2018 O'brien Awards

‘Determination’ Pays Off In Full

February 17, 2019

When the dust settled from the 2018 O’Brien Awards, trainer Luc Blais and the Determination stable walked away with a very respectable haul. Both of the outfit’s two O’Brien nominees, Emoticon Hanover...

A Long & Winding Road To The Top

February 16, 2019

If playing word association, participants in harness racing would rarely think Western Canada if asked about trotting and trotters. Yet so begins the tale of The Ice Dutchess, Canada's Two-Year-Old Tr...

Run Director Picks Up The Pieces

February 14, 2019

"It's funny because Alarm Detector was supposed to be there and he had a terrible year...[Run Director] picked up the pieces."

Absence Makes A Heart Grow Fonder

February 13, 2019

"It feels fantastic really. It’s something that seemed like a regular thing for us for awhile. But it’s been five years since I’ve been here and you start to appreciate how difficult it is [to win]."

Shower Play Managed Masterfully

February 12, 2019

"As a two-year-old we really thought she was the real deal. Sylvain Filion drove her, he did a great job with her...he kept saying 'she's a Gold filly, she's a Gold filly'."

Jimmy Freight Hauls Home Hardware

February 11, 2019

"There were some great horses -- Dorsoduro [Hanover], Courtly Choice, Lather Up, [who] was also nominated...he’s a fantastic horse. This Is The Plan came around late, they were pretty even the whole y...

Gagnon Gets His Due

February 10, 2019

"To have an honour like that, you have to be good every week, week after week, because if you have one good week and then three or four bad weeks, you go back down [the standings]."

Auciello: The Voters Got It Right

February 09, 2019

"Caviart Ally is obviously a better mare...but the award is for contribution to Canadian harness racing, and I just felt Exhilarated deserved it."

Sensational Season For Seelster

February 08, 2019

"It's overwhelming, we're very excited and it sort of caps off an excellent year we had this past year. We hope to do it again in the near future."

O’Brien Awards Flashback Video

February 08, 2019

In 1989, the world wide web was born, the first episode of The Simpsons aired on TV, the first GPS satellite was put into orbit and the O’Brien Awards were conceived.

2018 O’Briens Highlight Video

February 07, 2019

This past Saturday night Standardbred Canada honoured the best in Canada harness racing at the 2018 O’Brien Awards 30th Anniversary Black Tie Gala.

Sky The Limit For Lancaster

February 07, 2019

Chris Lancaster, the 2018 O'Brien Awards Future Star winner, only looks to shine brighter across Western Canada as he enters his second year of full-time training.

O'Brien Voting Results Released

February 06, 2019

Standardbred Canada has released the breakdown of the voting for the 2018 O'Brien Awards. The ceremony took place Saturday, February 2, 2019, at the Hilton Mississauga/ Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga...