MISSISSAUGA – Standardbred Canada announced the winners for the 2018 O’Brien Awards on Feb. 2 at the 30th annual O’Brien Awards Black Tie Gala at the Hilton Mississauga-Meadowvale hotel in Mississauga.
Among the winners, six were from the Wellington County area.
Richard Moreau of Puslinch won his sixth consecutive title as Canada’s Trainer of the Year.
A Standardbred Canada press release states Moreau sent 315 winners postward and trained horses to more than $4.6 million in earnings, a new personal best.
He was the leading trainer in both wins and earnings at Woodbine Racetrack’s final meet and at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Louis-Philippe Roy of Guelph took home his first title as Canada’s Driver of the Year. He has had 416 career wins with total earnings in excess of $7.4 million.
He topped the Canadian driver charts for both wins and earnings and was the leading driver in both wins and earnings at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Roy was the regular driver for O’Brien Award winners Shower Play and Jimmy Freight.
Shower Play, owned by Rene Dion and Susanne J. Kerwood of Rockwood, was voted Canada’s Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year.
Shower Play filly scored six wins during her 2018 campaign, including three Ontario Sires Stakes events, the Fan Hanover Final and Simcoe division.
She bankrolled almost $480,000 and took a mark of 1:50.2 in the Fan Hanover Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Jimmy Freight, owned by Adriano Sorella of Guelph, took the title of Canada’s Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year.
The son of Sportswriter won 11 races and more than $834,000, while collecting victories in all five Ontario Sires Stakes races he competed in, including his season-ending Super Final.
He also won eliminations of the Messenger and Progress Pace, and finished his season with a runner-up finish in the Progress Final.
Trevor Forgie and Scott Lecain were named co-recipients of the Outstanding Groom Award, sponsored by the OLG.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 21, a devastating fire broke out in the barn leased to trainer Mark Steacy, at First Line Training Centre near Guelph.
Forgie and Lecain, both employees for Steacy, were two of the first people to arrive at the scene. Their courageous efforts resulted in 33 of the 38 horses being saved.
