Kawartha Downs, which is privileged to have one of the most loyal groups of horsepeople, staff and fans in the province, will kick off their 45th season of racing this Saturday.

What will strike most regular fans immediately is the lack of Gord Brown in the program. Brown, the winningest driver in the history of Kawartha Downs, decided this offseason to retire from driving. However, he will still be at Kawartha each Saturday night, serving as the track’s expert race analyst.

Prior to each race night, he’ll host “Tonight At KD” with race announcer Evan Loucks, and following that he will be available to race fans who want some direction regarding betting, reading the program, and his insight into the races. Kawartha Downs will celebrate Brown’s incredible career this Saturday with a poster giveaway depicting a few of his achievements in the bike, and Brown will be on hand for autographs.

Despite Brown’s retirement from the sulky, Kawartha’s drivers’ colony remains deep, thanks to veterans like Reg Gassien, Tony Kerwood and Doug Hie who will challenge up-and-comers Nick Boyd, Rob Doyle and Justin Turcotte for wins.

In addition, Hiltons Hot Stuff, a unique Standardbred whose markings resemble a paint horse, will be on hand tomorrow night. She works at Tara Hills Stud in addition to being an ambassador for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society, and will be available for photos with fans.

Sign the kids up to join our Kids’ Club and they’ll receive a free knapsack. Giveaways and prize draws will take place throughout the evening. Post time is 7 p.m. Eastern.

This year’s additional special event nights are as follows:

June 10 – Celebration of the Horse, featuring miniature horse races
June 24 and September 9 – Memorial Nights
July 1 – Canada Day; 250th anniversary of horse racing in Canada
July 15 – 45th Anniversary of racing at Kawartha; Bring A Friend night
July 29 – Family Fun Night
August 12 – Ontario Sires Stakes
September 2 – Titans of Trotting anchored by Goodtimes Invitational
September 30 – Shorelines Drivers’ Championship; Appreciation Night

(Kawartha Downs)