Kris Hie and Anita Valstad starred at Kawartha Downs on Saturday night winning their respective races in the Mildred Williams Ladies Driving Challenge
.
Hie drove her eight-year-old trotter Zonk Smiger to victory in 2:03.2 in Race 6, a $3,800 test for $6,000 claimers. The 4-1 third choice advanced first-up from fifth at the half and flushed favourite Autocrat (Angie Matthews) from third. In the stretch, the son of Woody Smiger-Zori Smiger angled out and sprinted home to win by one and a quarter length. Autocrat and Tres Vite (Marie Brooking) finished second and third.
Zonk Smiger scored his third win of the season in 21 starts and pushed his earnings to $13,553.
Valstad sent pacer Obra Juno to the lead and the duo never looked back en route to a 14-1 upset in 2:01.3 in the following $2,900 event for $4,000 claiming fillies and mares. Metropolis N (Samara Johnson) finished three lengths behind in third and Patron Saint (Kris Hie) rounded out the top three.
Ted Reid trains and co-owns the five-year-old Heartbeat Mindale-Anxious Hanover mare with Greg Thibaudeau of Peterborough, Ont. The win was Obra Juno’s first of her career.
Driver Gord Brown also enjoyed the spotlight on Saturday as he captured five of the 10 races on the program.
Brown won the first race with Armstead April (2:02.1) for trainer James Armitage, before going back-to-back starting in the third race with A Goodday To Win (1:57.4) for Elizabeth Day and Keystone Thomas (2:00.4) for Mark Steacy. Brown also captured the the final two races with Maes Baron (2:03) for Brian Magill, and Sure Jate (1:58.3) for Randy Scott.
The resident of Brighton, Ont. has recorded 261 wins so far this year earning over $1.4 million purses. He has earned 2,889 victories lifetime and over $12.9 million.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.