Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Driver of the Month
for July 2005

Randy Waples

Driver Randy Waples recorded his 4,000th career driving victory on June 30, 2005 at Mohawk raceway, as he guided Makeba, a nine-year-old pacing mare, to the wire in 1:53.2.

Waples, 39, is a two-time O’Brien Award winner was Canada’s Driver of the Year in 1998 and 2001, and also won three driving titles on the Woodbine & Mohawk circuits from 1998 to 1999. Not bad for a former commentator on the Woodbine/Mohawk in-house television show.

Randy Waples

But Randy Waples is not only a top reinsman, he is also a charismatic personalitiy that harness racing so desperately needs. To begin with, Waples hails from one of harness racing's top Canadian families. His uncle Keith Waples--now 81 and still going strong--was the first Canadian driver to best the two minute standard with Mighty Dudley in 1959, and is a Hall of Famer. Randy's father is the legendary Ron Waples, who has won pacing's triple crown and trotting's Hambletonian--also a Hall of Famer. Randy's brother Ron, Jr. is also a successful horse person.

Enter Randy, a Toronto native, who is as dashing and forthright in front of a camera as he is behind a racehorse. His often direct style and manner has sometimes gotten him into trouble with the overseeing powers of the racing establishments, but it has also awarded him thousands of fans who are endeared by his outspoken and flashy personality.

Randy was born on July 31, 1965, and his first career win came just 19 years later at Greewood Raceway in 1984 with the pacer Octagon . His first million dollar season came in 1996 and the following season he emerged as a finalist for an O'Brien Award in the Driver of the Year category. 1997 saw Randy win the Canada's oldest and most prestigious event, the Canadian Pacing Derby with Strong Clan. Randy then won the O'Brien award in 1998 as he led all Canadian drivers in wins (with 452) and was second in earnings with $4.2 million. Also a humanitarian, Randy then donated half of his year's driving commissions from Framboro Downs to the Crohns & Colitis Foundation and to the Hamilton Food Share.

My big dream when I started
was to win 1,000 races.

In 1999 Randy won his second consecutive Ontario Jockey Club Driver of the Year award wiht 322 victories and he also won three Canadian Breeders Championship Finals with Erikas Fame, Twin B Champ and Apache Rage. He guided the two-year-old pacing colt Your Nemesis to victory in the Battle of Waterloo and won the Gold Cup with Royalflush Hanover and the Horsemen's Trot wiht Turnpike Token. He wrapped up the season with $5.1 million in earnings and 453 seasonal trips to the winner's circle.

Randy's best year to date came in 2001, when he pilted 550 winners to the tune of $10.6 million in earnings. His standout mounts to date include: Million Dollar Cam, Red River Hanover, Dreamfair Vogel, Mach Three and Real Desire.

Randy's Career Stats Through July 2, 2005
Year     Starts    1st       2nd    3rd     Money Won    UDRS
2005      490        70         59      61       $1,314,288      0.251
2004      2111      322      319      264      $4,416,899      0.278
2003      2762      512      419      323      $6,011,275      0.309
2002      2178      430      305      287      $5,189,526      0.319
2001      2760      550     388      374      $10,636,973    0.323
2000     2115      352      351      314      $5,109,233      0.318
1999      2387      454      360      314      $5,109,233      0.318
1998      2472      452      391      337      $4,245,508      0.316
1997      2149      320      328      298      $3,738,144      0.280
1996      1197      151      155      167      $1,755,273      0.245
1995      423        77        53         49      $885,161         0.290
1994      91          12       12        16       $72,154           0.264
1993      120       14       19        12       $198,378         0.238
1992      300       29        35        42       $362,738         0.208
1991      325       45       45        46       $512,246         0.263
1990      221        37        32        23       $330,132         0.283
1989      230        31        32        27      $250,550         0.251
1988      385        46        57        53      $389,759         0.248
1987      256       31        28       41       $268,367         0.235
1986      310       37        34       37      $213,366         0.220
1985      173       22        29       17      $185,741        0.253
1984      102        7        11       14      $46,648           0.174
Total                4001                           $52,512,516