The 12th edition of Legends Day at Clinton Raceway wrapped up with the sun shining for the featured finale as Randy Waples defeated a field of fellow Hall of Fame drivers in rein to Heavy Dude E.
It was a damp, cool and windy June 30 summer afternoon but fans flocked to the Clinton, Ont. oval for the popular biennial harness racing event showcasing many of Canadian harness racing's Hall of Famers in competition on the racetrack and as special guests for a reunion. Legends Day serves as a fundraiser for the community with this year's benefitting charity being the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation. More than $61,000 was raised through a number of initiatives, including a large online auction, 50/50 draw, donations, sponsorships and BBQ dinner for which 900 tickets were sold.
The $10,000 Legends Day Trot closed out the 10-race card, with the Hall of Fame driver lineup including Doug Brown, Chris Christoforou, Steve Condren, Sylvain Filion, Wally Hennessey, Carl Jamieson, Paul MacDonell and Randy Waples. Hall Of Fame announcer Frank Salive stepped out of retirement for the occasion to call the race, highlighting that "this collection of legends, this is a one off. We may not see this [particular group of Hall of Fame drivers] again ever in our lifetime."
As the race began, Waples and Heavy Dude E emerged between three-wide foes into the first turn with Steve Condren and Cool Clifford driving on for the pocket position over the inside pair of Wally Hennessey and Charmbo Prince.
Heavy Dude E continued to lead the field of eight through fractions of :28.4, 1:00.3 and 1:30.3 while Paul MacDonell sent favourite Tijuana Seelster first-up from fourth and Sylvain Filion moved Monteverdi second-over before rallying three-wide for the stretch drive.
Cool Clifford got the jump on Monteverdi turning for home as he slipped out of the pocket for Condren, but Waples and Heavy Dude E held on to win by a neck in 2:01.1 over the 'good' track for local owner and trainer Natalie Elliott. Cool Clifford just missed, with Charmbo Prince between foes to edge out Monteverdi for third.
Heavy Dude E, a six-year-old Holiday Road-Marclif Aisalinda gelding, earned his 25th career win and paid $15.40 for the 6-1 mild upset.
"I originally said I just didn't want to fall off the bike so anything over that is a success, and it ended up being a success," quipped Waples after his first appearance in the sulky since transitioning to a broadcasting role in 2022.
A career winner of 6,646 races who has driven winners of more than $131.9 million in purses, Waples commented on what it meant to take part in Legends Day and being mentioned in the same breathe as Hall of Famers Ron and Keith Waples.
"It's amazing being here, it's amazing competing against these guys. I honestly think this is the first time I've actually beat them in a race, so it took until the end of my career to be able to do that.
"My father is always going to be the driver in my life. I can never put myself at that level, never would. Now I know my father would never put himself at Keith Waples' level, so I just kind of figure I've got a long ways to go. But these guys, they're all great, you know that."
From left to right: Hall of Famers Ron Waples, John Campbell, Paul MacDonell, Steve Condren, Wally Hennessey, Doug Brown, Randy Waples, Dave Wall, Chris Christoforou, Carl Jamieson, Sylvain Filion and Trevor Ritchie.
On the undercard, three $8,000 eliminations set the stage for next Sunday's $50,000 Kin Pace for Ontario-sired three-year-old pacing fillies that were non-winners of $50,000 in 2023.
The heavy favourite in the first elimination, Wicked Leader ($2.30) recovered from a break at the start and swooped the group to win by a neck in 1:58 for driver Trevor Henry and trainer Terry Gallant.
"She always was funny right behind the car when she was a two-year-old, but then she got over it. And then last week, she kind of ran sideways on me and she made a break. Today, she never did nothing, she just threw her head and ran," said Henry of the winning filly, who went three-wide off cover at three-quarters and caught pacesetter Distant Lover (:27.3, :57.1, 1:27) on the line, with Quiet Assurances quick to recover from her own early miscue in the pocket and finishing third.
"I wasn't sure she could win it, but I could see Jason [Ryan's] horse [Distant Lover] was getting tired going into the last turn and I figured I had a pretty good shot then. But I was just happy if she would have made the final really."
A two-time winner from 20 career starts, the McWicked-Designated Leader filly is owned by breeders Bill Manes of Rockwood, Ont. and William Cripps of Acton, Ont.
Trained by Luc Blais, Determination's homebred filly Greatest Pleasure ($2.10) was a standout in the second elimination, cruising through splits of :29.3, :59.4 and 1:29.3 en route to the easy 1-1/2-length victory in 1:58 flat. Halva Hanover and Right Match finished second and third, respectively.
"She did it very easy," agreed winning driver Louis-Philippe Roy of the Bettors Delight-Twin B Imabeach filly coming off a runner-up finish at the Gold level in the Ontario Sires Stakes. "With the rail, I was able to get the control pretty early so I would say that by the first eighth we were kind of walking a little bit, and then when I let her pace the last quarter a little more, she responded well but she had still a lot left."
Greatest Pleasure sports a six-figure bankroll and now boasts seven wins from 17 career starts.
The David Menary-trained How Much ($2.10) was the fastest elimination winner in 1:55, coming just two-fifths of a second of the divisional track record.
Carefully handled through the opening turn by Doug McNair, the big favourite made front through a :28.1 opener then sped to the half in :56 and continued to build up an insurmountable lead as she raced past three-quarters in 1:25 with the race on for place. Pasta Delight finished second, cutting the winner's margin in half to four lengths by the wire, and Peeler was third.
"She likes to go fast, this filly. I was confident as long as she got through the first turn, she was going to be ok," said Menary, noting the daughter of All Bets Off and Dominican Hanover hadn't been on a half-mile track since last summer.
"Once she got around the first turn, she was kind of in a bit of hurry so instead of fighting with her I just let her pace on and she had a lot of pace, even down by the wire," noted McNair. "She's become a pretty nice filly."
From 20 starts, How Much has won five races -- four this year -- for breeders Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi and their partner Knox Services Inc.
A replay of Clinton Raceway's Legends Day card is available below.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Clinton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)