The Raceway’s Auld Lang Syne for older horses

This Friday’s eleven-dash New Year’s Eve harness racing program, at The Raceway, will play host to its traditional Auld Lang Syne feature as the track looks forward to honouring its aged horses.

Three fourteen-year-old pacers have been given preference to draw the inside posts in the Race 10 event.

Here’s a look at the field…

1. CIONA BROMACH

2. LAWMEN REIGN

3. LEAFS AND WINGS

4. ANOTHER GREAT PICK

5. DERBY DYLAN

6. HIDDEN POTENTIAL

7 HOLY CHIP

8. STONEBRIDGE SCOUT

Here’s a little info on the three oldest horses competing in the Auld Lang Syne Pace… They’ll be making their final career starts – as their mandatory retirement begins on their ‘15th Birthday’ – January 1st, 2022…

CIONA BROMACH is making his 330th career start for owner, trainer and breeder Debi O’Brien-Moran. She has raced him every single start, over Ontario and south of the border tracks, since 2009. A recent winner of the Seniors Pace, here in London, ‘Ciona’ (pronounced Kinna) has a career best record of 1:51.3, taken as a four-year-old, with 21 wins, 23 seconds and 31 thirds – good for $240,879 earned lifetime. Congratulations Debi on a long-lasting racing career with this fella and enjoy this upcoming well-deserved retirement ‘Ciona’!

LAWMEN REIGN began his racing career, here in London, during the Spring of 2010. Bred by Doreen Dustin and Marg Battin this durable son of Rambaran will make his final career start, with us, for the ownership duo of Ross and Marg Battin. Ross has been the listed trainer for every one of his 333 career races and has driven him in over 300 of those. Tonight ‘The Law’ shows up with a mark of 1:55.2, taken on a half-miler as a five-year-old, with 39 wins, 47 seconds and 50 thirds – good for $276,453 banked. Happy trails Lawmen Reign!

LEAFS AND WINGS is another one of those durable sons of Rambaran. Owned and bred by Greg Rogers and conditioned almost every career start by Mike Rogers – Leafs And Wings’ caretaker Ryan Nicodemo refers to this old boy as a warhorse. From 415 career starts – he has a life mark of 1:50.2, taken as a seven-year-old, with 58 wins, 48 seconds and 70 thirds and $566,667 earned lifetime. A fan-fave almost everywhere he raced – we’ll all be missing him and his familiar ‘late closing kick’ going forward. Enjoy your retirement old boy!

The trotter RAINBOW GOLD, owned his entire career by Dennis Duford and trained by his daughter Ashley, will lead the post parade for the veteran campaigners. Rainbow Gold, a fourteen-year-old son of Thunder Road – bred by Ashley’s Grandmother Mabel Duford (her last bred horse), had 58 wins, 35 seconds and 36 thirds from 255 races – good for $306,839 earned. His 1:55.3 life-best record was taken as a nine-year-old, at Pompano Park, with Steve Condren driving and his final career start took place right here in London, on October 18th, with Dennis aboard.

Thanks for the memories to the retiring racehorses – from all over. Here’s hoping they’ll all enjoy their time away from the races…

by Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle, for Western Fair