Don Marean, one of the strongest advocates for harness racing in the state of Maine for going on three decades, and Adriano Sorella, an Ontario advertising executive who is also looking to put harness racing in a more positive light, have been selected for President’s Awards by Shawn Wiles, top officer of the United States Harness Racing Association (USHWA).

Sorella is a high-powered marketing executive who has enjoyed success at the uppermost levels of North American harness racing, starting with Little Brown Jug winner Vegas Vacation. His most recent success has been Jimmy Freight, who is going to stud in 2020 after winning $1.45 million, being a major factor in the Ontario Sires Stakes, and then progressing to high competitiveness against the fastest pacers in the sport.

Jimmy Freight also gives a good example of Sorella’s ability to cross-leverage to harness racing’s advantage – Sorella used Facebook and other cutting-edge technologies to create quite a Jimmy Freight Fan Club, with seasoned and new fans alike following the horse. The humanitarian side of Sorella showed when he was one of the leaders after Classy Lane Stables suffered a horrendous fire in 2016, in which 43 horses perished, helping to raise funds for horsemen whose careers were literally wiped out by the devastation.

“Adriano’s skill set of being social media-savvy, combined with his promotional prowess and outside-the-box thinking, showcases our great sport in a refreshing and positive light, geared to the general audience and perhaps even more importantly showcasing the sport to our younger fan base,” Wiles noted.

Marean owned a hardware and feed company that he sold to his employees, then with his wife, Linda, took up the operation of Lin-Don Farm Inc., a commercial breeding and owning establishment. As Marean’s understanding of the framework of the industry grew, he ran for the state House of Representatives in Maine, and has won election six times. He has been president and director of the Maine Standardbred Owners Association, and a director of the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association.

Marean’s service to harness racing also extends to the national and North American level. He is the vice chairman of the United States Trotting Association and is district chairman for District 9 (New England). Marean’s service has previously been recognized with the Distinguished Service Award for the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association and with an Appreciation Award from Harness Horsemen International.

“Don serves as the Vanguard of harness racing in the great state of Maine,” Wiles said in making the announcement. “He has fought long and hard in Maine politics for many years to protect the interests of our sport and its horsemen throughout the state.”

Marean and Sorella will be honoured at USHWA’s annual Dan Patch Awards Banquet. The banquet will be held on Sunday, February 23 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL. The U.S. Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year, and Horse of the Year will be revealed for the first time at the banquet.

(With files from USHWA)