Maine driver Shawn Gray’s top accolades benefit charity
January 23, 2012,by Susan Higgins, director of marketing, Scarborough Downs
Scarborough, ME — Driver Shawn Gray, 38, of West Gardiner, Maine, closed out the 2011 racing season with the highest UDR rating in all of North America, an accolade that was recognized at Saturday’s Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association banquet in Augusta.
Gray’s UDR was .440.
Don Marean, the District 9 chairman of the USTA board, told the crowd of 500 guests, comprised of Gray’s fellow horsemen and horsewomen from the State of Maine, that the USTA will award a $250 donation to the charity of Gray’s choice for his accomplishments. Gray chose St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
The 2011 statistics were nothing out of the ordinary for Gray. Since 1998, he has never had a UDR lower than .307 and in his last three seasons of racing, he has been over .400 (2009-.420, 2010-.415 and 2011-.440) while competing solely within the confines of The Pine Tree State.
For the winter, Gray is trying his luck in The Empire State at Buffalo Raceway.
Live racing at Scarborough Downs resumes on Saturday (March 31) with a post time of 4 p.m. and Sunday (April 1) at 1:05 p.m. Driver Shawn Gray will be back in Maine, driving on the program.
- With UDR title on his resume, Shawn Gray tackles a new challenge (Thursday, January 19, 2012)
It took some time for it to sink in, but now that he has comprehended it, Shawn Gray grasped sitting atop the 2011 rankings of all drivers in North America with his .440 UDR is really no small feat.