The United States Harness Writers Association is proud to announce a trio of Tri-Staters will be honoured with the 2009 President’s Award

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Yonkers Raceway vice-president and general manager Bob Galterio, Meadowlands Racetrack statistician Bob “Hollywood” Heyden, and leading drug expert in equine toxicology Dr. George Maylin were chosen by USHWA president Debbie Little for their outstanding contributions to the sport of harness racing.

“I am proud to honor these three men that have done so much good for our sport,” said Little. “Their integrity and dedication is without question and we should all be proud that they are fighting the good fight.”

Yonkers Raceway is arguably the top harness racino in North America. There is, however, no argument that much of the tremendous success of the world-class racing and gaming operations at the Hilltop Oval are directly attributed to Galterio.

Through Galterio's efforts and cooperation, Yonkers has played host to amateur drivers from around the globe in many competitions, including the 2008 World Cup Series and 2009 Italy-U.S. Friendship Competition. In October 2009, Galterio was instrumental in the organization and execution of the first annual Yonkers Raceway Harvest Festival, showcasing New York State agricultural products and harness racing, including a dash comprised of drivers who were members of the state legislature.

Heyden has been the Meadowlands’ statistician since its opening in 1976 and is widely regarded for his dazzling and encyclopedic knowledge of the horses and records of racing. He is a commentator on Meadowlands’ telecasts and a columnist, since 1985, for the Canadian Sportsman magazine.

During his career, Heyden has been a recipient of the Dan Patch Award from Harness Tracks of America (in 2003), has received the Clyde Hirt Memorial Media Award from Harness Horsemen’s International (2005), and wrote and hosted the Hervey Award winning salute to the late Stanley Dancer (2006).

For nearly four decades, Dr. Maylin has been a national and international leader in the fields of equine pharmacology, toxicology, exercise physiology, chemistry and immunochemistry. In 2003, working with Dr. Ken McKeever of Rutgers University in New Jersey, he developed an antibody-antigen reaction test for erythropoietin, or EPO, an illegal substance that has troubled horse racing, harness and thoroughbred, in recent years.

Author of some 70 scientific papers in his field, Maylin is widely regarded as a world leader in the field of drug detection and illegal medication. He obtained his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario in 1965 and masters of science and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell in 1968 and 1971.

Galterio, Heyden and Maylin will receive their awards at USHWA’s Night of Champions awards banquet on Sunday, Feb. 28, at Yonkers Raceway, just north of New York City. To obtain tickets, or for further information, please contact Dave Little at 212.210.1691.

(USHWA)