Canada's O'Brien finalists announced

Standardbred Canada has announced the finalists for the 2007 O'Brien Awards, which honor Canada's best in harness racing over the past season. The awards are named in honor of the late Joe O'Brien, an outstanding horseman and a member of The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The winners will be announced at the O’Brien Awards banquet on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008.

Jody Jamieson and Paul MacDonell are each looking to capture their first O’Brien as Canada’s Driver of the Year while Casie Coleman will defend her title as Canada’s Trainer of the Year for a third consecutive season while Blair Burgess will attempt to break that streak and capture his first training title.

Jamieson, 31, of Cambridge, Ont., was runner-up to Mark MacDonald for national honors in 2006 and is en route to a career earnings year, leading all Canadian drivers in earnings with over $10 million  ($8.9 million in Canada) while driving 379 winners. Jamieson had many stakes wins throughout the year including coveted victories in the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug with pacing sensation Tell All.

MacDonell, 44, of Guelph, Ont., was runner-up to MacDonald in the 2005 season.  MacDonell has 255 wins on the year and $7.7 million in earnings.

Coleman, 27, of Cambridge, Ont., defends her title as Canada’s Trainer of the Year following another productive season, which included 177 wins and earnings of over $3.5 million. Coleman’s stable star, Moving Pictures, is a finalist for Older Pacing Mare honors.

Burgess, 46, of Milton, Ont., was runner-up in this category in 2006. Burgess enjoyed a profitable and productive 2007 season thanks in large part to the successful performances of the exceptional 3-year-old pacing colt Tell All. The Burgess Stable made 28 trips to the winner’s circle for $1.2 million in earnings.

Tell All and Bigtime Ball are the finalists in the 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt category. Tell All, a winner of $1.5 million, scored major victories on both sides of the border with the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug to his credit.  Bigtime Ball was a consistent performer in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS), closing his ’07 season with a convincing win in the OSS Super final to give him over $461,000 in earnings.

The invincible Somebeachsomewhere is a finalist for 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt honors. Somebeachsomewhere won all six season starts including a 1:49.3 victory in the lucrative Metro Pace that made him the sport’s fastest 2-year-old pacer. Breeders Crown Champion Santanna Blue Chip, a winner of over $925,000 is the other finalist.

A number of finalists are looking to add a second consecutive O’Brien title to their resumes. Darlin's Delight, Lis Mara and Pampered Princess were all O’Brien Award winners in 2006 and are nominated again for 2007.

Two top ranked mares will compete for divisional honors in the Older Pacing Mare category. Darlin's Delight is looking for a repeat performance, and a victory in the Silk Stockings was the richest win of her $404,000 season.  Moving Pictures picks up the other nomination following an $866,000 season that included nine trips to the winner’s circle and victories in the Breeders Crown, Milton and Roses Are Red.

Two millionaire pacing horses that battled against one another all season long find themselves competing again, this time for year-end honors. Lis Mara, a winner of several stakes including the Graduate and Canadian Pacing Derby and Mister Big, the U.S. Pacing Championship and Haughton Stakes winner will compete for the title of Canada’s Older Pacing Horse of the Year.

The Andover Hall filly Pampered Princess is nominated in the 3-Year-Old Trotting Filly category following a season which saw her eclipse the $1 million marker in earnings and win numerous stakes including the Elegantimage and Delvin Miller Memorial. Her competition is the Quebec-owned Brigham Dream, a winner of over $400,000 and a standout in Ontario Sire Stakes competition.

A And G'sconfusion was a top-two finisher in nine of 10 season starts including a world record 1:50.3 at The Red Mile en route to a $823,000 season and an O’Brien nomination in the 2-year-old pacing filly division.  Chancey Lady, a winner of seven of 10 and $350,000, is the other nominee.

Two fillies that exemplified consistency throughout the year earned nominations in the 3-year-old pacing filly category. The Western Hanover filly Hana Hanover won seven of 10 races and over $500,000 with her biggest payday coming in the Mistletoe Shalee. Michelles Power, a daughter of Camluck won over $700,000 and numerous stakes events including an impressive victory in a division of the Simcoe.

The Self Possessed filly Snow White won 11 of 13 and almost every major stake in her division to push her season’s bankroll over $1.2 million and earn her an O’Brien nomination as Canada’s 2-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year.   The consistent Ontario Sire Stakes performer Bella Dolce, a winner of eight of 11 and over $321,000 is the other divisional finalist.

North America’s top two money-earning juvenile trotting colts that both enjoyed almost perfect seasons are nominated for an O’Brien Award. Surtees Hanover, a winner of eight of 10 and over $367,000 won numerous stakes including a season’s best 1:55 effort in the International Stallion Stake at The Red Mile. Windsong Espoir, a winner of nine of 10, was flawless from Aug. 23 through Nov. 10 when he scored a commanding victory in the OSS Super Final to close his $700,000 season.

Arch Madness and Val Taurus are the finalists in the 3-year-old trotting colt category. Arch Madness ended his season on a strong note, winning his last three races. These victories in the OSS Super Final and elimination and final of the Breeders Crown increased his bankroll to over $846,000. Val Taurus won eight of 10 on the year for $244,000 while dominating the Quebec Sire Stakes events. Seven of his eight wins were on his home track in Montreal.

Mystical Sunshine and Snazzy Millie are nominated in the older trotting mare category. Mystical Sunshine won eight races, a Breeders Crown championship and almost $350,000 while Snazzy Millie won six races including a sweep of The Masters Series and earned almost $225,000.

J M Vangogh and Vivid Photo are the two finalists in the older trotting horse category. JM Vangogh, a winner in this category in 2005,  won nine races and $355,000 including the final of the Earl Rowe this season. Vivid Photo was a model of consistency hitting the board in 13 of 15 starts for $760,000 and  winning numerous stakes events including the Classic Series final.

Two outstanding horsemen will compete for the O'Brien Award of Horsemanship – Phil Pinkney, of Truro, N.S. and Mark Steacy, 46, of Lansdowne, Ont. At age 70, Pinkney is enjoying a career year in training and driving and is regarded as one of the best developers of young horses in the Atlantic region. To date this year Pinkney has 35 wins and $173,000 as a trainer and driver and boasts a UDRS of .729.

The 2007 season will be a career year in the earnings department for training and driving for Steacy, who learned horsemanship from his father Clarke in the late 1960s at Kingston Park Raceway. Steacy is known for developing young horses and trained Majestic Son, Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2006. In 2007 Steacy enjoyed a million dollar season training 66 winners from 304 starters and driving 26 winners for $210,000.

Robert McIntosh Stables Inc., Semalu Inc., and Tara Hills Stud Ltd. are the finalists for the Armstrong Breeder of the Year Award. McIntosh Stables Inc. from Lasalle, Ont. bred 77 starters who had 197 wins in 2007 and who earned $2.5 million for average earnings of $32,612 per starter. Some of the $100,000 earners included Cams Cool, All Accounted For, and Simply Mavelous.

Semalu Inc. of Laval, Que. bred 19 starters who had 56 wins and earnings of $656,498 for average earnings of $35,605 per starter. Some of the top performers included Esmeralda Semalu and Style Semalu. 

Tara Hills Stud Ltd, of Port Perry, Ont.,  bred 48 starters who had 105 wins and averaged $34,453. Some of their top performers included Million Dollar Smile and Maple Sugar.

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