OHHA to present Special Recognition Awards

Grove City, Ohio – Jugette winning harness racing trainer Jessica Roegner and the connections of Breeders Crown champions Allegiant, Miki And Minnie, Sig Sauer, and Louprint will be presented Special Recognition Awards at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet.

Roegner, a Northfield Park-based trainer, is being recognized for her 2024 Jugette victory with Soft Shot at the Delaware County Fair. Despite being a supplemental entry, Soft Shot won her elimination in a world record of 1:49.3 and capped it off with the Jugette Final. The three-year-old filly pacer closed out her season with 11 victories in 15 starts, earning $232,520 under Roegner’s conditioning.

Ryan Smith of Dennison, Ohio is being recognized as the owner of three-year-old filly trotter Allegiant. Allegiant hit the board in 12 of 19 races, winning six including the Breeders Crown. She bankrolled $748,027 in 2024 and over $1 million lifetime. Allegiant was named the 2024 3-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

Robert Mondillo of Delaware, Ohio will receive the Special Recognition Award for his part ownership of Miki And Minnie. The two-year-old pacing filly won the Breeders Crown and the Three Diamonds at the Meadowlands. She never missed the board in 11 seasonal starts, taking a record of 6-4-1 and earning $843,086. Mondillo also co-bred Miki And Minnie, named the 2024 2-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Ohio is being recognized as part owner of Sig Sauer. The three-year-old colt trotter won half of his ten seasonal starts, including the Breeders Crown and Kentucky Futurity in a career-best of 1:49.3. Sig Sauer made over $870,000 during his sophomore campaign, upping his lifetime earnings to $1.15 million. He was named the 2024 3-Year-Old Colt Trotter of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., a staple in the Northfield Park driving colony, drove Louprint to victory in the Breeders Crown for freshmen colt pacers in 1:49.1. The triumph was the first win of its kind for Wrenn. The U.S. Harness Writers Association named Louprint the 2024 2-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year.

The recipients of the Special Recognition Award for their contributions to the betterment of harness racing in Ohio will be honored at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet on January 18, 2025, at the Marriott Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio. Seats are sold out.

by Ashley Dailey, for the OHHA