91-year-old Megens drives winner

Bill Megens earned his first driving win of his ninth decade on earth as the 91-year-old drove his homebred Willy Strike (Alarm Detector) to harness racing victory on Friday (Dec. 20) at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.

The reinsman tucked the sophomore gelding the pocket, keeping him in ideal position while My Sweet Mvp (J. Bradley Harris) put up :31.4 and 1:03.2 fractions ahead of him. Megens shifted Willy Strike out approaching three-quarters in 1:35, but My Sweet Mvp proved tough and allowed no headway through the final turn.

Willy Strike produced a strong kick coming into the stretch though and battled past the pacesetter in the last 1/16th of a mile. Ha Code Red (Scott Wray) emerged with a late rush but was a quarter-length short as Willy Strike wrapped up the win in 2:06.

My Sweet Mvp held on for third, a length-and-a-half behind.

WILLY STRIKE REPLAY

It was Megens’s first win since 2021 and his 1,190th since he began driving in the 1960s. A native of The Netherlands, Megens moved to Ontario with his family in 1950. He has racked up $4.5 million in driving earnings from 5,792 starts with 364 wins as a trainer. He has won six races in the latter role with 91 races this season.

Willy Strike is now two-for-24 lifetime with $14,320 in earnings. Megens bred, owns, and trains the three-year-old.

Racing returns to The Raceway at the Western Fair District on Monday, Dec. 23 at 5:50 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink