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Fraser Downs driver beats long odds

‘Joe Millionaire’ guided to a 17-1 longshot win at Cloverdale raceway by Kayla Mills.
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Harness race driver Kayla Mills shares a quiet moment with Yogi

A harness racer from Langley scored the first win of her driving career last Friday night at Fraser Downs Racetrack.

Kayla Mills, 22, guided Joe Millionaire, a 17-to-1 longshot, to victory in the seventh race Jan. 27, winning by six lengths, with a time of 1:58 on the wet, muddy track.

This isn’t her first win at Cloverdale’s landmark racetrack. Last spring, Mills won the “powder puff” derby as part of Harness the Hope, an annual fundraiser held at Fraser Downs. The non-betting race features women-only drivers.

Mills qualified as a driver in January. Her first win "feels absolutely amazing, along with a fabulous adrenaline rush!"

Joe Millionaire, also known as Ol' Joe, "has always been good off the front end," so they weren't going to give up easily during the first half of the race, she says.

"Once we got there we were on a mission and took charge," she adds.Follow the Cloverdale Reporter on Twitter and Facebook. View our print edition online.