TORONTO, April 9, 2018 – The era of harness racing at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario wrapped up Monday evening after 24 years. A 10-race card was contested on the final night with the $34,000 Preferred Trot headlining the card. Six-year-old gelding Big Rich went coast to coast for his second consecutive Preferred score. The Richard Moreau trainee was steered to his third win of the season by Louis Philippe Roy. Big Rich posted solid fractions of :27, :55.4 and 1:23.4 before trotting home in :29.1 to win by a length and a half. Moreau’s other participant, B Yoyo, rallied to finished second, while longshot Cue Hall was third. Owned by 9099 3833 Quebec Inc and Frank Spagnolo, Big Rich has banked $73,700 in nine starts this season and Monday’s triumph was the 21st of his career, pushing him to $436,728 in career earnings. The clocking of 1:53 established a new career-mark for Big Rich. The Moreau trainee paid $3.80 to win. Parkhill Nonstop and trainer/driver Pat Hudon became the answer to a trivia question when they won the final Standardbred race ever at Woodbine. PAT HUDON writes his name in the history books driving PARKHILL NONSTOP to win the final race at @woodbinesb under some light snow flurries. #woodbine #woodbinesb #standardbred #action #Snowing pic.twitter.com/CCT49JLUa4 — Clive Cohen (@woodbinephotos) April 10, 2018 The four-year-old gelded trotter capitalized off a perfect two-hole steer from Hudon to win by 5 ¼ lengths in a career-best 1:57. Parkhill Nonstop was one of the most familiar faces of the final Woodbine Standardbred meet. The Hudon trainee raced 18-times from October 26 to April 9. Parkhill Nonstop and Pat Hudon return to the winner’s circle after winning the final race at #BetWoodbine pic.twitter.com/H5tIHXDsN4 — Mark McKelvie (@MohawkMarkM) April 10, 2018 Live Standardbred racing now moves to its new permanent home, Woodbine Mohawk Park, in Campbellville. The 2018 meet begins Thursday evening. Post time is 7:30 p.m. Share This:Share
