Cameron McQueen had a standout night at The Raceway at Western Fair on Tuesday, Dec. 17, securing a training triple on the evening's card.

McQueen kicked off the evening with an early double as his trainees Blossom Onthebeach ($10.80) and Southern Flight ($7.60) won the first two races, both driven by Travis Henry.

Henry quickly sent Blossom Onthebeach out of the gate, settling into third as 24-1 longshot Time to Imagine (Scott Wary) led the field to the first quarter in :28.4. Blossom Onthebeach was the first to pull at the half, reached in :59, and began pressing the leader down the backside as Time to Imagine continued to set the pace. The pair hit the three-quarter pole in 1:29. Blossom Onthebeach held strong in the stretch, fending off challenges from Time to Imagine and Blackcreek Rosebud (Daryl Thiessen) to cross the wire in 2:00.1.

Blossom Onthebeach, a Sunshine Beach - Katys Jet eight-year-old mare with 31 wins and $251,659 in earnings, is owned by McQueen.

The second winner, Southern Flight, was parked four-wide around the first turn before eventually settling into the four-hole. The leader, Twin B Fearless (Paul MacKenzie), reached the opening quarter in :29.3. Henry quickly moved out of fourth and was parked alongside the leader until just after the half in 1:00.4, where Southern Flight edged in front and never looked back. Opening up at the top of the stretch, Southern Flight powered home to win comfortably, stopping the clock in 2:02.

Southern Flight, a Panspacificflight - Southwind Diana 10-year-old gelding, is owned by Cecilia Richardson. Tonight's victory marks the 33rd of his career, bringing his lifetime earnings to $372,850.

The third and final win came in Race 10, where Travis Henry once again drove one of McQueen's trainees, Jims Big Thrill ($14.70), to victory. 

Henry sent Jims Big Thrill firing out of the gate, battling Papiamento (Nicholas Steward) for early control, reaching the first quarter in :28.4. After a brief break in stride, Papiamento made a move at the quarter pole, clearing Jims Big Thrill for the lead. Steward guided Papiamento through the half in :58.4, with four horses racing in and four out as they headed into the backstretch. As the field bunched up around the final turn, Come On Barney (Sam Fillion) launched a bid on the outside, and the pack hit the three-quarter pole in 1:29.2. Jims Big Thrill came charging up the passing lane, edging out the competition in a photo finish to win in 2:00 flat.

Jims Big Thrill is a six-year-old gelding by Big Jim out of Shanghai Thrill, also owned by trainer McQueen. The pacer now has 12 career wins with $75,823 in the bank.

McQueen currently ranks second among trainers at Western Fair and is having a standout year. In 2024, he has already claimed the leading trainer titles at Dresden and Leamington. With 510 starts this year, he has recorded 106 victories and earned $445,653 in earnings. His strong performance highlights a career year for the up-and-coming trainer.

For Tuesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Western Fair Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)