Natasha Day won the Women's Driving Challenge featured on Harness The Hope Night on Friday, Oct. 20 at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
The 18th annual Harness the Hope Night benefitted Breast Cancer Canada and Pink Pearl Canada -- organizations that provide research and support programs for those facing cancer -- with an auction, promotions, contests and special presentations throughout the evening.
The Harness The Hope Night events included a Women's Driving Challenge, sponsored by Mare Flare Equestrian, in the first six of the evening's 10 races.
With wins in half of the event races, Day took the Women's Driving Challenge title. Day opened the program with a victory aboard Michaelas Angel ($3.60) for trainer Bill Megens and also won a pair of races with Ranger Rob ($4) for trainer Stewart McQueen and Exra Express ($6.30) for the Jeremy Brewer stable.
Marielle Enberg drove back-to-back winners during the competition, scoring with Azucar Jack ($6) for trainer Thomas Hamm and Malvolio ($5) for Patrick Bissett. Brit Kennedy drove the Paul Megens-trained Bulldog ($9.70) to victory in the final challenge race.
Marie-Claude Auger, Pam Forgie, Maggie Jones, Anita Ouellette and Julie Walker also participated in the event.
"I want to say thank you to Harness The Hope for putting this on for all the girls," said Day during the winner's presentation. "We really appreciate it. You guys do a lot of work. Without you guys doing it, the lady drivers wouldn't get a lot of exposure. Thank you from all of us."
Day ended the night with four driving wins after taking a non-challenge race later on the card with the Kennedy-trained Lolita Hanover ($3.70).
Irish Dreamer closed out Friday's action, winning the $23,200 final of the Autumn Series for two and three-year-old trotting colts.
Driver Jason Ryan sent three-year-old Irish Dreamer to the lead in the featured finale and pocketed 6-5 favourite and eventual homestretch breaker My Buddy Sam by the quarter pole. Irish Dreamer turned back all challengers on the lead through fractions of :29, 1:00.4 and 1:31.2 over the 'good' track and lowered his lifetime mark to 2:02 flat, paying $6.90 to win. My Buddy Sam went off stride at the top of the lane while Livingitlarge and Sollwitt rallied for the minor spoils, finishing a half-dozen lengths behind the winner.
Paul Reid trains Irish Dreamer, who was a dead-heat winner in last week's second leg of the series and now has two victories in his debut season from 11 starts. The homebred Il Sogno Dream-Erin Hall colt is owned by Leonard Christopher of Acton, Ont. and Anthony Mulcahy of Burlington, Ont.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.