The fields are now set for the National Capital Region Harness Horse Association's Brown vs. Brown Driver Feature Night coming up this Sunday at Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa, Ont.
The careers of champion Standardbred harness drivers Doug Brown and Gord Brown will be celebrated at Rideau Carleton on Sunday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. The recently-retired Gord will square off against his older brother and Hall Of Famer, Doug in an eight-race head-to-head driver challenge as part of the Sunday evening program of harness racing.
"We came up with the idea to bring Gord and Doug here together on the same night to honour their careers, and to make it fun for everybody we wanted to have an eight-race drivers challenge," NCRHHA Director John MacMillan told Trot Insider. "Sure, people would like to get their autographed and personalized hat from Gord & Doug Brown but they really want to see them drive more than anything. "
Between them the Browns have won an astounding 12,400 races and over $110 million in purses. Although Gord began his career at the now closed Greenwood Raceway in Toronto, he later achieved phenomenal success in Eastern Ontario. Gord captured 25 driving titles at three different racetracks: Rideau Carleton Raceway, Kawartha Downs, and Quinte Raceway.
"It’s an honour actually," Brown told Trot Insider on the special card being planned and having the chance to retire while driving against his brother. "It’s kind of bittersweet, but by no means does it mean I’m out of retirement because I’m not."
Doug dominated the driving standings for much of his career and was the Ontario Jockey Club’s leading dash driver from 1988 to 1997. He earned the O’Brien Award as Canada’s Driver of the Year a record seven times in the first eight years the honour was awarded.
"I'm kind of overwhelmed by it! I thought it was just going to be a little thing that Rideau was going to do when they called me about it," Brown told Trot Insider, "more for Gord than it was me. Good idea...but I can't believe all the people that have been talking about it. I never thought it would be getting this big."
Gord, 55, and Doug, 60, will sign autographed personalized hats and will be available for photo opportunities with racing fans before the 10-race program begins at Rideau on Sunday, May 21.
To view entries for Sunday's card, click one of the following links:
► Sunday Entries - Rideau Carleton Raceway
► Sunday Program Pages - Rideau Carleton RAceway
(with files from NCRHHA)