With the first half of the racing season in the books, Trot Insider takes a look at some of the leading Standardbreds in Canada for wins, earnings and records.
Four-year-old pacing gelding Hugh Heff leads all racehorses with the most wins in Canada so far in 2024, boasting 14 victories from 25 starts. His win total is second-best in all of North America, just one off Delaware-based pacing mare Need Ur Opinion. The son of Betterthancheddar earned the bulk of his wins competing in the claiming ranks at Flamboro Downs for trainer Gerard Demers and took a lifetime mark of 1:53 at Georgian Downs before landing in the stable of Mandy Archer at Rideau Carleton Raceway for his latest victory on June 16 after a $25,000 claim.
Pacing mares Watch Her Dewitt, who started the season in the Meg Crone stable and is currently trained by Shayne Barrington, and Outlaw Spiced Rum, conditioned by Travis Ellis, are tied for second with a dozen wins each in Canada. Both claiming distaffers will head into their next starts riding five-race win streaks.
Undefeated in five starts to launch his sophomore campaign, Nijinsky leads all horses for earnings this year in Canada with his latest victory in the $1 million North America Cup on June 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park inflating his seasonal bankroll to $623,500. Trained by Tony Beaton, the Bettors Delight colt also picked up significant paycheques winning $83,000 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and $95,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series divisions.
Trained by David Menary, three-year-old pacing filly Its A Love Thing ranks second with a $368,250 seasonal bankroll padded by stakes wins in the $425,000 Fan Hanover, $141,500 SBOA Stakes and a $140,000 OSS Gold division. The Herb Holland-campaigned Captains Quarters ($281,250) sits just ahead of fellow glamour boy stakes competitor and former Richard Moreau trainee Funtime Bayama ($272,850) in third.
Another Beaton trainee leads in the speed category as six-year-old Betting Line gelding Linedrive Hanover currently holds the Canadian season's record of 1:47.2, taken in the Gold Cup Invitational at Mohawk on the mid-June North America Cup undercard.
Canada's fastest winning time on a five-eighths track so far in 2024 is 1:50.3, achieved by the Dr. Ian Moore-trained three-year-old pacing filly Odds On Platinum on June 23 in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Trained by Per Engblom, Huntinthelastdolar's 1:50 victory in the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup on May 19 at Flamboro Downs stands as the national season's record on a half-mile track.
Gaines Hanover's dazzling 1:50.2 triumph in an Open Trot on June 15 at Mohawk is not only the fastest trotting mile so far this season in the nation but is co-fastest all time. Richard Moreau trains the four-year-old Cantab Hall gelding.
Trainer Cindy Horner's Handsome Sebastian holds the season's trotting record for a five-eighths-mile track in Canada courtesy of his 1:54 mile in a June 28 qualifier at Kawartha Downs.
The fastest trotting winner on a half-mile track is trainer Lorne House's The Great Reset, who was a 1:55.3 winner on May 21 at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
**All statistics include Canadian starts from January 1, 2024 up to the first Wednesday in July.
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