Well, whether the weather is really fine is debatable, but I could not pass up the chance to quote a Stompin’ Tom Connors song! Anyway, I have been thinking about winter racing and what it means to people in this sport.

A couple of weeks ago, just before Super Bowl Sunday, we had some typical wintry weather here in Ottawa: heavy snow and tricky driving conditions – and that was our respite from the days were temperatures were routinely below -20 degrees Celsius. Given those conditions, horsepeople at Rideau Carleton Raceway were asked, via social media, if they wanted to race that Sunday. The answer was a resounding “Yes!” With only one race day per week, horsepeople needed those racing opportunities, and they were prepared to brave the weather for it. The 14-race card went off as scheduled, generating over $260,000 in handle and over $60,000 in purses for Rideau’s intrepid horsepeople, who raced on what turned out not to be such a bad night for racing.

Of course, there are times when cancellations are simply unavoidable. Over the past few weeks, many racetracks in Canada and the Northeastern U.S. have lost cards of racing due to weather. Wintertime in this part of North America will naturally have its challenges. That said, when winter racing happens, it is a real treat. I still remember spending some winter afternoons at Greenwood with my brother when I was a kid. It was a great way to break the monotony of winter in the Toronto area.

In some areas, of course, winter racing is at the heart of the schedule. That is certainly the case at Fraser Downs and the Raceway at Western Fair District. Also, the Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit races year round, but winter racing at Woodbine is part of the WEG circuit’s bread and butter. Whether your track races year round or this is a prime part of the year in your neck of the woods, winter racing fills what would otherwise be a void for horsepeople and fans alike.

Winter racing can also be as fast and exciting as racing at most other times of the year. I happened to be at Woodbine last Saturday to see Nickle Bag stop the clock in 1:49:4, on a night when the track was in excellent condition. It is a testament to racetrack managers and their maintenance personnel that the show can go on all year round.

By this point in the winter, much of the worst weather is behind us, and we can begin looking ahead to the warmer months. If you read Robert Smith’s blog on winter training, you saw the amount of work and the techniques that went into keeping horses fresh over the winter, all with a view toward earning money and bragging rights when spring and summer returned. If you have not yet read it, take a look.

Another ritual of winter in Canadian harness racing is the presentation of the O’Brien Awards. On that note, several rounds congratulations are in order. Congratulations, of course, to all the O’Brien Award winners. I also congratulate all the O’Brien Award finalists who enjoyed the sense of anticipation that Kathy Wade Vlaar wrote about in her blog last week. Among those finalists, I would especially like to congratulate Sydney Weaver, who would win the O’Brien Award for sheer inspiration if such a category existed. Finally, congratulations to Kelly Spencer and Ken Middleton on being this year’s hosts. It is an honour that they deserved for their passion and commitment to the sport.

While this is not related to the O’Brien Awards, I cannot end this blog without congratulating 'Sugar' Doyle on his feat of having selected ten winners this past Monday, February 9 at the Raceway at Western Fair District. Now, I know that there were eleven races on that card, but those of us who know Sugar have always known that he is a “Perfect 10” in more ways than one!

What does winter racing mean to you? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy Family Day if you are lucky enough to be getting a long weekend!

The views presented in Trot Blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Standardbred Canada.