Campbell is Driver of Year

Jeff Gural has been voted the 2006 Proximity Achievement Award by members of the U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA), while John Campbell was named by the USHWA directors as Driver of the Year. Other award winners announced Monday were Mickey Burke as Trainer of the Year, Brittany Farms as Owner of the Year, Jody Jamieson as Rising Star of the Year, and Jason Settlemoir with the Breakthrough Award.

PROXIMITY AWARD--JEFF GURAL

Jeff Gural, a New York State horseman and breeder who took on the daunting dual projects of reopening both long-closed Tioga Downs and recently-shuttered Vernon Downs and made great successes of both harness enterprises, has been selected to win the Proximity Award, the second-highest award in harness racing besides election to the sport’s Hall of Fame, in a recent poll of the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

Through many racetracks opening doors today put a primacy on slot machine revenue over harness racing, Gural’s reopening of Tioga Downs showed that both could co-exist easily and cooperatively, and that the harness side could be enhanced by exposing it to raceway newcomers primarily looking for slots action. At Vernon Downs, Gural helped straighten out several financial and contractual quagmires and got the “Miracle Mile” back in harness for an abbreviated season after an absence from the scene of a couple of years.

A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in civil engineering, Gural is chairman of Newmark and Company Real Estate, an independent realty firm with over 800 employees. Gural is the squire of Allerage Farms, Empire State breeder and sponsor of important races for free-for-allers during the Red Mile Grand Circuit meet, and he is also the owner of top trotter Elegant Man and the breeder of the $250,000+-winning diamondgaiters Whitesand Titan and Muscles Marinara.

NORMAN WOOLWORTH MEMORIAL OWNER OF THE YEAR – BRITTANY FARMS

The 2006 owning success of Brittany Farms, the nom de racing of Hall of Fame horseman George Segal, was led by Trotting Triple Crown champion Glidemaster and (ironically) his apparent top competitor for Harness Horse of the Year honors, the filly Passionate Glide, who notched wins in the Hambo Oaks and Filly Futurity. Not to neglect the pacing side, but Brittany also shared ownership in Little Brown Jug winner Mr Feelgood. And then there was baby trotting filly Possess The Magic…and Adios winner Cactus Creek…and...

GLEN GARNSEY MEMORIAL TRAINER OF THE YEAR – MICKEY BURKE

70 years young, Mickey Burke and his far-flung stable, which often competed at a half a dozen racetracks on any given day, posted the most victories by any conditioner in North America this year, looking to finally rest at about 450 for the year, and it was neck-and-neck with Erv Miller’s barn for top money-winning stable, too, despite the preponderance of “raceway horses” under the Burke shed row.

DRIVER OF THE YEAR – JOHN CAMPBELL

The sport’s all-time leading money-winning driver and a member of its Hall of Fame, John Campbell showed he was all the way back after a serious wrist injury a couple of seasons ago by guiding the winners of over $8 million, including Glidemaster, who won the Triple Crown … but unfortunately not the last leg, the Yonkers Trot, with Campbell driving, as John had suffered a leg injury on Breeders Crown night at Mohawk.


RISING STAR AWARD – JODY JAMIESON

In 2006 the United States found out what Canada (and much of the rest of the world) already knew – that Jody Jamieson is a world-class driver, equally capable with overnight stock or the best stakes horses. The 2001 World Driving Champion, Jamieson “came of age” on the North American stakes scene on September 2, when he overcame miserable conditions at Mohawk to win both the $734,000 She’s A Great Lady and $1,000,000 Metro stakes.

BREAKTHROUGH AWARD – JASON SETTLEMOIR

Jason Settlemoir was appointed to important management positions at the new Tioga Downs track and the reopened Vernon Downs track by owner/operator (and Proximity winner) Jeff Gural, and he impressed knowledgeable observers with his sheer hustle, his detailed knowledge of the industry (especially simulcasting), and his fortitude in carrying on under trying conditions – and helping to bring off the two opening/reopenings.

The award winners will be honored at USHWA’s annual awards dinner, to be held February 25, 2007 at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Tickets for the Awards Dinner, priced at $100, are available from Scott Warren at 302 222 1222 or 302 398 7595. Those who may wish to place an ad congratulating any and/or all winners should contact Journal Chairperson Debbie Little at (201) 438 4456. (USHWA)

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