In celebration of the most remarkable achievements from last year’s season of harness racing, Grand River Raceway has announced the winners of its 2010 Top Performer Awards.
The list of 13 recipients includes man and beast, from drivers and horses to trainers and owners. Some of the award-winners are just beginning their rise to fame in the industry, while others are veterans who have appeared in the winner’s circle hundreds of times.
In the case of Guelph’s Doug McNair, he is both. The 21-year-old has been crowned Grand River Raceway’s Top Dash Driver of 2010, based on his number of first-place finishes. McNair drove 102 horses to victory in Elora last season, which is outstanding by any measure, especially considering he began his driving career only three short years ago.
McNair beat a bevy of other top drivers to earn the title, a feat that took enormous amounts of effort and dedication. McNair drove in 527 races at Grand River Raceway in his quest to be the best.
In total, he participated in a staggering 2,489 races last year and made 518 trips to the winner’s circle, amounting to over $4.8-million in purse earnings.
Highlights from 2010 include McNair’s victory in the $547,000 Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs and his history-making mile at Western Fair Raceway on Dec. 14, when he became the youngest driver in the history of the sport to score 1,000 wins.
McNair will be presented with his Top Dash Driver award on May 2, when Grand River Raceway celebrates its best and brightest performers of 2010 as part of its live race night broadcast.
To watch a video profiling the winners of the 2010 Top Performer awards, visit the Grand River Raceway’s Facebook page or its YouTube channel.
