8,500 for Brown

Hall of Fame harness racing driver Doug Brown captured his 8,500th career victory at Kawartha Downs on Saturday.

Brown was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (CHRHF) in 2006, but one of the Woodbine Entertainment circuit’s most dominant drivers of the 1990s is still winning races. The Oshawa native is a seven-time Driver of the Year, the Ontario Jockey Club’s winningest driver from 1988 to 1997, and the first driver in Canada to surpass $5 million in earnings in a year, according to the CHRHF.

On Saturday, he put Walks Of Life in the pocket as Fcee N (Isaac Waxman) marched to the top before the first turn. The latter churned out a quarter in :27.3, half in :56, and three-quarters in 1:25.1 with Walks Of Life close behind. Brown slid Walks Of Life off the rail and alongside the leader on the home turn, and they dueled into the stretch.

Walks Of Life out-finished his foe and survived a belated charge from Think Again (Justin Turcotte) to claim a 48th career victory in 1:56.3. Think Again came within a neck as he took place; Mohegan Blue Chip (Nick Boyd) finished third.

WALKS OF LIFE REPLAY

Walks Of Life, a $4.90 winner, has made $277,063 from 194 career starts. Glenn Carver of Scarborough claimed the 11-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal in the contest. John Macmillan trained the horse to his first win of the year.

Brown, a resident of Bowmanville, won the following dash aboard Spruce Creek in 1:58. He also raced at Georgian Downs following the Kawartha card.

Several horses broke their maidens during the afternoon of racing.

Slick N Sporty, a six-year-old Sportswriter stallion, notched his first lifetime win in 1:55.2 after 13 tries for owner Gino Toscani. Steve Hudon trains and drives the horse.

Imasharpdealer left his foes behind in a 15-length 1:59.2 jog for his maiden-breaking score in his 13th career try. Ryan Guy drove for trainer Mitchell Tierney and owner Jemaxpo Racing Stable LLC of Wellington. The horse is a sophomore gelding by Wheeling N Dealin.

Money Honey wired the field in the sixth race for a first victory in attempt number five. Murray Brethour of Sunderland conditions and co-owns the three-year-old Sportswriter filly with Melvyn Varcoe of Thornton and Keith Cowden of Oro-Medonte.

Kawartha Downs will be back on Saturday, Jul. 3 with a 4:00 p.m. EDT first post.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink