The O'Brien Awards - Horse Racing

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The O'Brien Awards

Dateline: 02/02/2002

On Saturday February 2nd, the 2001 O'Brien Awards were handed out in Mississauga, Ontario at a ceremony at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel, honouring outstanding achievement in Canadian harness racing. The awards are named after the legendary Canadian harness driver Joe O'Brien, who won 4,285 races and earnings of $20.4 million, He won the Kentucky Futurity five times, the Hambletonian twice, and the Little Brown Jug twice.

Bettors Delight winning the North America Cup

The big winner for the evening was Bettors Delight who took home not only best 3-year-old Pacing Colt or Gelding but also won Horse of the Year over the filly Precious Delight. Bettors Delight lived up to his name all season with his 9 wins and 5 seconds in 16 starts. In an impressive 2001 season, he won the New Jersey Classic at the Meadowlands, the Tattersalls Stake at the Red Mile, the North America Cup at Woodbine and the Little Brown Jug at Delaware, to go with a close second in the Meadowlands Pace.

Accepting the award for Horse of the Year was Brad Grant (left), son of owner John Grant and trainer Scott McEneny (right) from Joe O'Brien's daughter and granddaughter.

Randall Waples (left) accepts his second award for Driver of the Year

For the second time in his career, Randall Waples was voted Driver of the Year. Waples was just the third driver to win 400 races in one season on the Woodbine/Mohawk circuit, breaking the old record of 417 wins with 430 by the end of the year. In the process, he became the third Canadian based driver to reach $10 million in earnings in one season. He was also the regular driver for Champion 3-year-old trotting colt Liberty Balance.

John Bax (right) accepts his award for Trainer of the Year

John Bax was voted Trainer of the Year, collecting his first O'Brien Award. His trainee Goodtimes became the richest Canadian bred Standardbred of all time with over $2 million in earnings, and then later in the year Duke of York became his first Breeders' Crown winner. In all horses trained by Bax collected $1.8 million in earnings for 2001.

Precious Delight was voted the 2-year-old Pacing Filly Champion, having gone undefeated for the season and career. Her 11 straight wins included the Trillium Series Stake at Windsor, the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Finals at both Windsor and Western Fair, and finally the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final and the Canadian Breeders Championship Final, both at Mohawk.

The 2-year-old Trotting Filly Champion is Odessa Drummond. Compiling an impressive 11 wins in 13 starts with one third, her season included wins in the Coupe de l'Avenir Final, Coupe Quebec Plus Final, and Quebec SS Elite, all at Hippodrome de Montreal.

Western Shooter after winning in the Breeders' Crown

Western Shooter was named the Champion 2-year-old Pacing Colt or Gelding. After winning his second lifetime start by an impressive 10 lengths, he went on to victories in the Keystone Classic at the Meadows, the International Stallion Stake at the Red Mile, the Breeders' Crown Final at Woodbine, and the Governor's Cup Final at the Meadowlands in a world record 1:50. In all he won 9 of 14 races with earnings of $904,462.

Duke of York on his way to winning in the Breeders' Crown

The 2-year-old Trotting Colt or Gelding Champion was Duke Of York who won $671,142 for the year. His season included wins in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final at Mohawk, the Breeders' Crown Final at Woodbine, and the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Mohawk. He placed second in the Champlain Stake at Mohawk despite being parked out for more than half of the race distance.

Cathedra Dot Com was voted the Champion 3-year-old Pacing Filly, having earned $1,082,619 for the year with her 11 wins, 8 seconds, and 2 third place finishes in 25 starts for the year. The frequent shipper reeled off wins at the Meadowlands, Woodbine, Freehold, The Meadows, and the Red Mile, and was narrowly beaten in the Breeders' Crown final.

Donven Promise is the 3-year-old Trotting Filly Champion. She went 10 for 17 with 3 seconds and 3 thirds, capturing the SBOA Stakes at Mohawk by 7 lengths, the Trillium Series Stake at Windsor by 8 lengths, and the Canadian Breeders' Championship Final at Mohawk in 1:55 2/5, a Canadian record.

Liberty Balance winning in the Breeders' Crown

The 3-year-old Trotting Colt or Gelding award went to Liberty Balance. Going 11 for 16 with $852,818 in earnings, he captured the Flamboro Breeders' Stake, the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Finals at both Flamboro and Windsor, and capped off the season with the Breeders' Crown Final at Woodbine.

Eternal Camnation, the 4-year-old daughter of Cam Fella, was named Champion Older Pacing Mare for her second career O'Brien award. Her seven wins in 2001 included the Lady Liberty Final and Breeders' Crown Final at the Meadowlands, the Roses are Red final at Woodbine, and the Milton Stake at Mohawk.

The Older Trotting Mare O'Brien award went to Casual Breeze. She won the 1 3/8 mile Classic Series Final at Woodbine by more than two lengths in 2:41 4/5, as well as a Classic Series leg at the Meadowlands, and was third in Mohawk's Fillies and Mares Preferred Trot.

Gallo Blue Chip

Gallo Blue Chip earned his Older Pacing Horse or Gelding Championship in style, with 10 wins in 19 starts and earning $1,123,940 for the year. His impressive season included wins in the Invitation at Pocono, the Graduate Series Final at the Meadowlands, the Lake Erie Stake at Northfield, and the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk, plus a second in the U.S. Pacing Championship Final at the Meadowlands. This was his second consecutive year to win an O'Brien award.

The Older Trotting Horse or Gelding Championship was awarded to Magician, with his 10 for 19 record in 2001 with 3 seconds and a third, earning $979,375. He won the A.J. Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands, the 1 3/8 mile Classic Series Final at Woodbine, and the American National Final at Balmoral. He was second by just a quarter length in the 1 3/8 mile Trot Mondial at Montreal to European superstar Varenne.

Armbro Monarch was named Broodmare of the Year. Her best performer of the year was Duke of York, who had won the 2-year-old Trotting Colt or Gelding award earlier in the evening.

Jody Jamieson (left)

Before the championships were announced, a special award was given to driver Jody Jamieson by the federal government, as recognition for his winning performance at the 2001 World Driving Championships in Sweden and Finland, representing Canada.