Crystas Best and Majestic Osborne have been elected to the Standardbred Hall of Fame by members of the Ohio chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association
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They will be honoured at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association banquet in Columbus on Saturday, January 16.
Crystas Best was a trotting colt foaled in 1988, while Majestic Osborne was a pacing gelding foaled a year later.
Crystas Best achieved national prominence when he overcame a break at the start to win the 1990 Breeders Crown for two-year-old trotters at Pompano Park.
He won 10 of his 19 starts as a two-year-old and $319,520. He took a 1:58.2f mark at Scioto Downs for trainer-driver Dick Richardson, Jr. and owners J. Pat Huber, Harold Breidenbach, Kathy Montgomery, and Thomas Biddle.
As a three-year-old, Crystas Best competed in the Hambletonian and added $217,087 to his bankroll that season. He lowered his mark to 1:55.2 at Indianapolis.
He was purchased by Olympic gold medalist Alvin Schockemoehle of Germany early in his four-year-old season and did breeding service in Europe. Most recently, he has been breeding mares in the Czech Republic.
Majestic Osborne was bred and owned by Jerome T. Osborne, who was inducted into the Ohio Hall of Fame himself last year. The gelded son of Nobleland Sam earned $554,782 over a career that spanned from 1991-97. The brown gelding won 47 of his 98 career starts and took a 1:52.4h mark at Northfield as a four-year-old.
At ages two, three, and four, Majestic Osborne won 27 of his 46 starts. In the hands of trainer-driver Joe Adamsky, Majestic Osborne won the Ohio Sires Stakes championship finals in four separate seasons.
The champion pacer went out a winner in his final start at Northfield Park on April 5, 1997.
The Ohio Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association banquet in Columbus on January 16. For tickets, please contact the OHHA at 800-353-6442.