WELLINGTON COUNTY – Standardbred Canada announced the winners of the 2021 O’Brien Awards, which honour Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season.
The winners were announced during a virtual gala on Feb. 6.
This year marked the 33rd edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Richard Moreau of Puslinch secured his ninth consecutive title as Canada’s Trainer of the Year. In 2021, he topped the charts for all trainers in Canada with 236 wins and more than $3.7 million in earnings.
Moreau was the leading money-winning trainer at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Georgian Downs, and Flamboro Downs last year, and conditioned three O’Brien Award winners – Fashion Frenzie, Wheels on Fire and Grandma Heidi.
Future Star winner Kyle Bossence of Arthur has become a household name at Ontario’s B tracks and enjoyed a career year in 2021, training 69 winners from 316 starters, with earnings exceeding $444,000.
The Arthur resident was the leading dash-winning trainer at Grand River Raceway and posted triples at the Elora oval on Sept. 20 and 27.
One of his top performers last year was Partyintheshadows, who put together a four-race win streak at Grand River in the summer. Bossence also led all trainers at The Raceway at Western Fair in wins and earnings.
Also from Arthur, Desperate Man, the Cinderella story of 2021, was voted the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year and Canada’s top three-year-old pacing colt. Desperate Man’s storybook sophomore season was a family affair.
Owned by trainer Kathy Cecchin, her husband John, daughter Nicole and their son-in-law Paul Davies, the Shadow Play gelding recorded eight top three finishes and earned in excess of $767,000.
In six Ontario Sires Stakes races, he had two victories including the season finale OSS Super Final. But the highlight of his year was his popular victory in the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, winning in a lifetime best 1:49.3 with regular driver Trevor Henry in the bike.
James MacDonald of Guelph took home his first O’Brien trophy as the Keith Waples Driver of the Year winner, smashing his previous earnings record in 2021, driving horses to more than $7.5 million in earnings.
The P.E.I. native topped the Canadian driving charts for wins and earnings during his dream season and was also the winner of the Lampman Cup as the Ontario Sires Stakes’ leading driver.
His stakes triumphs included the Maple Leaf Trot with Lindy The Great, the Battle of Waterloo with Betterhavemymoney, a Matron Stakes win with Threepointbluechip, and Champlain Stakes with Silver Label and Adare Castle.
MacDonald won three Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals, 18 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions and was the regular driver for two O’Brien Award Champions – Prohibition Legal and Betterhavemymoney.
Some of the big winners of the night also included:
– Millar Farms, Armstrong Breeder of the Year;
– two bronzes to owner Brad Grant;
– Luc Blais, Award of Horsemanship.
– Susie McNair of Guelph, Outstanding Groom Award.
