by Melissa Keith

On Tuesday (March 12), a Down Under powerhouse revealed that she would be part of the 2024 Pepsi North America Cup show on Saturday (June 15) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Brittany Graham first obtained her Australian training and driving licenses in 2013, and told Harness Racing Update that there was never a time when she wasn’t active in the sport.

“I have been involved in harness racing my whole life; like many, I have a strong family background,” Graham said. “My dad [Darrel Graham] has trained and driven over 2,000 winners and had some very nice horses, so I was always bound to be involved in some way.”

The Fernvale, Queensland horsewoman has also worked as an on-air presenter on Sky Racing since 2017. She became a full-time racing commentator with the Tabcorp-owned Australian racing broadcaster in 2019. On Dec. 10, 2022, she drove family-owned 2022 Queensland Trotter of the Year Majestic Harry NZ (TR1:55.8ms; $163,585 Aust.) to a fifth-place finish in the $250,000 Group 1 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Final at Melton.

“I really love all my roles in the industry,” Graham said. “Harness racing is my passion, and I find myself very lucky to be able to do something I love so much as an occupation. I have also become quite interested in the breeding side of the game recently.”

Expanding her presence in the racing world now means covering her first Pepsi North America Cup, which Graham said came as a pleasant surprise.

“I received a call from my bosses at Sky Racing to let me know I was heading over for the North America Cup, which was really out of the blue and extremely exciting,” she said. “I have since had some conversations with Lindsay Bax [associate manager of marketing–wagering for Woodbine Entertainment] and this is a part of a program she runs with international media, so I feel very privileged.”

Graham said she did not have a chance to go to Mohawk on a memorable past trip to the Northern Hemisphere.

“I visited Canada on family vacation as a young girl around Christmas time,” she said. “We were subsequently stuck in a blizzard for a few days, so unfortunately didn’t get to see much. I watch a lot of racing from Woodbine Mohawk Park on Sky Racing, but this will be my first official visit.”

Her participation on the media side of the North America Cup is a marketing coup for both Woodbine Entertainment and Sky Racing.

“Interest in North American harness racing is very high in Australia and the recognition of the importance of this great race is clearly there,” Graham said. “The success of Australasian trainers and drivers [in North America] I am sure has a lot to do with that. We are excited to be streaming the excellent track simulcast back to our Sky Racing audience for them to watch and wager on.”

The 2022 Dan Patch and O’Brien 3-year-old male pacer of the year Pebble Beach (p, 3, 1:48.1s; $1,720,875) captured the 2022 North America Cup for former Queensland driver Todd McCarthy, winner of the 2021 Dan Patch Rising Star Award. Pebble Beach was trained by Noel Daley, another Queensland native. It did not go unnoticed that a record $6.3 million was wagered on the card, the highest-ever handle for the annual stakes-filled night at WMP.

Graham said she hopes to be able to interview Southern Hemisphere racing participants at the 2024 event.

“It will be excellent to see many of the Australian and New Zealand expats in action on North America Cup night and catch up with them for a chat,” she said. “As I mentioned, the interest here locally is immense, and I am sure many would love to hear from their previous colleagues.”

While last weekend’s International Women’s Day race for female drivers presented a rare opportunity for some to compete at Mohawk, Graham comes from a place where women drivers are anything but rare. Her younger sister Stephanie Graham is also an accomplished trainer and driver.

“It’s certainly a different colony of drivers in Australia where most major races have female drivers and the opportunities are definitely far greater,” said Brittany. “It really isn’t uncommon for races to have a 50/50 split of males and females, and particularly the younger crop of drivers coming through… I understand that it isn’t as common for females to drive [in Canada and the U.S.], although it’s been great to see the likes of [Australian expats] Natasha Day and Lauren Tritton kicking goals.”

The on-air racing analyst noted the strong recent strike rate of women trainers in the North America Cup.

“It’s fairly clear that the success of female trainers over there is immense, though, with six of the last 10 North America Cups won by female trainers,” Brittany said.

Her close friend Nancy Takter won back-to-back million-dollar finals with Captain Crunch (2019) and Tall Dark Stranger (2020). 

Brittany herself enjoyed on-track success from the start, training and driving her own $2,000 pacer named The Falcon Ute (p, 1:56.3ms; $123,390). He retired with 24 victories from 239 lifetime starts after winning the 2016 Queensland Awards Night Pace at Redcliffe with Brittany in the sulky. In May 2015, she captured the BOTRA Queensland Young Drivers’ Championships at Albion Park, earning a racing-oriented trip to the U.S.

“I love visiting North America and have been lucky enough to on quite a few occasions now,” Brittany said. “In 2015, I won a scholarship to spend a month in New Jersey with Ross Croghan which was wonderful, and I was also lucky enough to have a race drive for Darran Cassar at [Harrah’s Philadelphia].”

She said she welcomes the chance to share this year’s North America Cup with an international audience of fans and bettors. As WMP announced Tuesday (March 12), the 41st annual edition attracted the nominations of 67 3-year-old male pacers.

“I am a very keen follower of the North American harness scene and I guess it’s always been a pipe dream to spend some time up there if the right opportunity presented itself,” Brittany said. “It sounds as though I’ll be lucky enough to sit in on the [WMP] simulcast, which will be fantastic, and that will be beamed back into Australia for all to watch. I am an avid viewer and am really looking forward to meeting the team.”

Her involvement will not be limited to the North America Cup final. Brittany said she was looking forward to experiencing the whole week, from the eliminations to the main event.

“I’ll then head to New York and New Jersey to catch up with friends for a week before heading back to Australia in time for our big Winter Carnival in my home state of Queensland,” she said.

Her excitement for the assignment is evident.

“Throughout the week, I am looking forward to interviewing many of the major players and sending that back to our Australian audience via Sky,” she said. “I am hoping to be at the post position draw as part of the build-up week. We all know how much a race can change after that is completed.”

She added that she hoped to meet stars of Canadian harness racing whom she had watched from afar, especially two on the equine side.

“I was so impressed by [O’Brien 2-Year-Old Male Pacer of the Year] Legendary Hanover [p,2,1:50s; $303,114] last year, particularly his brave second in the Metro Pace, and hope to see him in action,” she said. “It would also be great to see [2020, 2022, 2023 O’Brien Older Pacing Mare of the Year] So Much More [ p, 7, 1:49.1s; $1,216,771] in the flesh, as her longevity and overall record is so admirable,” Brittany said. 

While not planning to catch drive at Mohawk during her visit, never say never. Brittany remains active in the sport, from the sulky to the simulcast.

“I am definitely open to having a spin on one during my visit,” she said. “It would be great to get my fix while visiting. It’s certainly a plan for me to visit plenty of the nearby training centers during the week to see the sights and learn.”