O’Brien Award vote counts released

Standardbred Canada has released the breakdown of the voting for the 35th O’Brien Awards. The O’Brien Awards Gala took place Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, and was video streamed live on standardbredcanada.ca.

The complete breakdown of the official voting appears below.  There were 33 voters from across the country, which includes one Fan Ballot (put together based on all the Fan voting) comprising the voting.  Voters voted for a first and second selection in each harness racing horse category, Future Star, O’Brien Award of Horsemanship and Armstrong Breeder of the Year categories.

Voters were asked to vote for a first, second, third, fourth and fifth place person in the Trainer of the Year category and Keith Waples Driver of the Year category in round one. In round two voting in these categories, voters were asked to vote for a first and second place selection.

Voters selected a first, second and third place selection in the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year category.

A unanimous score was 66 points in round one and 56 points in round two.

First place votes were worth two (2) points and second place votes were worth one (1) point.

HORSE AWARDS

Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

• Pass Line – 60
• Its A Love Thing – 31
• Chip Of Evil – 4
• Byby Baby Byby – 2
• Over Ice, Resilience – 1

Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts

• Legendary Hanover – 36
• Captains Quarters – 35
• Funtime Bayama – 14
• Storm Shadow – 12
• T H McMurry, Do Better – 1

Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

• Sylvia Hanover – 65
• One Last Wish – 30
• Side Piece – 2
• Momentary Control – 1
• no vote – 1

Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts

• Stockade Seelster – 64
• Moment Is Here – 26
• Virtual Horizon – 5
• Malignity – 2
• Winmebak, Verdun – 1

Older Pacing Mares

• So Much More – 42
• Grace Hill – 34
• Silver Label – 21
• Dabarndawgswatchin, Major League N – 1

Older Pacing Horses

• Tattoo Artist – 66
• Emmetts Buddy – 11
• Saulsbrook Victor – 9
• Bythemissal – 5
• Shark Week – 3
• Nautical Hanover, Linedrive Hanover – 2
• I Ama Rocket – 1

Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

• Willys Home Run – 54
• Drawn Impression – 36
• Flirty Dancer – 4
• Valuable Miss – 3
• Dusty Lane Wee, Rainbow Dash – 1

Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts

• T C I – 58
• Willowtime – 36
• Griff – 3
• Myretirementdream, Rocket Blast – 1

Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

• Righteous Resolve – 53
• Climb The Pole – 41
• HP Extra Ice – 2
• Baroness Hill, Believe U Me, Mass Hysteria – 1

Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts

• Ghostly Casper – 58
• Hasty Bid – 27
• Gaines Hanover – 4
• Osceola – 3
• The Hazelton, Like Chaos – 2
• Tuscan Prince, Southwind Coors, Irish Ray – 1

Older Trotting Mares

• Adare Castle – 57
• HP Mama B – 35
• Bella Cavalla – 2
• Power And Grace – 3
• Alcina, Tijuana Seelster – 1

Older Trotting Horses

• Logan Park – 64
• Fashion Frenzie – 32
• Dealin With Dewey, Looks Like Moni, Patriarch Hanover – 1

SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE HORSE OF THE YEAR

One vote per person for first, second and third place selections. First place = 3 points; Second place = 2 points; Third place = 1 point

• Sylvia Hanover – 77
• Tattoo Artist – 57
• T C I – 21
• Pass Line – 15
• So Much More, Stockade Seelster – 6
• Emmetts Buddy, Logan Park – 4
• Grace Hill – 3
• Captains Quarters, Drawn Impression, Funtime Bayama, Willys Home Run – 1
• no vote – 1

PEOPLE AWARDS

Future Star

• Cassidy Schneider – 42
• Desiree Jones – 32
• Zach Mullins – 25

O’Brien Award of Horsemanship

• Mark Etsell – 48
• Jason Hughes – 25
• Rod Hennessy – 23
• no vote – 3

Armstrong Breeder of the Year

• Tara Hills Stud – 47
• Bayama Farms – 35
• Diane Ingham & Harry Rutherford – 17

SECOND ROUND BALLOTS – 28 returned

First place votes were worth two (2) points and second place votes were worth one (1) point.  A unanimous score was 56 points.

Keith Waples Driver of the Year

• James MacDonald – 54
• Louis-Philippe Roy – 18
• Doug McNair – 5
• Tyler Borth – 5
• Sylvain Filion – 2

Trainer of the Year

• Ian Moore – 52
• Mark Etsell – 11
• David Menary – 10
• Jodie Cullen – 6
• Carmen Auciello – 4
• no vote – 1

From Standardbred Canada