Borth captures Ontario Regional Driving Championship

Tyler Borth became Ontario’s champion harness racing reinsman on Tuesday (Apr. 23) as he won the Ontario Regional Driving Championship at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.

The driver scored 71 points, defeating reigning three-time Driver of the Year James MacDonald by 12. Borth and MacDonald will be the province’s representatives at the National Driving Championship (NDC) in July, which will determine who Canada sends to the next World Driving Championship.

Borth led the competition from the second leg to the finish, beating eight of Ontario’s best drivers. He nabbed his first win of the night in leg three with Devils Peak (Camluck), leading all the way despite persistent pressure to score in 1:59.1.

The win proved very impactful, with Devils Peak holding off MacDonald’s odds-on Favaro Seeslter for a 10-point swing.

DEVILS PEAK REPLAY

His other victory came two races later, when Iam What I Am (Angus Hall) exploded off a pocket trip to prevail by five-and-three-quarter lengths in 1:59.2. He also finished second three times.

Borth is second in the nation’s drivers’ standings this season with 117 wins. Last year, the pilot just missed with a tally of 414; he also racked up more than $4.3 million in earnings. Now in his 13th year driving, Borth has won 1,851 of his 13,153 races and recently past the $13 million earnings mark.

MacDonald finished second with 59 points. His top results were wins with Marilyn (Custard The Dragon, 1:58.4) and Rye N Clyne (Vintage Master, 1:58.4) and place finished behind Favaro Seelster and Monteverdi. The 2017 World Driving Champion had seven points to make up entering the final leg, but Borth’s place finish sealed the deal.

Drivers in the nine-race competition received points on a 15-10-7-5-4-3-2-1 scale based on their finishing position. Each driver had to sit out one leg. The final standings were:

1. Tyler Borth – 71
2. James MacDonald – 59
3. Louis-Philippe Roy – 56
4. Bob McClure – 53
5. Brett MacDonald – 52
6. Travis Henry – 42
7. Garrett Rooney – 38
8. Trevor Henry – 31
9. Travis Cullen – 25

Ontario’s was the first of four Regional Driving Championships to determine the NDC lineup. Western Canada is up next on May 11 at Century Downs, followed by The Maritimes on May 25, and Quebec/Eastern Ontario on Jun. 2. The NDC is set for Jul. 5 at Hippodrome de Trois-Rivières.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink