Rachel Andrew had to look at the text a few times to convince herself the words she was reading were actually true.

It was the morning of December 5 when the Standardbred trainer’s phone began to ping just moments before she took to the track on her farm, just a five-minute drive from Flamboro Downs.

And after the initial shock and elation, the enormity of the honour sunk in: she was a nominee for the 2020 O’Brien Future Star Award. Voting closed for the O'Briens on Monday (Dec. 14) and the two finalists will be announced on Dec. 21.

“It was a surprise, for sure,” said Andrew. “I happened to look at my phone when I was just about done jogging. I was about to go out with my last horse and somebody sent me a text message congratulating me. At first, I thought, ‘What do they mean?’ Then I clued in and clicked the link to the Standardbred Canada website. I saw it and I was just shocked.”

The good news came on a day that wasn’t an easy one for Andrew and her family.

Two years ago, on December 5, her father, Brian Andrew, one of the Maritimes' most successful and respected horsemen, died after a sudden illness.

“It was very surreal for me to get the news about being a finalist for the award on the two-year anniversary when my dad passed away. That day is actually his birthday too. He was the biggest influence on me in the sport, so it was just crazy with the timing and everything. It’s an honour to be nominated.”

But by no means is it a surprise for Andrew who, along with her brother Blake, grew up around horses at their father’s Meridian Farms in Milton, P.E.I., one of the top breeding and racing operations in eastern Canada.

Launching her training career in 2014, she won one race from 15 starts that rookie year. After sending out two starters in each of the following two campaigns, and not training in 2017, Andrew posted 16 wins in 103 starts in 2018.

Last year, she stamped herself as one of Canadian harness racing’s up-and-coming stars.

In 373 starts, Andrew won 77 races accompanied by $630,219 in purse earnings, both career-best marks.

Despite a year heavily impacted by COVID-19, Andrew has 51 wins in substantially fewer 2020 starts.

“It’s been a different year and everyone in the sport has gone through their fair share of challenges. But I’ve had some really nice horses in my care and they excelled. In the middle of the year, several of my top horses were battling some injuries and I had to give them time off. But that’s part of the game. A few of them, I just ended up qualifying them back recently. So, I’m going with 11 now, and I feel very fortunate because they’ve been racing so well. Some of them are half-mile specialists, so we had a good run at Grand River [Raceway] this summer. They are also exceeding at Flamboro now...they impress me every time they step onto the track. They’re amazing animals.”

Although she’s not a seasoned veteran of the sport, Andrew, who now calls Dundas, Ont. home, understood early on the ups and downs that comes with the horse racing territory.

Rather than bemoan the uncertainties, she has embraced it.

“Some of my top horses -- I have a mare called So Long Darling and a gelding called Midway Island -- both suffered injuries this year. They were sidelined for a while, but my other horses stepped up huge. That’s all part of the game. You have to ride the highs and the lows. That’s what makes all of it exciting, the rollercoaster you’re on, and that you know the challenges you’ll get along the way. That’s part the part I enjoy the most, the challenges. It may sound crazy, but having a horse that is a bit of struggle to train or has an injury that you have to work hard to get them back -- that’s what I enjoy the most.

“It’s always nice to have a horse that’s easy and doesn’t have those challenges. They just go out and perform, but it makes my blood flow when you have the challenging ones – you have to work hard to figure them out, but when they go out there and perform to the best of their ability, it gives you that much more of a drive and a rush.”

Midway Island would be an ideal example of that.

The six-year-old son of pacing icon Somebeachsomewhere has been a star for Andrew and her boyfriend, driver Travis Cullen, since they purchased the bay in 2019.

“We bought him to race in the Gold Cup & Saucer last year at Charlottetown. We actually had a lot of issues with him after the final. He won his elimination and then drew the seven-hole in the final. That’s a tough spot when it comes to half-mile racing. He was fifth, but raced his guts out. We brought him back to Ontario and he ended up being really sick for a while. He was battling a virus for what seemed like forever. We had to stop with him and then we brought him back.”

Andrew wasn’t sure what to expect in Midway Island’s return to action.

A pair of starts at Grand River in June and July gave her the answer.

“He ended up winning two of his three races there and then we decided to take him to Mohawk. He was long odds [35-1], but he ended up winning in 1:50.4 on July 18. I think that’s the fastest mile I’ve ever had as a trainer.”

Another horse in her barn has special meaning for Andrew.

Eight-year-old trotter Hello Chipper has produced six wins and 19 top-three finishes from 33 starts in 2020.

But that’s not what makes the daughter of Chip Chip Hooray a cherished member of her stable.

“She was actually the last horse my dad ever drove and won a race with. She’s up here with us now. She tries her heart out for me every time she goes to the track. There’s a lot of meaning behind her. Racing her is always a highlight for me every week. It brings a lot of joy for me to have her here.”

While Andrew will have to wait until December 21 to find out if she a finalist for this year’s coveted Future Star Award (trainer Francis Richard and driver Austin Sorrie are the other nominees), knowing her name is on the shortlist is already a career highlight.

The acknowledgement prompted recollections of the days she worked alongside her father, the times before she made the decision to go out on her own.

“Early on, most of what I learned came from my father. His biggest thing was that if a horse was injured, he would always spend the time and care into making sure they were healthy, whether they raced again or not. That always stuck with me.

“He also told me to always ask questions. Everyone has been through different things with horses and had different experiences, so it’s important to always ask. There’s different ways to go about things in this industry, so keeping an open mind is important. My dad taught me both of those important lessons, and I’ve never forgotten them. I think about it often.”

Andrew also thinks of her father often.

Just like she did on the day of December 5.

“Pretty much every message and congratulations I got about being a finalist ended with, ‘Your dad would be so proud and he’s obviously looking down on you and smiling.’ The fact that I got the word that day, it just all makes sense.”

(Ontario Racing)