The Raceway at Western Fair District hosted the 19th annual Harness The Hope Night on Friday, Oct. 18 with charity ambassador Natasha Day leading the way in the event's driving challenge that kicked off the evening festivities.
Founded by a local harness racing family, the Dustin family's Harness The Hope event at The Raceway benefits breast cancer support programs, awareness and research within Canada.
Day, the defending champion of the women's driving challenge held in conjunction with Harness The Hope Night, secured the most points to top the leaderboard despite being shutout. With three seconds and two thirds, Day hit the board in each race of the driving challenge with drivers from three provinces represented.
Ontario's Maggie Jones, Pam Forgie and Marielle Enberg along with Nova Scotia's Tammy MacKay and Prince Edward Island's Ambyr Campbell each drove winners during the challenge. Ontario's Britt Kennedy and Anita Ouellette also participated in the event.
"I really appreciate you guys flying in some East Coast girls to give me a little bit more competition to beat, but you're going to have to do better than that," quipped Day after the competition. "I've said all along, it's all about getting the points and just placing... and it just proved tonight that you don't have to win, but as long as you can get them up there in the first three, you've got a good shot."
Day donated her driver earnings from the challenge races, adding to the event's fundraising efforts that included an online auction, corporate sponsorships and the sale of door prize tickets.
"I love it," said Day of the Harness The Hope event. "Kristy, Doreen, Curly [Greg], the [Dustin] family, they all do such a great job. They support us so much, and we love to support them. And they do such a good job raising money for breast cancer and breast cancer awareness, and it's very close to their heart, so it makes it close to our heart. And I really appreciate all the girls that come in and donate their time, and also, they quite often donate their prize money to it. So we really appreciate it."
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)