This past weekend, Woodbine Mohawk Park was the scene of the 2026 Youth Derby Awards Night presented by the Bill Galvin Racing Alliance (BGRA) and sponsored by Ontario Standardbred breeder Tom Rankin. The BGRA hosted the finalists of the Youth Literary Derby and Youth Art Derby contests for a night at the races on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) sponsored the meal for all participants and also a Drive With Us experience while Equine Guelph and Standardbred Canada contributed prizes for the finalists as well.
“Judging by the smiles and comments, I think the finalists and their families all had a great time," said BGRA Director Jane Belore. "They got to experience several behind-the-scenes experiences unique to our industry."
The BGRA welcomed 20 finalists and their families for an action-packed day celebrating the young writers and artists. The top three finalists in each of the seven categories were invited to attend. Along with dinner and the awards presentations, guests enjoyed a true VIP experience — including paddock tours, a harnessing demonstration, rides in double-seated jog carts and the Virtual Reality Harness Driving experience. In addition, they were able to talk to regular Mohawk driver Scott Young while they waited their turn at driving a racehorse virtually.
“This is the fourth consecutive year that we have been able to run these contests and honour the finalists with this special night,” said BGRA Director Karen Hauver. “We would never be able to do it without all the support we’ve received from Tom and so many other organizations and participants within the industry. We’re very grateful to all the amazing people that contributed their time to help introduce our sport to this new audience and to Woodbine Mohawk Park for again providing the venue.”
The awards were presented after dinner and finalists aged 13 and over also received certificates for Equine Guelph’s online Youth Horse Behaviour and Safety courses. On top of that, all category winners were awarded a complimentary Junior Membership from Standardbred Canada.
The fifth race ended in an exciting finish with the large group making a blanket presentation to pacing gelding Jack Panic, driven by J.R. Plante for trainer Carmen Auciello and owner Daniel Sarafian of Unionville, Ont.
Below is the list of winners in their respective categories. A complete list of placings of the other finalists and their entries will be posted soon on the “Winner’s Circle” page of the BGRA website.
Youth Literary Derby
- Short Story - Junior (Grades 3-5): Larissa Thompson of Guelph for "Pickles the Standardbred Racing Horse"
- Short Story - Intermediate Division (Grades 6-8): Ruihan Zhao of Hamilton for "Piper’s Song"
- Poem - Junior Division (Grades 3-5): Olivia Schiedel of Ayton for "The Late Race"
- Poem - Intermediate Division - (Grades 6-8): Supreet Kaur of Brampton for "An Extra Mile"
Youth Art Derby
- Junior Division (Grades 3-5): Alice Chen of Ancaster for "The World Through A Racehorse’s Eyes"
- Intermediate Division (Grades 6-8): Ruihan Zhao of Hamilton for "Racing at Sundown"
- Senior Division (Grades 9-12): Jacintha Riehl of Strathroy for "Beauty of the Race"
(With files from Bill Galvin Racing Alliance)