Mr. Speaker, every sport needs its superstars. Harness racing has a superstar family. The legendary Keith Waples is the patriarch having been the first driver in Canada to crack the two minute barrier. He is a Hall of Famer. His cousin Ron Waples won pacing's triple crown and trotting's Hambletonian. He is a Hall of Famer.
Now the torch has been passed to Ron's son, Randy Waples, who was named Canada's driver of the year in 1998. Randy raced to victory 472 times and won over $4 million in purses. More than that, his charismatic style won legions of new fans to standard bred racing. He is what any sport craves. Randy Waples is dashing, dedicated and driven to succeed. He is equally proficient behind a microphone as he is behind a horse, a public relations dream.
The hopes and aspirations of harness racing will ride on the wings of this energetic, electric superstar. I congratulate Randy. One day Randy Waples will be a Hall of Famer.