race meet at The Raceway - it will have been 6 full months since a pari-mutuel race was conducted in London... Friday, April 2nd was our final race card prior to another shut-down - due to the pandemic. No other track, in North America, has lost more race dates - due to the pandemic - than The Raceway at Western Fair District. We've actually been dark (no racing) 14 of the last 18 months and it's mind boggling, but we'll aim to pick up where we left off and maintain our spot, behind Woodbine...

2021-2022 HORSE PEOPLE UPDATES / RACE DATES

Posted Date:

Friday, September 24, 2021

2021-2022 HORSE PEOPLE UPDATES / RACE DATES When horse people enter the race paddock, they will be subject to a full screening process. This includes temperature checks and a questionnaire. Trainers are encouraged to allow themselves extra time when commuting to the track. Face masks are mandatory and physical distancing of 2metres/6 feet must be maintained. The Raceway will offer a new paddock layout to ensure safety of all participants. Management has repositioned each race accordingly to offer the best experience with social distancing at the...

Harness The Hope Founders Visit PEI

Posted Date:

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

"BEST DAY EVER!" says Samantha Gallant of Harness The Hope PEI... "Three cheque presentations on behalf of our Team members were made to Canadian Cancer Society - Atlantic, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation and Prince County Hospital Foundation! $55,000 raised this year to benefit Islanders affected by cancer… Just Wow!" "The three cheques were delivered in style on the Parkdale Sherwood Lions Club “PINK” Fire Truck! Thank you Barry Stewart! So blessed to be able to share these moments with our founders, from Ontario,...

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...