Sir Pinocchio earns District 8 Horse of the Year honors

Goshen, NY – Yonkers Trot and New York Sire Stakes Champion 3-year-old male harness racing trotter Sir Pinocchio (Met’s Hall) has been voted the U.S. Trotting District 8 Horse of the Year.

Trained by Eddie Hart for owner and breeder Carolyn Atherton, the gelding has 11 wins in 17 starts and has amassed $640,902 in seasonal earnings. Aside from the aforementioned first leg of Trotting’s Triple Crown, driver Jason Bartlett has guided Sir Pinocchio to victories in the Dexter Cup, Matron Stakes, a division of the Simpson (where he took his 1:51.4f record), several legs and the final of the New York Sire Stakes, and an elimination of Canadian Trotting Classic.

When the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Assoc. (USHWA) holds their 65th annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, December 8, 2024, presenting sponsor the New York Sire Stakes, along with representatives of the U.S. Trotting Association’s District 8 will honor a host of additional equine honorees, including Kentucky Futurity winner R Melina; NYSS Champion Howlenthehills, and Multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner Super Chapter.

This year at our new, larger venue the chapter has been given the opportunity to include the New York Sire Stakes and U.S. Trotting District 8 Awards., which will be in addition to the year-end awards for horses and horse people from the local tracks.  These New York State awards include:

US Trotting District 8 Human Awards: NYSS Driver of the Year, Jason Bartlett; NYSS Trainer of the Year, Travis Alexander; Breeder of the Year, Crawford Farms; Owner of the Year, Winbak Farm; County Fair Trainer, Ron Houghtaling; County Fair Driver, Claude Huckabone Jr.

U.S. Trotting District 8 Horse Awards: Horse of the Year, Sir Pinocchio; Fast Choice (2-year-old Colt Pace), The Last Martini (2FP), Super Chapter (2CT), Royal Mission (2FT), Holwenthehills (3CP), Tarrific (3FP), Sir Pinocchio (3CT), R Melina (3FT).

New York Sire Stakes 2024 Human Awards: Leading Driver, Jason Bartlett; Leading Trainer, Travis Alexander; Leading Breeder, Crawford Farms; Leading County Fair Driver, Claude Huckabone Jr.; Leading County Fair Trainer, Ron Houghtaling.

New York Sire Stakes 2024 Champions: Courts On Fire (2-year-old Colt Pace), The Last Martini (2FP), Variegated (2CT), Royal Mission (2FT); Howlenthehills (3CP), Tarrific (3FP), Sir Pinocchio (3CT), and R Melina (3FT).

NY Excelsior Series 2024 Champions: Invictus (2CP), Fashion Terror (2FP), Habanero Blues (2CT), Inn Of The Stars (2FT), Escape To America (3CP), Tempville (3FP), It Wasn’t Me (3CT), Nymeria (3FT).

NY County Fair 2024 Champions: Full Metal Jacket (2CP), DW’s Lazy Gal (2FP), Devious Vacation (2CT), Georgia Time (2FT), Henceforth (3CP), Drama Club (3FP), Reel Busy (3CT), Ms Titan (3FT).

In addition, when the Monticello-Goshen USHWA Chapter holds their 65^th annual Awards Banquet, presented by the New York Sire Stakes on Sunday, December 8, 2024, Eddie Hart will receive the chapter’s highest honor, their Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Monticello-Goshen chapter will also honor Steve Jones (John Manzi Leadership Award); Kim Crawford (Excelsior Award); Heather Reese Marshall (John Gilmour Good ‘Gal’ Award); Irv Atherton (Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award); Jessica Otten (Phil Pines Award); Tyler ‘TJ’ Miller (Rising Star); Carolyn Atherton (Cradle of the Trotter Breeders Award); Andrew Adamcyzk (Amateur Driver); and Dale Berenson (Mighty M Award of Appreciation).

Funds raised through the banquet and souvenir journal have allowed the Monticello-Goshen Chapter to give well over $135,000 to Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame over the last two decades.  The Track and the Museum are two separate and distinct entities that share the same hallowed ground and a mutual purpose of preserving and promoting harness racing.

The practice of raising money and donating funds to Historic Track and the Hall of Fame began in the mid-1970s with Monticello Raceway publicity icon John Manzi, and has continued ever since.

Tickets for the gala event at the new venue, The Country Club at Otterkill, Campbell Hall, NY, can be reserved by contacting Shawn Wiles at (845) 798-4074, or Email: swiles@rwcatskills.com.

To place a congratulatory ad in the souvenir journal, please contact Chris Tully at (845) 807-7538, or Email: tullytrot@yahoo.com.

From the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of USHWA