2009 O'Brien Awards - Trainer of the Year
Tracy Brainard’s stable dominated the Canadian racing scene last year while also winning stake after stake south of the border. Her powerful stable amassed over $10 million in earnings in North America and was led by a strong contingent of horses owned by Bulletproof Enterprises.
Last year was the first year Brainard had a full-time string of horses in Ontario. Her dream-like season included wins in the Confederation Cup, Tattersalls, Fan Hanover and a runner-up finish in the Little Brown Jug, along with an unprecedented first to fifth sweep in the $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for three-year-old pacing fillies with Shacked Up getting the win.
Brainard led all Canadian trainers in money, finishing with $5.8 million in purse earnings. Three horses that she conditions are nominated for O’Brien Awards and all three boasted million dollar seasons. Three-year-old pacing fillies Not Enough and Yellow Diamond guarantee Brainard and Bulletproof at least one O’Brien trophy. The pair dominated their division and won numerous stakes events.
Sophomore pacing colt If I Can Dream netted over $1.7 million, and posted numerous stakes wins highlighted by a victory in the Breeders Crown
For the fifth consecutive year, Casie Coleman is nominated as Canada’s Trainer of the Year. In 2005, the B.C. native became the first female in the history of the O’Briens to take home that title and she successfully defended that honour in 2006. In 2009, Coleman once again posted tremendous numbers. In Canada she had 162 wins and $4.4 million in purse earnings, making her second in the trainer standings for money and fourth for wins. Coleman also operated a successful stable based out of New Jersey and racked up 114 wins and over $2.2 million in earnings south of the border.
Coleman’s stable was led by two-year-old pacing sensation Sportswriter. According to owner Steve Calhoun, Coleman picked him out, saw him, loved him and wanted to buy him immediately! Sportswriter would go on to become the sport’s fastest two-year-old by virtue of his masterful 1:49.2 performance in the Metro, giving Coleman her first million dollar stake win.
In November, Coleman was honoured as a special guest of Fraser Downs on B.C. Breeders Classic Day which was also a fundraiser for the Burn Unit at Victoria’s Royal Jubilee Hospital, which Coleman credits for saving her life back in 2000 at Sandown Park.
Who do you think will win? If you haven't voted yet, head over to the 2009 O'Brien poll.