Ohio’s top three-year-old pacing colt in 2020, Ocean Rock did not disappoint in 2021. After becoming just the fourth Ohio-bred to win a Breeders Crown final, Ocean Rock has been named the 2021 Ohio Aged Pacer of the Year.
After a slow start to the season, Ocean Rock won the Myron Charna President’s Pace, the Ohio Sire Stakes Aged Championship, the Jim Ewart Memorial Pace, the Dayton Pacing Derby, and the Breeders Crown.
Owned and bred by Sandra Burnett, Ocean Rock won eight of 18 races, earning $706,410. His lifetime earnings now top $1.2 million.
Christi Noble, who trains the son of Rockin Amadeus, said he is a phenomenal athlete, “He just gives his all every week on the track no matter where he draws, the weather, or how the race pans out. He can do it from the front or the back. He’s a special individual.”
In 2019, Mission Accepted was named the Ohio Aged Trotter of the Year. After a down year in 2020, Mission Accepted bounced back to be named the 2021 Ohio Aged Trotter of the Year.
After winning just three races in 2020, Mission Accepted won 17 times, the second most among aged trotters in North America, earning $306,750.
The son of Manofmanymissions is owned by Burke Racing Stable, the breeder, Knox Services, David B. Wills, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Mission Accepted has lifetime earnings of nearly $1.2 million.
Trainer Ron Burke said Mission Accepted is flawless. “He never makes a mistake. He is better than people give him credit for. Every start he has to race from the outside, if he could start from the inside, he is probably unbeatable.”
Ocean Rock and Mission Accepted will be honoured at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet January 15, 2022, at the Hilton Columbus-Polaris in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2021 Ohio Horse of the Year will be announced at the annual awards banquet.
(Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)