The Raceway at Western Fair District closed out its meet in spectacular fashion on Friday, May 29, delivering a thrilling Camluck Classic program that showcased top-tier talent, record-setting performances and a large, boisterous crowd enjoying the action.
Headlining the evening was the $150,000 Camluck Classic (Grade 3), presented by Seelster Farms, where heavily favoured Lou Hill delivered as the prohibitive favourite, stopping the clock in 1:51.2.
Driven by Jason Bartlett, the reigning 2025 Dan Patch Award winner as U.S. Driver of the Year, Lou Hill executed a textbook two-hole trip, tracking pacesetter Helium N (Dan Noble) through blistering fractions of :26.3, :54.4 and 1:22.4. Helium N came under pressure from a first-over bid by Donegal Luther N (Yannick Gingras), softening the leader just enough for Lou Hill to explode from the pocket in the stretch and surge to a decisive win. Helium held gamely for second, while Calicojack Hanover (Bob McClure) closed to finish third.
The victory marked Lou Hill’s seventh win in 11 starts this season, pushing his lifetime earnings beyond $700,000. The standout five-year-old son of Sweet Lou-Pretty Katherine is trained by Per Engblom and owned by Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont.
He paid $2.50 to win as the bettors' choice.
In the undercard feature, the $50,000 Forest City Pace for older mares, Grit N Grace delivered a front-end masterpiece for driver Jody Jamieson.
The five-year-old Im The Pied Piper-Dragonart mare blasted to the lead early and never looked back, carving out fractions of :26.4, :56 and 1:23.3 before stopping the clock in 1:52.2 — a new track record for older pacing mares at The Raceway beating the former mark held by Camille and Gias Surreal by two-fifths of a second.
Grit N Grace held off a late charge from Raptors Won (Travis Cullen) to win by a half-length, while defending champion Caviar N Crackers (Ed Hensley) rallied for third.
The victory was Grit N Grace’s first in four starts this season and elevated her career earnings to over $440,000. She is trained by Mike Kwietnowski and owned by breeder Lorraine Rey of St. Claude, Man.
Notably, the performance marked a triumphant return after finishing as runner-up in last year’s edition.
She paid $4.50 to win as the odds-on favourite.
The Camluck Classic Night crowd witnessed another track record performance when the Garry Merner-trained Passarino won the $16,000 Preferred Trot.
Driven by Mark MacDonald, Passarino delivered a historic performance, leading through fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.3 and stopping the clock in 1:54.3 to establish a new track trotting record at the London oval. Owned and bred by Seawind Amg Stbs 2005 Inc. of Bouctouche, N.B., the six-year-old Lookslikeachpndale-Perfect Prelude gelding knocked a full second off the record.
In the race for place more than eight lengths behind, My Buddy Sam (Brady Galliers) edged out Siesta Sandman (Tyler Borth), Royal Beluga (Dan Noble) and the former record holder, The Great Reset (Lorne House).
A pair of $16,000 Preferreds for pacers went to Arties Ideal, driven by Noble for trainer Duane Marfisi, and It Takes Two, with House driving for Scott McNiven. A matching Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace was won by Carrera Sunset N and Austin Sorrie for Jacques Dupont. All three winners posted identical 1:54.3 mile times.
Favourites shone brightly in the quartet of $40,000 London Classic Sale Series finals, capturing three of four divisions: Southern Cowboy turned in a successful two-minute mile in the Horse & Gelding Trot for Sorrie and trainer Gerard Demers; Aunt Gertrude topped her Meg Crone stablemate Weslyn Hanover in the Filly & Mare Pace with Anthony Haughan guiding the 1:56.2 winner; and Skip The Honey completed a series sweep winning the Horse & Gelding Pace in 1:55.4 with Garrett Rooney aboard the Gregory Drew-trained homebred who is now perfect in five seasonal starts. The lone mild upset came in the Filly & Mare Trot, where second choice Look A Diamond prevailed in 1:59.2 with Rooney in the sulky for the Peter Hamilton stable.
A trio of $25,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions for three-year-old filly pacers added further depth to the card. James MacDonald drove a pair of winners, Could Be A Queen in 1:55.3 for trainer Nick Gallucci and My Girl Friday in 1:54.4 for Anthony Beaton, while Bartlett won the other other division with the Merner stable newcomer Tainted Love in 1:56.3.
The Camluck Classic program attracted a total handle of $825,000, marking an increase over the 2025 figure. On-track wagering was particularly strong, posting a 15 per cent increase year-over-year, as local fans were out en masse for the closing night card.
Friday’s program wrapped up another solid season for the London oval, which will now be dark until racing returns in early October.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.
Replays of the live streams from Western Fair and Primetime Racing are available below.
WESTERN FAIR FEED
PRIMETIME RACING SHOW
(Western Fair District & Standardbred Canada)