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Along the Backstretch: Stables take up food bank challenge

Lots of good stuff happening at Fraser Downs over the holiday season!

Lots of good stuff happening at Fraser Downs over the holiday season!

I am sure most of you asked Santa for a Sony 50" Smart TV for Christmas and were disappointed when he said he couldn’t carry them all. On Jan. 1 at Fraser Downs one lucky patron is still going to get their Christmas wish. There will be coupons in the program on Dec. 26, 28 and Jan.1. Fill them out, you never know, YOU could be the winner!

Fraser Downs will be giving away a 2015 Standardbred Canada calendar that features beautiful shots of harness horses from across Canada each month. An award-winning picture taken at Fraser Downs is the January picture.

Spider M, the only 15 year old Standardbred horse racing at a major track in Canada will make his final lifetime start at Fraser Downs on Friday (Dec. 26), in the ninth race.

Buddys Hope finished third at Fraser Downs on Sunday (Dec. 21) adding $2,400 to the Surrey Food Bank fundraiser. Buddys Hope is racing Friday Dec. 26 in the 12th race.

Cloverdale raised Phil Hudon is coming home during the Holiday season. Phil moved to Ontario with his dad, Joe, (a Cloverdale Raceway icon), and has gone on to win close to 4,000 races and over $47 million in purses earned. Phil is going to drive at Fraser Downs on Dec. 28 and Jan. 1 and will donate his 5 per cent driver’s fees on Sunday to the Surrey Food Bank.

Phil is giving back to the Cloverdale community like Cassie Coleman and Billy Davis Jr. have done in the past. Owner Bill Boden plans to use Phil to drive his horses that day and will match Phil’s 5 per cent to the fundraiser and challenges other owners to use Phil and do the same thing.

The Bouvier stable has accepted the challenge. Thanks everyone!!!

The holiday racing schedule is Dec. 26 (12:45 p.m.), Dec. 28 (12:45 p.m.), Jan. 1 (12:45 p.m.), Jan. 2 (7 p.m.) and Jan. 4 (12:45 p.m.)

– Jackson Wittup is executive director of Harness Racing B.C.