Milton, ON – Woodbine Mohawk Park will once again celebrate women in harness racing with its annual International Women’s Day Race on Sunday (March 8).
First introduced in 2022, the International Women’s Day Race features an all-women driving field.
“This event is a special opportunity to celebrate the many women who significantly contribute to our industry,” said Megan Walker, Director of Standardbred Racing Operations at Woodbine Entertainment. “We are proud to keep this tradition going and look forward to another exciting race.”
Previous winners of the International Women’s Day race include Natasha Day (2022), Anita Ouellette (2023), Marie-Claude Auger (2023), Julie Walker (2024), and Maggie Jones (2025).
last year’s edition of the all-women driving race, Maggie Jones piloted 4-year-old trotter Veracruz to capture her first Woodbine Mohawk Park victory and ninth career win.
“I always love promoting the sport and trying to get more women involved, especially the next generation,” said Jones, who has participated in the International Women’s Day race every year. “Last year was incredibly special, and I’m so lucky to have had that experience and know that I can win. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens this year.”
Born and raised in the harness racing world, Jones feels comfortable in the sulky.
“My dad (Don Wilcox) had a small stable and raced at Georgian Downs, so I always kind of tagged around after him, because I loved the horses,” Jones shared. “I went a little bit sideways and got into show jumping and eventing, and through eventing, I learned I really liked to go fast. One day, I just asked my dad if I could do a schooler, and I did, and I loved it. I was hooked ever since.”
“When I was young, there really wasn’t any female representation,” Jones continued. “There was Clare MacDonald, but there was no one around here, and I remember my dad saying to me, ‘you can go out there and race against the men. There’s no reason why not’, but it was very rare to see a female driver.”
Now teaching Sciences at Georgian College, Jones spends her weekends and summers working with her husband, trainer Keith Jones. As an occasional driver, she takes pride in being part of an event that continues to grow in impact.
“It’s really nice to see it paying off, because we’re starting to see some new faces and some new girls coming out and it’s just wonderful to see the involvement increase,” Jones said. “ I love to be someone out there trying to inspire other [women] to keep going, and to show that we can do it too.”
The 2026 International Women’s Day race drivers are as follows:
• Amy MacDonald
• Anita Ouellette
• Anne Marie Turenne
• Brittany Kennedy
• Jesse Turenne
• Julie Walker
• Maggie Jones
• Marielle Enberg
• Natasha Day
• Pam Forgie
Find bios on the drivers and watch previous editions of the International Women’s Day Race here.
First race post time on Sunday is 6:15 p.m. E.T. The International Women’s Day Race will be Race 3 at 7:13 p.m. E.T.
For more information on live racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park, visit Woodbine.com/Mohawk or follow @WoodbineSB and @WoodbineComms on X.