Standardbreds Assist In Gender Reveal

In what's believed to be a first of its kind, a pair of Standardbreds and a Canadian harness racing track recently helped with a gender reveal for first-time parents.

This past Sunday (March 8) at Century Downs Racetrack & Casino, Doug & Jaycee Thomson got some help from the harness racing industry in order to break the news on the gender of their first born.

According to ASHA's Colleen Haining, the hospital technician gave the Thomsons a sealed envelope with the gender of their expected baby.

"Doug and Jaycee come from strong equine backgrounds," said Haining. "Doug was a star outrider in the World Professional Chuckwagon Association. Jaycee is an accomplished horsewoman in her own right, and the daughter of Champion Chuckwagon Driver Jerry Bremner and his wife Donna.

Doug Thomson competing in an exhibition race at Century Downs in 2016

"Having horses so deeply rooted in both of their lives, and having all driven Standardbreds for fun, when the excitement of being new parents hit them they wanted to share that with their family and friends. What more appropriate way for a gender reveal than to do it with horses?"

That envelope was opened at Century Downs on Sunday. Drivers Rod Hennessy and Harold Haining found out their respective "teams" after Sunday's seventh race. A coin toss determined that Hennessy would sport blue colours and represent Team Blue (for a boy, of course) with Haining on Team Pink (for a girl). Only Rod's wife, Diane, and the two drivers were aware of the gender as a match race was slated to take place after the eighth race.

Haining hit the wire first, thus revealing the gender to be a girl to the Thomsons and the gathered family and friends.