On the final day of the Championship Meet at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day, Yannick Gingras won four races to catch Dexter Dunn for the driver’s title, defeating the defending United States Harness Writers Association Driver of the Year, 86 wins to 85.
That’s about the only time anything went wrong during 2020 for Dunn, who is an overwhelming favourite to win DOTY for a second straight season as 12 of the 13 USHWA chapters have nominated the native New Zealander to take home the award as the sport s top pilot.
At the current Fall Meet at The Meadowlands, which kicked off Sept. 5, Dunn is on his way to taking home the leading driver trophy. With just three race cards remaining in the calendar year, the 31-year-old reinsman has 43 wins, which puts him six ahead of Todd McCarthy in the standings.
Soho Burning Love A overcame a nor easter and her six rivals to score her second consecutive win against the top mares at Dover Downs, posting a 1:50.1 score in Wednesday s (Dec. 16) featured $20,000 Mares Open Pace.
The early pace was highly contested, with three mares fighting for the lead over the sloppy track. Machnhope eventually cleared the lead, but was strung out by Sunny Dee through a blistering :54 first half while Soho Burning Love ceded an eight-length deficit while sixth. Up the backstretch, Tim Tetrick moved the six-year-old Auckland Reactor N mare off the pegs, and she advanced steadily without cover while Machnhope led to three-quarters in 1:22.4.
Last Comment: December 17, 2020 3:20 pm ET | 6 Comment(s) | Jump to Comments
Outside of a few appearances for special events, two-time Hall of Famer Mike Lachance hasn t driven in a race since 2014 and he s completely happy with the decision to step away from the sport when and how he did.
Lachance, who just turned 70 on Dec. 16, is just as involved in the harness racing industry even though he s in his sixth year of retirement. He s at the barn every day, and owns pieces of more than a dozen horses with his sons Martin and Patrick as well as a couple on his own. And while he s at the barn seven days a week, he s clear and content with who s the boss.
Harrah s Philadelphia
CHESTER, Pa. Mark Jakubik s Rock The Town ($3.40) lived up to odds-on billing in Sunday s (Dec. 13) $11,600 upper-level conditioned pacing feature at Harrah s Philadelphia, coasting to a 1:51 harness racing score with plenty in reserve at the end of the one-mile race.
Andy McCarthy worked the 6-year-old
Rocknroll Hanover gelding clear of Statement Made A (Dexter Dunn) shortly after a :27.1 first quarter, and the pair were uncontested for the remainder of the journey. Rock The Town edged clear from an all-out Statement Made A off the home turn, and won by a measured 1-3/4 lengths. J M Mandamin (George Napolitano Jr.) rallied up the open stretch to nab second over Statement Made A.
Rock The Town Tops Philly Feature | Standardbred Canada standardbredcanada.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardbredcanada.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.