Congratulations to Mike Hanhan of Brantford, Ontario who is the winner of the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club’s Western Canada Pacing Derby Online Handicapping Contest.

Earlier this year, Mike was the second place finisher in the OSS Super Finals Pick 8 Online Handicapping Contest and has once again come out in the money!

Players were tasked with handicapping the races of the Western Canada Pacing Derby hosted at Edmonton’s Northlands Park. A player’s total bankroll was based on what their selections paid for a $2 win and $2 place wager in the elimination AND final.

Mike selected Appellate as his first elimination pick and Chalk Player as his second. The first elimination went to Appellate, who happened to be the post time betting favourite and earned Hanhan an $8.20 payout. For the second elimination race he selected longshot Chalk Player who won by a nose, and returned $45.80.

With his selections carrying over to the final this past Saturday, December 3, Appellate’s win in Saturday’s $70,000 Western Canada Pacing Derby Final, increased Hanhan’s bankroll by another $7.50 to bring his total bankroll to $54.00.

For the past 45 years Mike has been a fan of harness racing, regularly attending Mohawk Racetrack and Grand River Raceway. This past October he placed second in the OSS Super Finals Pick 8 Online Handicapping Contest and in 2009 he was a competitor in the TROT Canada National Handicapping Championship hosted at Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa, Ontario.

With all the luck that Mike has on his side the Fan Club decided to find out if he has a good luck charm that helps him out. Mike responded “I do have a small horseshoe on me all the time that I guess you could consider my good luck charm -– I also I have a steel horseshoe on my backyard gate fence that was on a horse that went in 1:59 for the mile. I may need to upgrade it since they are currently going at 1:46!!”

Mike has won a $50 gift card to the racetrack of his choice and a $50 Fan Club prize package.