Bain gains big in Hiawatha challenge

Leader Nathan Bain took a stranglehold on the $500 Hiawatha Horse Park Youth Handicapping Challenge this past Saturday (August 28) by outscoring rival Nicholas “Ace” Barnsdale 52 points to 34. The Leamington Raceway harness racing announcer now leads Ontario Racing handicapper Barnsdale 774 points to 697 with three race cards remaining in the Challenge and Hiawatha Horse Park’s 2021 season.

It was the toughest scoring day of the contest so far for the handicappers, with Bain correctly selecting three winners on the 12-race card to Barnsdale’s two. Bain also scored with his Best Bet, P L Orchid ($2.80), who took her third consecutive win in the non-winners of $5,000 lifetime class in race 9.

The contest – for which the $300 first prize and $200 second prize are supplied by Hiawatha Horse Park – runs every Saturday and concludes when the last race is run on closing day, September 18. Follow Bain’s (@NBainracing) and Barnsdale’s (@AceBarnsdale) weekly Hiawatha selections on Twitter every Saturday afternoon. Barnsdale’s selections also appear on the Ontario Racing “Tips from the Pros” page.

Try your luck as well: Hiawatha Horse Park is available for online wagering via Horseplayer Interactive and other ADWs.

by Melissa Keith, for the United States Harness Writers Association Canada Chapter