Racing twain meet as jockeys join trotters in Woodbine charity comp
Canada: Thoroughbreds are one thing, trotters are another – and never the racing twain shall meet. Unless you’re in Toronto, that is, where a new points-based competition, the Heinz Challenge, is designed to link the two very different equine disciplines.
The event is the latest feature on the weekly Racing Night Live programme, which airs for two hours every Thursday night on TSN featuring thoroughbred action at Woodbine in the city suburb of Etobicoke, plus standardbreds (they have a lot of names, these trotters) from sister venue Mohawk Park, about 30km to the west.
In a six-week series, leading Woodbine jockeys will be paired with top Mohawk drives to created four teams chasing a $5,000 charitable donation.
Team DoubleDouble, for example, pairs jockey Kazushi Kimura and driver Jody Jamieson, while Emma-Jayne Wilson joins Bob McClure in E=MC2 (scientifically proven to be the most likely winners).
With ten points for a victory, five for second and two for third, the team with the best ‘Points Per Race’ average at the end of six weeks will win the challenge, after which Woodbine Entertainment will make a $2,500 donation on each member’s behalf.
• Visit the Woodbine website and the Mohawk Park website
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