Nova Scotia native Clare MacDonald, Canada’s winningest female driver, was crowned the champion of Truro Raceway's first Atlantic Women's Driver Challenge on Sunday afternoon, July 21.
The competition was fierce with five different drivers winning the five challenge races. MacDonald clinched the title with the most points accumulated from a win, a pair of second-place finishes, a third and a fifth. She ended with 27 points to top the leaderboard while Ontario-based Natasha Day was the runner-up with 25 points and Prince Edward Island's Ambyr Campbell rounded out the top three with 23 points. The other participating drivers were Julie Walker (20), Monica Sutherland (19), Maggie Jones (18) and Tammy MacKay (11).
The majority of the seven participants were still in contention heading into the finale, with MacDonald holding a three-point lead over Day and Campbell in the standings after striking in the fourth leg with the pocket-popping Lucy With Diamonds ($8.70) in 2:03.3. The winning mare's Henry Smallwood stablemate, Pride And Paradise, came back on for second in rein to Day after a backstretch duel with the faltering pacesetter.
Lucy With Diamonds and driver Clare MacDonald winning the fourth leg of the Atlantic Women's Driver Challenge
In the finale, Im A Miracle and Jones protected pylon position off the gate and had the the rest of the field lined up in post position order as they opened up nearly three lengths on top through :28 quarter. But Day sent 3-5 favourite Fifth Estate ($3.30) first-over from third heading to the half in :57.4 and advanced alongside the early leader down backstretch, gaining the advantage past three-quarters in 1:27.4 and taking off with MacDonald picking up the chase out of fourth in rein to Hardy Mill Joe. With the jump on Hardy Mill Joe, the Ernie Laffin-trained Fifth Estate sealed the deal for his third straight win in 1:56.3 with a one-length lead at the finish for Day. It was nearly 11 lengths back to The Yinyang and Campbell in third.
Campbell had picked up a win in an earlier leg with the Gardner McCallum-trained Justa Country Boy ($8.70), launching from third with a quarter-mile to go to catch the pacesetting Oh Artleigh and Day in the stretch for a 1:59.1 victory while Smilin In Heaven and MacDonald just missed the runner-up honours along the pylons in that race.
Walker made her first Truro started a winning one as she kicked off the five-race challenge with a wire-to-wire 2:00.3 victory in rein to the Don Ellis-trained Silverhill King ($11.30) over MacDonald and Camco Willow.
Sutherland was next to score as she sent 4-5 favourite Well Lets See ($3.60) down the road for a 1:59.3 victory with the parked out Little Taggs and Jones unable to reel in the Carl Isenor trainee late.
The 2024 Atlantic Women's Driver Challenge participants, pictured from left to right, Natasha Day, Maggie Jones, Julie Walker, Ambyr Campbell, Tammy MacKay, Monica Sutherland and Clare MacDonald.
The Atlantic Women's Driver Challenge was sponsored by Ozzie MacKay and Achieve Financial, with support from the Truro Harness Horse Owners Association, Grattan Helmets and the Central Ontario Standardbred Association.
In addition to being named the Atlantic Women's Driver Challenge champion, MacDonald will be awarded a new painted racing helmet courtesy of Grattan Helmets.
"It's great. I'm glad to see all the fans supporting everyting too -- it's for a geat cause," said MacDonald, who has driven 1,531 winners in her career. "These girls are all tough, they're all good drivers and they did all put on a great show."
The driver challenge was part of Truro Raceway's Harness The Hope event, which raised funds for both the Colchester East Hants Hospice Society and the We Care About Cancer Fund with sponsored races, a 50/50 draw, a cake live auction and the sales of commemorative driver challenge t-shirts with art work from Michelle Hogan and custom designed sports cards of the challenge drivers. The afternoon's festivities also included Wiener Dog races.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Truro Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)