As the 2022 harness racing season hits the three-quarter mark, Trot Insider provides an update on the national leaderboard for drivers and trainers.
The 2021 Driver of the Year in Canada, James MacDonald looks poised for consideration of that title once again in 2022. The Guelph, Ont. resident currently holds the top position on the leaderboard for both wins (345) and earnings ($7.49 million) in Canada. Ontario's two finalists for the 2022 National Driving Championship, Doug McNair ($5.22 million) and Louis-Philippe Roy ($5.0 million) complete the top three for earnings, while Travis Cullen (241) and Brett MacDonald (240) trail MacDonald on the dash win leaderboard.
Guy Gagnon continues to sport solid numbers, leading the way in the URDS category with a 0.454 average. Marc Campbell (0.400) and Brandon Campbell (0.397) round out the top three.
Canada's perennial leading trainer Richard Moreau has expanded his lead atop the seasonal wins and earnings leaderboard and will surely be in the discussion for O'Brien Award honours once again. With 245 wins and $3.7 million in purses, Moreau maintains a comfortable margin in both standings.
Carmen Auciello ($2,327,427) holds a slight edge over Shawn Steacy ($2,244,683) for second spot in national earnings among trainers, while Jodie Cullen (140) has edged ahead of Auciello (139) for second most training wins.
On the UTRS front, Gagnon and Campbell once again comprise Canada's top two spots but trade places from the driving side of the ledger. Campbell completes the first nine months of the year with a 0.424 average, ahead of Gagnon (0.417) and Rod Therres (0.413).
**All statistics include Canadian starts from January 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022, with 195 start minimum for URS.
To keep tabs on the season leaders, visit Standardbred Canada's Harness Racing Statistics pages.