The Cape Breton Horsemen’s Association honoured the top performers of the 2008 season at its annual awards banquet Saturday, April 25 with close to 200 in attendance
.
For the second year in a row, Lexus Bandito captured Horse of the Year honours at Northside Downs. The nine-year-old Rustler Hanover gelding led all horses in dash wins at the North Sydney half-miler while compiling a record of 9-5-2 with $6,277 in earnings and a season’s best of 1:57.1 from 19 starts.
Heather Hawkins of Sydney owns and trains the pacer which was driven by Joe Campbell, the track’s leading driver with a .301 UDR. Hawkins was the leading trainer with a .358 average and 26 dash wins.
R M Canadian, a nine-year-old daughter of Yankee Cam owned by Harold LeBlanc, Jr. of New Waterford, was selected Aged Pacing Mare of the Year. Devine Destination, a seven-year-old Straight Path matron, was named Claimer of the Year for owners Angus MacEachern and Wayne Harty of Sydney.
The Cape Breton association inducted four new members to the Cape Breton Horsemen’s Hall of Fame. John Ratchford of North Sydney, Peter MacKinnon and Harold LeBlanc, Sr. of New Waterford and Kevin MacNeil of Sydney were inducted along with Josephine Camilli, who was inducted as an honourary member.
Jack Ellsworth of Dominion was selected as Owner of the Year.
The rest of the award winners are listed below.
Two-Year-Old Stakes Colt
Nu Xample
Owned by John Ratchford.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt
Vs Flashy Rooster
Owned by Italo and Angello Camilli.
Two-Year-Old Stakes Filly
Papas Little Rose
Owned by Ronald Seymour.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly
Artistic Putnam
Owned by Ronald Seymour.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Stakes Filly
Fern Hill Thunder
Owned by Angello and Italo Camilli.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt
Princetown Jory
Owned by John C. Ellsworth.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt
Handee Man
Owned by Angello and Italo Camilli.
(Atlantic Post Calls)