Jones captures International Women’s Day Race
MILTON, March 8, 2025 – Maggie Jones steered four-year-old trotter Veracruz to a sweeping victory in Saturday’s International Women’s Day race at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A field of nine overnight trotters lined up for Saturday’s all-women drivers race to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Pam Forgie fired Derf Hanover out to the lead to post a :29.1 opening-quarter. The duo would show the way throughout but were pressed through the entire middle-half by Mister Magic and Anita Ouellette.
With the field stacking up at three-quarters in 1:28.1, the trotters fanned out five-wide coming off the last turn. Jones, who had taken Veracruz back to eighth early, sat fourth-over at the third marker. In the stretch, Derf Hanover was pushed hard by Forgie and showed his 11-year-old grit trying to hold on, only surrendering the lead in the final-sixteenth of the mile.
While it appeared So Not Cool and Natasha Day might have the victory in sight coming down the lane, they were overtaken by a powering Veracruz and Jones, who trotted off to a 2 ½ length score in 1:58.2.
“My plan was just to float away and get a spot,” said Jones post-race. “(Veracruz) was just really strong and really game and he just kept coming. He was amazing and never quit.
“(This feels) pretty amazing, I won’t lie. I was pretty happy when I could see the wire and thought we were going to get there.”
Veracruz and Jones went off at odds of 4-1 ($10.20).
So Not Cool and Day held second, while Eternally Hanover (Jesse Turenne) was third and Tymal Tarot (Marie-Claude Auger) was fourth.
The field of drivers that participated in this year’s International Women’s Day race is listed below.
Maggie Jones
Natasha Day
Jesse Turenne
Marie-Claude Auger
Anita Ouellette
Pam Forgie
Marielle Enberg
Anne Marie Turenne
Julie Walker
Live racing continues every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Post time is 6:30 p.m.
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Mark McKelvie