It won't count toward her career totals and it won't show on any charted lines, but Chantal Sutherland can now boast winning races both as a Thoroughbred jockey and a Standardbred driver.
Sutherland was the special guest at McGhees' Mile in Aiken, South Carolina as the training facility conducted its third annual matinee card of non-sanctioned exhibition races. Janis McGhee of McGhees' Mile estimated a crowd of approximately 3,500 people came out to watch the eight races and witnessed a bit of history as Sutherland guided three-year-old trotting colt Emeril to victory for one of her two wins on the card.
"It was a really good race. She had a really good time, too," said McGhee. "I believe she drove in five, and in the other races that she didn't win she was right there. It was pretty good racing."
McGhee told Trot Insider that organizers were very pleased with how the day unfolded, noting that the crowd is the largest in the three years since the South Carolina facility has carded this special matinee event.
"We had a beautiful day, couldn't ask for a better day. The crowd was a super crowd and everybody had a really good time. It was a great day."
An international star for her success in Thoroughbred racing, Sutherland's father Hugh is a longtime harness racing industry participant as a trainer and owner in Ontario. He helped introduce Chantal to horses and harness racing before she made the jump to the Thoroughbred side.