Ouellette to race at Batavia

One of harness racing's all-time great drivers, Luc Ouellette, will be in town Wednesday night to drive in eight races at Batavia Downs Gaming. Currently a regular on the tough Woodbine Entertainment Circuit, the 41-year-old native of Quebec will be available for autographs in the track lobby from 6:15 p.m. until 6:45 p.m.

Ouellette currently ranks fifth on the all-time list of harness drivers in terms of purse money won, trailing only John Campbell, Michel Lachance, Cat Manzi and Ron Pierce. In 2005, he joined those four and Jack Moiseyev as the only members of harness racing's $100 million club.

His most successful year on the track was in 1999; when he led the entire continent in terms of purses won, with $10.8 million, and he is in the top-15 among drivers in number of career race victories, with more than 7,500.

Ouellette’s career really took off in 1992 when he won the U.S. Harness Writers’ Association’s Rising Star Award. He was also won Harness Tracks of America’s Driver of the Year Award, in both 1995 and 1996, and while he was driving at Yonkers Raceway, he became the first driver ever to post a nine-win night, on July 22, 1995. He has also won four driving titles at the Meadowlands, where he established himself as the top driver at harness racing's biggest track.

In addition to winning several driving titles at several different tracks, Ouellette has won several major races in his career, including the 2006 Elegant Image Stakes with Bee Line, the 2004 Roses Are Red Stakes with Bunny Lake, the 2003 Mistletoe Shalee with Armbro Amoretto, the 2002 Little Brown Jug with Million Dollar Cam, the 2002 North America Cup with Red River Hanover, the 2002 Fan Hanover with Worldly Beauty, the 2001 Three Diamonds with Worldly Beauty, the 1999 William R. Haughton Memorial with Red Bow Tie, the 1998 Meadowlands Pace with Day In A Life, the 1998 Hambletonian Oaks with Fern, the 1998 Woodrow Wilson and Metro with Grinfromeartoear, the 1997 New Jersey Classic with Arturo, the 1996 Three Diamonds with Michelle's Jackpot, and the 1994 Jugette with Electric Slide -- all in addition to eight Breeders Crowns.

In addition to the Luc Ouellette “Meet and Greet” autograph session, the world champion 3-year-old filly pacer Darlin’s Delight will be in the winner’s circle at 7 p.m. for pictures. Racing fans should bring cameras; they will be allowed in the winner’s circle to take a picture with the winner of last Saturday nights $709,000 Fan Hanover Stakes, which she won in 1:50.3.

Post time for the live racing card, which will feature four New York Sire Stakes, will be at 7:35 p.m. (Batavia)

« Back