Standardbred Canada (SC) is pleased to announce a change to the draft process for the 2026 National Driving Championship (NDC) and its Regional Driving Championship (RDC) events.
Effective with the 2026 events, the format will shift to a more traditional and flexible draft system for driving championship races.
After the entry box closes, horses entered into determined NDC/RDC competition races will be drawn to their post positions with no listed drivers.
NDC/RDC participating drivers will be provided program pages for all NDC/RDC competition races and will have approximately 24 hours to study the entries. Standardbred Canada will host the draft call the following day.
The NDC/RDC participating driver draft order will be determined randomly at the start of the draft call and the draft will proceed race by race with each driver having the opportunity to draft first through eighth and without restrictions on post positions. This is a change from the 2024 draft process in which drivers selected their horses first and were assigned post positions following the completion of the draft, ensuring each driver raced from every post position (one through eight) over the course of the event.
Horsepeople should know that the races to be used as designated NDC/RDC races will be determined after the entry box closes.
The 2026 draft process will be:
- After entries are finalized, NDC/RDC host tracks will determine the NDC/RDC races.
- Horses entered into these races will be drawn to post positions and have any driver listed at time of entry removed.
- Competition drivers will be given 24 hours to study entries with the draft occurring the following day.
- The draft will follow a random order, which will be determined at the start of the draft call.
- Each driver will have a chance to draft first, second, third and so on.
- The draft will progress race by race.
- Drivers are not required to drive from each post position.
“This change to the draft process for the 2026 National Driving Championship and Regional events was developed following discussions with past participating drivers,” said Darryl Kaplan, President and CEO, Standardbred Canada. “We are excited to see how the new format works out and look forward to another strong series of events.”
The updated draft system is designed to provide greater strategic choice for drivers while maintaining the integrity and excitement of the championship format.
The Raceway at Western Fair District will host the Ontario Regional Driving Championship (ORDC), the first of four Regional events on Tuesday, May 5. To view the driver participants in the 2026 ORDC, click here.
(Standardbred Canada Press Release)