Opening night of the 2026/27 meet at The Raceway at Western Fair District featured four $25,000 finals of the Prospect Series for Ontario-sired three-year-olds on Friday, Oct. 2.

Trotting filly Lookstobemagic ($9) and driver Lorne House defeated the 2-5 favoured divisional point-leader Silver Pride (Samuel Fillion), prevailing from the pocket by a neck at the end of the two-minute mile for trainer Brent Belore. Locally owned by Karen MacIntyre and Daniel MacIntyre, the Lookslikeachpndale-Magical Wonder filly was perfect in the Prospect Series this year, winning in preliminary legs at Dresden Raceway, Clinton Raceway, Hiawatha Horse Park and Grand River Raceway leading up to the championship in London, Ont. Iamthatspecial (Jason Ryan) rounded out the top three finishers four lengths behind.

In the final for pacing fillies, Aunt Gertrude ($5) and driver Anthony Haughan ceded the lead briefly in the opening turn then looped defending champion Mc Princess (Jason Ryan) at the quarter-pole for the top spot and held off that rival's late surge to win by half a length, with 1-2 favourite Amazing Addy (Austin Sorrie) finishing third after a first-over backstretch bid. Meg Crone trains the Shadow Play-Art Center filly for owner Laverne Turnbull of Kitchener, Ont. A London Classic Sale Series champion on the last Western Fair card in late-May, she picked up a victory in the Prospect leg at Dresden in between her London victories.

Starbright Dancer ($6.10) wired the male pacers to defend his Prospect Series title for driver Brady Galliers and trainer Rod Boyd, winning in 1:56 by 1-3/4 lengths over the 9-5 favoured pocket-pursuer Over Bet (Mark MacDonell), with Writeline (Mike Horner) following well back in third. The Artspeak-Thorne Seelster gelding, who had two runner-up finishes in the Prospect prelims this year, is owned by 1187422 Ontario Inc. of Ottawa, Ont.

The 1-5 favourite in the trotting colt final, Crunchintheodds ($2.60) and driver Jonathan Drury made an early move from fourth to take command from Great Trickster (Bruce Richardson) as they passed the quarter pole and never looked back en route to a 1:58.3 triumph by 2-1/4 lengths, with Lifting Legend (Austin Sorrie) advancing first-over into third. Blake MacIntosh trains the Green Manalishi S-Karoon colt, who is owned by Glenn Dyke of Townsend, Delaware. Crunchintheodds, a former Gold Series competitor who finished top three in the Super Final as a freshman, has raced exclusively against Prospect starters since his return to action late summer and won a prelim last month at Grand River.

Western Fair will also host the two-year-old Prospect Series finals on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Live harness racing will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, with the exception of Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25. There will also be racing on Thursday, Nov. 26 for American Thanksgiving as well as Wednesday, Dec. 23 for a special holiday program, Saturday, Dec. 26 for Boxing Day and Thursday, Dec. 31 for New Year's Eve. Post time will be 5:50 p.m. except for Dec. 26, which will have a 12:50 p.m. post time.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)