Ontario Women’s Driving Championship heads for London finale

The Raceway will feature the 17th Annual Harness The Hope Night combining with the Ontario Lottery & Gaming (OLG) Ontario Women’s Driving Championship this Friday evening (Oct. 14) in London.

The OLG Ontario Women’s Driving Championship will take place in races 1 through 6 and point scoring will be doubled for this harness racing event.

Here are the standings heading into the final:

1. Natasha Day (returning 2021 champion) – 58 points
2. Marielle Enberg – 50
3. Julie Walker – 48
4. Maggie Jones – 33
5. TIE Samara Johnson – 28
6. TIE. Pam Forgie – 28
7. Brittany Kennedy – 19
8. Debi O’Brien-Moran – 13

Points will be awarded as follows: 10-win; 8-second; 6-third; 4-fourth; 2-fifth; 4-scratch

The overall winner will take home $2,000 in prize money, plus a set of custom-made summer driving silks from Graham’s Racing Silks, as well as the OLG Ontario Women’s Driving Championship trophy.

Nova Scotia’s Melissa Keith will be on the mic to call the OLG Ontario Women’s Driving Championship races. With decades of experience, in harness racing, to her credit – the award-winning writer will be in Ontario covering the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park, this weekend, but will first be on hand Friday evening at The Raceway. Keith called her first professional race, at The Raceway, in 2018 and has announced at a number of tracks since then.

The program will also feature one Autumn Series event for two and three-year-old trotting fillies in Race 7. Looking to double-up, in the series, will be morning line favourite Angel Of My Dreams with leading driver Travis Henry aboard.

All the wonderful things are back this season for Harness The Hope Night with winner’s circle blanket presentations for every race, the ‘wear pink attire/accessories to win’ promotion, best dressed horse and groom contest sponsored by Wilson Tack and McIntosh Pro Line, Harness The Hope swag tables on site and any donations will be graciously accepted in the grandstand and paddock.

All event proceeds are directly donated to various cancer organizations that provide direct support programs for young women faced with a cancer diagnosis and that provide much needed awareness, research, earlier detection and improved treatments for those directly affected by or who may face breast cancer in their lifetime.

Fans can tune in to COSA TV, for live coverage of the event, with Race 1 getting underway at 4:50 PM. The Raceway would like to thank the many sponsors of the OWDC, including title sponsor Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and significant sponsors Ontario Racing and Graham’s Driving Silks.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Sugar Doyle, for The Raceway at the Western Fair District