Twenty-year-old British Columbia horsewoman Emily Leak won the annual Powder Puff Derby for the third straight year on Sunday, February 9 at Fraser Downs during the Harness the Hope breast cancer fundraising event, presented by Nite of Hope.
Leak drove her 12-year-old pacer Kg Mattattack to a 2:05 triumph in the non-wagering race.
“Matty is such a classy old boy,” Leak told Trot Insider after the win. “The race set up perfect for me. The horse inside of me wasn't keeping up to the gate so that's when I decided we were going to leave and try to grab a hole. Matty left like a rocket and was able to get ahead of the horses inside of me. I saw Margaret [White] coming from the outside so I held back for the perfect two-hole trip. The old veteran kept trying to pull himself...I finally had to pull him coming up the backstretch just past the half and he just flew from there! It was such a close race, but he stuck his nose out and held on for the win!”
Leak won her first Powder Puff Derby in 2012 with the retired broodmare Shes Rarin and repeated last year with Kg Mattattack.
“It felt just as amazing as the first year!” said Leak. “I am so lucky. I don't think driving into the winner’s circle would ever get old!”
Following last year’s Powder Puff win, Kg Mattattack's owner Robert Collier recognized Leak's love for the racehorse and offered her the opportunity to take over ownership in a race out agreement.
“He has been racing great for me ever since,” said Leak. “I will retire him and let him live his life out on our family farm in Langley. He deserves it. I can't say enough how much I love Matty. He has a heart of gold.”
Kg Mattattack is scheduled to make his next start on Valentine's Day in Fraser's 10th race from post one with trainer/driver Scott Knight back in the sulky.
While Leak, the daughter of horseman Paul Megens, has proven to possess driving talent, she plans to stick with grooming horses for the Knight stable and competing in barrel racing.
Other participants in this year’s all-female race were Ashley Ederer (Tre Brien), Alina MacLeod (Midnight Destroyer), Cherie Paskaruk (Knickfree), Kim Schneider (Happyagain Mindale), and Margaret White (Remain Silent).
The ladies raised over $1,100 in pledges for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (BC – Yukon).