The I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club is pleased to announce that John McConnell of Guelph, Ont., is the winner of the Molson Pace Online Handicapping Contest.
John was successful in securing 17 out of a possible 20 points in the contest, along with one other entrant, and was declared the winner from a blind draw.
McConnell, currently a groom in the industry, is the son of James Harvey McConnell, who was a driver/trainer back in the late 50s and early 60s. He started helping his dad around the barn when he was young and has been hooked on harness racing ever since.
“There was a time when I used to go to the track five times a week, but I recently have been looking for something else to do with my time and got hooked up with Ken Middleton. I have a horse with Kenny, Sizzling Summer, a two-year-old Sportswriter colt who is getting trained as we speak.”
John has won a prize package from the Fan Club and a $50 gift certificate to Mohawk Racetrack.
Below are the contest answers and John’s selections:
Select the post position that will return the highest number of wins on the day. (2 points)
John’s Selection: Post 1.
Answer: Four winners on the day’s card left from Post 1 including races 2,6,10 and 12.
Select the winner of Race 1, the City of London Final for Horse & Gelding Trotters: (4 points)
John’s Selection: Adventure Ahead.
Answer: Adventure Ahead won the $23,200 final for male trotters, establishing a new lifetime mark of 2:01.
Select the winner of the Molson Pace. (4 points)
John’s Selection: Bit Of A Legend N.
Answer: Bit Of A Legend N earned his third win of the year with his Molson Pace victory, and now has 36 career wins and earnings over $1.6 million.
Will the 2017 Molson Pace go faster or slower than the 2016 Molson Pace won by Evenin Of Pleasure and driven by Sylvain Filion in 1:50.3, a track record performance? (2 points)
John’s Selection: No, It will be slower.
Answer: Bit Of A Legend N won the Molson Pace in 1:51.3 by one and three-quarter lengths, but was slower than 2016 winner Evenin Of Pleasure.
Select the horse that will reach the quarter pole first in the Molson Pace final. (2 points)
John’s Selection: Bit Of A Legend N.
Answer: Driver Jordan Stratton moved Bit Of A Legend N to the front early leading the field to the quarter in :26.3.
Select the leading money-winning driver for the day’s races (3 points)
John’s Selection: Jordan Stratton
Answer: Jordan Stratton earned $75,000 in winning the Molson Pace.
Select the leading money-winning trainer for the day’s races (3 points)
John’s Selection: Ron Burke
Answer: Richard Moreau was the leading money-winning trainer for the day’s races earning $105,970.
The Fan Club also hosted a trackside contest where fans had to select the winning horse of the Molson Pace. At the end of the evening, an entry was drawn from the ballot box of Bit Of A Legend N. Congratulations to Sandy Tritton of Pine Bush, New York, for winning the contest. Sandy and her husband Peter Tritton, trainer of the Molson Pace victor, paid a visit to the Fan Club booth prior to the races to get in on the contest. For winning she will receive a Fan Club prize package.