by Frank Salive, for Western Fair Raceway

London, ON — They probably wouldn’t mind a dead heat win with their standout trotters Southwind Califon and Runway, and trotting horse connections Steve Bossence and Brian Glanville are in a type of dead heat for kicking up the fundraiser rhetoric for Monday evening (Jan. 29) at Western Fair.

The charitable program at Western Fair is headlined by the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund of the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, continuing the extraordinary humanitarian legacy of 11-year-old Chase McEachern, who passed away last February.

“They both called me at about the same time to say to issue this challenge to their pacing counterparts for the Monday evening program at Western Fair,” says Race Secretary and Raceway Manager Ian Fleming. “In the case of Steve Bossence he’s donating his full 5% training commission from whatever Southwind Califon earns Monday evening. Brian Glanville, the owner of 5-2 morning line favorite Runway in the Preferred Trot, says he’ll donate 5% of Runway’s purse check or a minimum of $200. If he wins, that’d be a donation of $460. Plus the trainer-driver of Runway, John Muir, is donating his training and driving fees from the race.

“So now the ‘trotting horse’ people have put the hammer down and are challenging the ‘pacing horse’ people, the trainers, drivers, and owners to match them. We expect this spirit of charity will build right through the Monday evening program.”

Fleming set a fundraising goal of $4,000 for the evening. In addition to horsepeople, public donations are encouraged in addition to a $5 raffle and $5 of each buffet from the Top of Fair being directed to the charitable initiative. The night’s proceeds will bring a life saving heart defibrillator to serve Western Fair’s horsepeople and grandstand guests alike, with any excess funds raised also earmarked for the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund of the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Waples busy with eight drives for Monday return in London

It’s been a six month period of healing and rehabilitation for driver Randy Waples since a racing mishap at Mohawk Racetrack last summer. He’s timed his return to active driving duty to coincide with the Chase McEachern Fund program at Western Fair Raceway. When the final driver changes were posted on Thursday morning, Waples had landed an excellent slate of drives in eight of the 12 races Monday evening in London.

One fortunate development for Waples was the timing of a Caribbean vacation for driver Mike Sumner, usually the top call reinsman for trainer Scott McNiven. On Monday evening, Waples will sub for Sumner on three McNiven Stable starters, including local hero and 52-time career winner Bridge Street in the first race, 5-2 morning line top choice Island Zeeker in the second race, and 5-2 morning line favorite Always Ready in the sixth.

Waples is also scheduled for bike duty with 4-1 third choice Daylon Cam in the fifth, King Dermot in the seventh, the Steve Bossence owned and trained Southwind Califon in the eighth, and Looks The Art in the 11th. Randy is also a co-owner of OSS Gold Series graduate Stonebridge Diablo, who was assigned an 8-1 morning line estimate after drawing post seven in the $18,400 Preferred Trot.

Waples proclaims himself completely recovered, fit and ready to go for his busy schedule on Monday evening at Western Fair, as evidenced by the fact he guided Free For All pacer Dr No through a qualifying spin at Mohawk earlier this week, in addition to jogging horses and working several mornings each week at the Fred Hoffman Stable.

Expanded live TV coverage on the Western Fair simulcast begins at 7:10 p.m. Monday from trackside. Randy Waples will make a donation of his custom ‘flames’ design driving suit to John McEachern for future auction and fundraising purposes. The two men will conduct interviews at that time along with Cheryl Curtis of the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.