When Lauren Tritton began the Battle at Lake Erie horse race in June she made history, becoming the first female driver to participate in the race. By the end of the race, she had made even more history becoming the first female driver to win the contest. Now, she made another monumental stride for women in the world of horse racing, as on July 15, she became the first woman to drive in a Meadowlands Pace final.
Lauren was able to reach the final by driving Its A Me Mario, who was trained by her husband Shane. She ended up with a third-place finish in the first of last week’s two eliminations, guaranteeing her a spot in the Meadowlands Pace final, which boasted a $668,000 purse.
“It’s just surreal that Shane and I could get a horse in this race,” said Tritton, who left Australia and moved to the U.S. in 2020. “To be in these races is what we dreamed of before coming to America. To be in them is great.”
In Australia, Tritton was a star, making a name for herself as one of the country’s premier drivers. She was the youngest driver to reach 500 wins and the first female to win the Open Premiership.
Upon arriving in America, Tritton had to briefly sacrifice her racing to help Shane with training. Once she began racing again, she won 32 of 93 races from 2020-21, accumulating $188,697 in purse earnings. This season, Tritton has won 18 of 80 races to earn a career-best $374,643 in purses.
Ultimately, Confederate, the odds-on favorite driven by US Harness Writers Association (USHWA) Hall of Famer Tim Tetrick, emerged victorious during the race. However, this is not to take away from the work that Tritton put into becoming the first woman to participate in the race.
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