Standardbred Horse Racing's O'Brien Awards Finalists Announced
Somebeachsomewhere is a finalist for Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt
Standardbred Canada today (19dec07) announced the finalists for the 2007 O'Brien Awards, which honour Canada's best in harness racing over the past season. The awards are named in honour 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, February 2, 2008.
Please note that a full list of finalists appears at the bottom of this release.
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.
Jody Jamieson, 31, of Cambridge, Ontario was runner-up to Mark MacDonald for national honours in 2006 and is enroute 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.
Paul MacDonell, 44, of Guelph, Ontario was runner-up to Mark MacDonald in the 2005 season. MacDonell has 255 wins on the year and $7.7 million in earnings.
Casie Coleman, 27, of Cambridge, Ontario 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 honours.
Blair Burgess, 46, of Milton, Ontario 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 three-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 Three-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 Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt honours. Somebeachsomewhere won all six season starts including a 1:49.3 victory in the lucrative Metro Pace that made him the sport's fastest two-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. Darlins Delight, Lis Mara and Pampered Princess were all O'Brien Award winners in 2006 and are nominated again for 2007.
Full article continues at: 2007 O'Brien Award Finalists
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