Big Ranger was announced as the 2025 Ohio Horse of the Year at the sold-out Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet on Jan. 10, 2026, at the Renaissance Columbus-Westerville in Westerville, Ohio.

A perfect season secured Big Ranger the title of Ohio Horse of the Year, along with Ohio Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year. The son of In Range out of Big Blue Bird was the lone horse to claim the Ohio Triple Crown in 2025, winning the Ohio State Fair Stakes, Ohio Breeders Championship and Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championship. Trained and driven by Ronnie Gillespie, Big Ranger closed the year having won all seven of his starts and $510,294 in purses. In addition to the Triple Crown races, he also posted victories in the Next Generation and three preliminary legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes. His lifetime mark of 1:53.4 was taken in the Scarlet Championship at Dayton.

Big Ranger was bred by Spring Haven Farm and is owned by Madison Global.

“As a breeder, you want to breed the best, and we’re honoured to be affiliated with a horse of his caliber,” said Spring Haven Farm corresponding officer Senena Esty. “We couldn’t be happier for all the connections, especially Ronnie Gillespie, Dalton Walls and Madison Global.”

“I’ve been around horses long enough to know that there’s not always a storybook ending, so to be a part of this with Big Ranger has been a humbling experience,” added Madison Global corresponding officer Anthony Miller. “He might be a once-in-a-lifetime horse.”

Ohio Sires Stakes champion Lindy Dragonwater has been named the Ohio Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year. In 10 starts, the Downbytheseaside gelding out of Imagine Dragon posted five wins -- all in Ohio stakes action -- plus two thirds while earning $417,892. Lindy Dragonwater took a lifetime mark of 1:51 in an Ohio Sires Stakes division at Scioto Downs on Aug. 23 and matched that mark in the OHSS Scarlet Championship on Sept. 27 at Dayton Raceway.

Lindy Dragonwater was bred by Lindy Farms of Connecticut and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Beasty and Brad Grant.

“We really thought he was the top colt all along and he just got better as the year went,” said trainer Ron Burke. “I think he’ll really be a serious horse next year.”

Shesafirewoman was selected as the Ohio Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year. The daughter of Catch The Fire out of Shesasmokinlady was top two in all 10 starts with eight wins and two runner-up finishes to earn $340,118 for breeder and owner Harry Horowitz. Trained by Mark Winters and driven primarily by Luke Hanners, Shesafirewoman posted victories in all five preliminary legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes, including a career best 1:51.4 score Scioto Downs in the second leg on July 25. She capped the season with a narrow second-place finish in the Scarlet Championship.

“She’s a great horse and it’s been a pleasure to own her,” said Horowitz. “This is a great honour and I would also like to congratulate Mark Winters, Luke Hanners and Scott Hagemeyer.”

After finishing no worse than second in 11 starts this season, Setyoursightshigh has been named the Ohio Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year. The In Range filly out of Special Interest closed the year with seven victories, four runner-up finishes and earnings of $933,661. She was a winner in the Next Generation and two legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes before taking the Scarlet Championship. The Marcus Melander trainee was the runner-up in the Kentucky Championship Series final and the Breeders Crown. Her lifetime mark of 1:53.1 was taken in a leg of the Kentucky Championship Series at The Red Mile on July 30.

Bred by Kentuckiana Farms, Setyoursightshigh is owned by Heights Stable, Mantorp, Amg Stable and K Kjellgren Livs Ab.

Second in earnings among all two-year-old trotters in 2025, she will also be honoured as the U.S. Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year at the 2025 Dan Patch Awards banquet.

Sippinonsearoc is now a back-to-back Ohio divisional award winner after being named the state's Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year. Named the Ohio Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year in 2024 with a record of 6-2-1 and $779,092 in earnings from 11 starts, Sippinonsearoc had an even better season in 2025. The son of Downbytheseaside out of Queen Ann M recorded seven wins, two seconds and three thirds while banking $1,093,879 in 15 sophomore starts. He won the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Oct. 25 in a stakes-record and lifetime-best 1:47.3 on top of taking the Kentucky Championship Series final and an Ohio Sires Stakes division. 

Trainer Ron Burke believes Sippinonsearoc may have had even more success if not for some talented stablemates.

“There’s no telling what that horse would’ve done if not for other horses from my own barn,” said Burke. “Every time he got beat, it was by a horse from my barn. He’s really a top-notch horse.”

Bred by Trent Stohler Stable and Alesha Binkley, Sippinonsearoc has a record of 13-4-4 in 26 career starts with earnings totalling $1,872,971. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, R A S Racing and Knox Services.

Odds On Chesapeake is the Ohio Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year after hitting the board in 16 of 18 starts and earning more than $660,000. The Downbytheseaside filly out of Macaroon won nine races in 2025 to go with six second-place finishes and one third. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr., she recorded a lifetime mark of 1:49.3 in a Jugette elimination at Delaware County Fair on Sept. 17. Bred by Odds On Nourrir and owned by Odds On Racing, Odds On Chesapeake was victorious in four of the five legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes and won the Nadia Lobell and Ohio State Fair Stakes at Scioto Downs. She was the runner-up in the Jugette final as well as the Courageous Lady at Northfield Park.

“I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m not surprised either. She had a heck of a year,” owner Dana Parham Sr. said of Odds On Chesapeake earning divisional recognition. “I’m really happy for Virgil Morgan and his whole team. They work so hard and a lot of her success is because of them.”

Odds On Chesapeake now has a career record of 13-8-1 with $876,700 in earnings from 28 lifetime starts.

Repeat divisional award winner Lt Loverboy won five of 11 starts on his way to being named Ohio’s Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year. Bred by Midland Acres, Lt Loverboy is owned by Wayne Mast Jr. and Callam Racing. The Daren Harvey trainee added one second-place and two thirds to his five seasonal victories while earning $434,785. He recorded six wins and earned $416,514    in 10 starts as the Ohio Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2024.

“Midland Acres would like to congratulate all of the connections to Lt Loverboy for the second year in a row being the Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Colt Trotter of the Year in Ohio,” said Midland Acres corresponding officer Dr. John Mossbarger. “Lt Loverboy has a great trait that all champion horses have: it’s one who refuses to lose.”

Lt Loverboy opened his 2025 campaign with a victory in the James K. Hackett Memorial at Miami Valley Raceway. The Long Tom gelding out of Fortheloveoflindy added wins in three legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes while recording a lifetime mark of 1:52.1 in the Scioto Downs leg on July 5, and was victorious in the Scarlet Championship.

“He was definitely a pleasure to work with all year,” said Mast Jr. “Daren Harvey did a phenomenal job of having him ready for big races. He’s really been a blessing to us and it’s always amazing to have a 'horse of the year.' It’s a very nice compliment to get at the end of the year.”

Jailhouse Pearl was named the Ohio Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year. Owned and bred by Casey Clemens, the Long Tom filly out of Jailhouse Broad hit the board in 12 of 14 seasonal starts. She tallied five wins, five seconds and two thirds while earning $427,334 and recording a lifetime mark of 1:52.2 in the Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championship at Dayton Raceway on Sept. 27. Leading up to the Scarlet Championship, she posted victories in the second and fifth legs of the OHSS and also won the Ohio Stake Fair Stakes at Scioto Downs.

In 29 lifetime starts, she has a record of 15-10-2 with earnings topping the $500,000 mark. Jailhouse Pearl is trained by Eric Nesselroad.

“As a two-year-old, we didn’t know whether we should stake her, but we continued to train her and we found out that she really likes to pass," said Clemens. "My son, Brady, drove her at the fairs [when she was] a two-year-old and he would try to let her have to pass and she won most of the fair races she was at. And things have all worked out. She’s just a nice horse and everybody likes her.”

Following his best season yet, Racing Rebel has been named the Ohio Aged Male Pacer of the Year. After recording a combined eight victories in 2023 and 2024, the son of Racing Hill out of Awakening won nine races as a four-year-old in 2025 to go with four seconds and three thirds in 25 starts while banking $321,230. He also knocked two full two seconds off his lifetime mark, pacing in 1:48.2 at Scioto Downs on Aug. 2 in one of his six Open wins. His season also included a victory in #SendItIn Invitational and runner-up finishes in the Myron Charna President’s Pace and the Ohio Sires Stakes Veteran’s Championship. The Ron Burke trainee was primarily driven by Chris Page.

“Racing Rebel was a complete surprise,” said Burke. “We bought him thinking he’d be a nice horse and he turned out to be a great horse.”

Racing Rebel was bred by Marjorie Polhamus, who is a co-owner with Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Page. He has hit the board in 38 of 58 lifetime starts with 17 wins and earnings just over $600,000.

“He’s a little horse and is just the nicest, sweetest horse to be around,” said Polhamus. “I got a call about selling him, but I did keep a part of him because I didn’t want to let all of him go. Chris Page has been awesome driving him. He’s a nice all-around racehorse. He gives it his all. I’m really proud of him.”

A winner in 12 of 18 starts in 2025, Bath Bomb has been selected as the Ohio Aged Mare Pacer of the Year. The Lather Up mare out of Sangaal hit the board in 16 of her 18 starts as a four-year-old, including a dozen win, while banking $520,683. Those numbers are a marked improvement from her 2024 debut campaign when she tallied three victories and $150,375 in earnings.

Bred by Mark Smith and owned by Morrison Racing Stables, Bath Bomb raced primarily in Kentucky in 2025. Among her highlight wins were a pair of Kentucky Sire Stakes finals at Oak Grove on May 11 and June 24. She recorded a lifetime mark of 1:49.1 on Aug. 18 at The Red Mile.

“I got her in training after her two-year-old season, so I’ve trained her for two years now, and she’s been very good,” said trainer Per Engblom. “She’s professional when it comes to the races. She can take any type of trip and still manage to finish up front most of time.”

Rose Run Zoom put together a second straight season with double-digit victories and has been named the Ohio Aged Male Trotter of the Year. The Uncle Peter gelding out of Loconotion hit the board in 22 of 40 starts in his four-year-old season in 2025, compiling a record of 11-6-5 while earning $247,489. Trained by Cory Kreiser and owned by Thunder Racing Stables and Cory Kreiser Racing, Rose Run Zoom won five Open-level events, all at Northfield Park.

Bred by Rose Run Farm, Rose Run Zoom also scored 11 wins during the 2024 season when he took a lifetime mark of 1:53.3 at Dayton. His lifetime earnings climbed to $486,056.

“He’s a tough horse both on and off the track,” said Rose Run Farm corresponding officer Alvin Yoder. “It took a little extra work to get him to where he is today, but he’s consistently tough and is still racing well.”

Jurassic Hattie has been named the Ohio Aged Mare Trotter of the Year. Owned and bred by Jerry Welch, Jurassic Hattie hit the board in 13 of 18 starts during her four-year-old season in 2025 with six victories to go with five seconds and two thirds. The Volstead mare out of High Gear Sahbra bankrolled $309,387 on the year and recorded a lifetime mark of 1:50.4 at Miami Valley Raceway on April 30. Her highlight wins included the Ohio Sires Stakes Veterans Championship and a division of the Ohio Breeders Championship Aged Trot. The Stacey Van Huizen trainee finished second in the  Grand Circuit's Dayton Oaks Derby.

Jurassic Hattie now has a career record of 15-13-2 in 38 starts with $867,087 in earnings.

“She’s been a lot of fun and is deserving of this recognition. I want to thank trainer Eric Nesselroad for the first two years that she raced and Stacey Van Huizen and driver Brett Miller for taking her over as a four-year-old and continuing with her progress,” said Welch. “From the time she was little, she was always outstanding. She’s super nice to be around in the barn, but when she goes out to race, it’s all business for her. She’s a professional; she does her job and takes it seriously.”

For the seventh straight year, driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke captured Ohio’s Kaltenbach titles. The Jerry Kaltenbach Memorial Trophies were established in 1988 and are awarded annually to the driver and trainer who earned the most dollars competing in Ohio Sires Stakes events in a single season.

Page claims the most Kaltenbach awards amongst drivers as he notched his 10th title. He started in 102 OHSS events, winning 24 races, finishing second 14 times and adding 17 third-place finishes while the horses he drove earned $1,467,100 USD in purses.

“It means a job well done,” Page said of earning another Kaltenbach honour. “When I was a young man, my parents always told me to surround myself with good people and smart people, and it would rub off on me, and that’s what I try to do.”

Brett Miller finished second with earnings of $912,200 USD while recording 13 wins, 10 second-place finishes and six third-place finishes in 71 starts. Dan Noble finished third with $812,500 USD in earnings and a record of 19-9-11 in 74 starts.

A total of 46 drivers participated in the 2025 OHSS events with 41 garnering at least one purse cheque. Sixteen had earnings of $100,000 USD or more, with 10 amassing earnings over $300,000 USD.

The Kaltenbach title was the eighth for Burke, who had 130 starts in the 2025 Ohio Sires Stakes legs, championships and consolations. His total money earned from those events was $2,291,300 USD. He finished with 28 wins, 20 second-place finishes and 20 third-place finishes.

“This one means a lot,” Burke said of his latest Kaltenbach recognition.

Virgil Morgan Jr. finished second with $837,900 USD in earnings and a 12-12-6 record from 48 starts. Chris Beaver finished third with earnings of $506,350 USD and a record of 5-9-16 in 62 starts.

A total of 91 trainers participated in 2025 OHSS events with 21 earning more than $100,000 USD.

In the 36 years the Kaltenbach trophies have been awarded, Page leads all drivers with 10 trophies followed by David Miller with seven. David Hawk and Brett Miller have three each. On the training side, Burke has captured the title eight times, Morgan six and Jim Dailey won the award four times. Only two horsemen have won the Kaltenbach in both the training and driving categories — Sam “Chip” Noble III and Dave Rankin.

Katie Hershberger and Parker Steck have earned the Outstanding Groom Award for 2025. Both individuals received multiple nominations for the award.

Hershberger has worked for trainer Rosy Weaver for three years. She grooms eight horses in Weaver’s stable in Beach City, Ohio, and jogs them when needed.

“Katie is an absolutely amazing girl. I consider myself extremely lucky to have her working in my stable,” said Weaver. “She is always ready to do anything I ask her to help with, without hesitation, and she is great with the horses. She truly loves her job and is deserving of this award.”

Another of Hershberger’s nominators, Dave Jury, highlighted her dedication and work ethic.

“Katie is so involved in her grooming job that she has little time for outside activities. She is always willing to jump in and help a neighbour or friend when needed,” said Jury. “She gives up a significant portion of her personal life to ensure her horses receive 24/7 care, often working long, demanding hours, including weekends and holidays.”

Steck grooms for her parents, Ron and Kila, at their training facility in Delaware, Ohio, doing so full time for the past three years after graduating from Ashland University with a degree in nursing. Her job responsibilities include transporting horses to and from the races and paddocking them. Her commitment to the job has not gone unnoticed.

“I have trained with the Steck stable for 25-plus years and have known Parker since she was born. I have experienced a multitude of grooms over the years taking care of my horses, and there has simply been none that are in the same league as Parker,” said Gary Condit, who was one of Steck’s nominators. “It is noteworthy that after passing the nursing exams, she has chosen to take care of horses over an alternative career in nursing. That is a testament to her passion for her work as a groom.”

Kila Steck also highlighted her daughter’s passion for horses.

“Parker works in the barn every day and goes to the races pretty much every day as well. If she does not go to the races, she organizes who is going in her place,” she said. “She sometimes takes a lot of heat from people because she chose to ‘just do horses’ instead of becoming a nurse, but I could not be prouder of her decision because of how lucky she is to be able to do what she loves every day.”

Joe and Fran Darmofal were awarded the Dick Brandt Sr. Extra Effort Award for 2025. The award recognizes an individual, local horsemen’s associations and matinee clubs who have demonstrated a commitment to county fair racing. The award is based on involvement with their local fair board, local matinees, community involvement, improvements to racing and barn areas, and assistance with racing programs during the fair week. 

Over the past few years, the Darmofals, of Sylvania, Ohio, have donated to various fairs throughout the state in the form of trophies, grandstand entertainment, funding for the Ladies Pace events and other worthy causes. Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association board member Rusty Vorhees also noted that the Darmofals bought a trotting filly for a young man to train because he showed a strong work ethic and they liked the way he handled her on the track.

“The Dick Brandt Award is a perfect way to repay their generosity and to give thanks for helping county fairs succeed in Ohio,” said Vorhees.

The award is named for Dick Brandt Sr., who served as president of OHHA in 1984 and 1985. He was a past chairman of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Health and Retirement Fund and Treasurer of P.A.C.E.R. (Political Action Committee for Equine Racing). He also served as a member of the United States Trotting Association’s Board of Directors and Treasurer.

Samantha Mayhugh of Circleville, Ohio has been named the recipient of the Terry Holton Youth Award, which is given to an Ohio horseman or woman between the ages of 13 and 19 who has actively participated in harness racing during the year as a driver, trainer, groom, breeder, race office/publicity assistant or track maintenance crew member, or has provided outstanding service to the sport.

Mayhugh has been involved in harness racing her entire life and is currently a sophomore at The Ohio State University majoring in Agricultural Business and Applied Economics with a minor in Equine Studies.

“Sam has a true passion for the sport of harness racing,” said her father, Sean. “Ever since she was a young child, she has been actively involved with the sport, from walking the broodmare out to the paddocks to helping me clean stalls, jogging, training and now hauling the horses to Cleveland on her own to race the family horses.”

When she was 10 years old, Mayhugh started working at the Ohio State Fair educating other children about harness racing, and she has dressed as Willie Winit, the OHHA mascot, at Northfield Park on special race nights. She paddocks for different stables that have raced at Scioto Downs and has assisted with the race program at the Pickaway County Fair, doing everything from handling blankets in the winner’s circle to selling programs, running cheques and delivering saddle pads to the next fair in Wilmington. For the past three years, she has assisted with the yearling sales at the Pickaway County Fairgrounds and in Springfield.

In college, Mayhugh has focused her learning on what she can bring back to the racing industry and on spreading the word about the sport. She recently completed an internship with the OHHA during which she developed the Backstretch Buddies children’s program that now has more than 100 members.

“I am very thankful and honoured to receive the Terry Holton Youth Award,” said Mayhugh. “The Ohio harness racing industry has given me so many opportunities, and being recognized for my involvement is truly meaningful.”

Now in its 23rd year, the award is named for Terry Holton, a 2005 inductee into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Holton, of Newark, Ohio, was the winner of more than 1,700 races in his career. He overcame many obstacles in his life, including pancreatic cancer.

 The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association awarded the Maynard & Stella Hagemeyer Significant Contribution Award to track announcer Roger Huston for 2025. The award is given to an individual for significant lifelong contributions to Ohio harness racing. The recipient must possess a passion and advocacy for Ohio harness racing. The award is based on the importance of educating and involving local and state legislators in the preservation and promotion of the harness racing industry.

Now in his 67th year behind the mic, Huston has announced races all over the world with 184,841 calls to date. He has served as the announcer for the Little Brown Jug at the Delaware County Fair for 58 years with his favourite being the 2015 edition when Wiggle It Jiggleit defeated Lost For Words. He also cites Falcon Seelster setting a world record at Delaware in 1985 and Dragons Lair defeating Nihilator to win the Breeders Crown at The Meadows in 1984 as some of his most memorable calls.

“I have never worked a day in my life,” said the 83-year-old Huston. “Every race is the most important race in harness racing for that owner, driver, trainer and caretaker. I have been criticized that I call every race like it’s the Jug, but any given race may be as close to racing in the Jug that the connections have, so they deserve the best of me.”

Inducted into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2001, Huston is one of the sport’s foremost race callers and has long been known as the voice of The Meadows. In September, he notified Little Brown Jug officials that he wanted to step back and call fewer races during Jug week beginning in 2025. Previously, he had called all 54 Jugettes and 57 straight Little Brown Jug races. Since 1967, more than 4,200 races have been conducted at the Delaware County Fair, almost all of them with Huston behind the mic.

As 2025 came to a close, Huston said he was honoured to be named the recipient of the Maynard & Stella Hagemeyer Significant Contribution Award.

“When I began announcing in 1960, I worked many county fairs with Stella Hagemeyer. It seemed like everywhere I went, Stella was working as clerk of course,” he said. “Those were the days when we had eligibility papers for horses that had to be filled out by hand, and entries were taken over the phone since there were no computers for entries. To understand the process, I always arrived early to work with Stella, recording payments, driver changes and scratches. Stella was the best at her job and as a person as well, and to earn the award named in her honour means as much to me as any other award.”

The Ohio-based connections of 2025 Breeders Crown champions Always B Naughty, Miki And Minnie and Sippinonsearoc were presented Special Recognition Awards, honoured for their contributions to the betterment of harness racing in Ohio.

Always B Naughty was the Breeders Crown champion in the Open Mare Pace by five lengths in 1:48.1, setting a new stakes record while giving driver Austin Hanners, trainer Todd Luther and owner Greg Luther their first-ever Breeders Crown titles.

Bred and owned in part by Bob Mondillo, Miki And Minnie scored a second straight Breeders Crown title in 2025, doing so in the Three-Year-Old Filly Pace division in a dead heat with The Last Martini in 1:49.2. 

Sippinonsearoc was the lone Ohio-bred to win a Breeders Crown title in 2025, taking the Three-Year-Old Colt Pace in a stakes-record 1:47.3. He was co-bred by Alesha Binkley and is owned in part by R A S Racing and Knox Services. 

The Ohio Chapter of the United State Harness Writers Association (USHWA) also presented awards at the horsemen's banquet.

Luke Hanners to receive the newly renamed Hunter Myers Memorial Award from the Ohio Chapter of the USHWA. The Ohio Chapter recently voted to rename its Peter Haughton Memorial Award to the Hunter Myers Memorial Award. Hanners, 25, secured his first win at the Champaign County (Urbana) Fair on Aug. 9, 2017 with Save Me A Place in 1:59.4. In 2025, he amassed a career high 249 wins and more than $3.3 million USD in earnings. On Oct. 4, he recorded his 1,000th career win with Travel Nurse in the Buckeye Stallion Series final at Northfield Park. He ranked fifth in the Scioto Downs and Dayton Raceway driver’s standings. Hanners is the son of Alicia and the late Brad Hanners.

Longtime driver, trainer and racing official Lester “Bud” Teeters was honoured for his years of dedicated service to the sport as the recipient of the Rambling Willie Award. In 1999, Teeters hung up his driving colours and transitioned to the judges’ stand, beginning as an associate before being appointed presiding judge at Northfield Park in 2005 — a role he would hold for the next 20 years. Over those two decades, Teeters earned a reputation for fairness, a peaceful demeanor and a soft‑spoken approach in his dealings with both horsemen and patrons. 

Former Northfield Park executive Tom Aldrich, who first hired Bud as an associate and later worked beside him in the stand, often marvelled at his ability to navigate tense situations during horsemen’s hearings, field calls from disgruntled gamblers, and maintain unwavering composure throughout. Amy Hollar, the Track Rep, who sat in on many of those hearings, appreciated not only his professionalism but also the many “off‑the‑record” conversations they shared — not just as representative and judge, but as two people whose lives were deeply rooted in the horse. Teeters is currently enjoying retirement with his wife Denise and son Tad in Canton.

Ronnie Wrenn Jr., one of the Buckeye state’s best reinsmen, has been selected as the Winner’s Circle Award recipient for his outstanding 2025 season. The 39-year-old native of Michigan found himself in second in wins (341) and UDRS (.388) at The Meadows. He had 547 wins and $9 million USD in purse earnings in 2025. The highlights of his 2025 campaign included his victories in the Grade 1 North America Cup and Little Brown Jug with Louprint and his win in the Grade 1 Breeders Crown with two-year-old filly pacer Loua Dipa. The win was Wrenn’s second in that lucrative series. Wrenn also scored wins in the James Doherty Memorial (Atlantic Summer), Ohio Sire Stakes final (Seaside Shuffle) and Old Oaken Bucket (Cheers Hanover). This is the second straight year Wrenn has won this award.

The 2025 Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees, selected by members of the Ohio Chapter of the USHWA, were also celebrated at the awards banquet, including noted Grand Circuit driver/trainer Billy Herman and three-time Ohio Sire Stakes champion Victory Is Coming.

Billy Herman was born Feb. 21, 1940, in Frankfort, Ohio, and grew up in Good Hope, Ohio. He developed a love for horses at a young age while riding his pony to school and cleaning stalls at the Washington Court House, Ohio fairgrounds. His passion for harness racing led him to compete at Ohio fairs and raceways, where he honed his skills and gained valuable experience.

In the 1970s, Herman left his hometown and moved to New York to pursue his career at Roosevelt and Yonkers raceways. In 1972, he relocated to southern Florida to work as the second trainer for renowned horseman George Sholty. When Sholty was injured in 1976, Herman took over as the primary driver for the stable and continued to achieve success. He also worked for the John Simpson Stable.

During his career, Herman trained and drove numerous champion horses, winning the Kentucky Futurity with Noble Rogue and Texas. He won the Kentucky Filly Futurity three times and he won the Hambletonian Oaks with Cora T. He also claimed victories in the Woodrow Wilson and Jugette, and he won top races with Scarlet Skipper and Franz Hanover.

He is probably best remembered for multiple Dan Patch Award-winning filly Toy Poodle. As this year’s Proximity Award winner, Bill O’Donnell, recalls, “He had some really great horses, but the first that comes to mind is Toy Poodle. She had to race against the boys a lot of the time — and she beat them.”

Records for at least the first two decades of his career were not documented, but as a driver, Herman amassed well over 1,400 career wins and earned significantly more than the $10 million USD in purses reflected in his United States Trotting Association statistics.

Throughout his career, Herman was known as an all-around horseman, respected trainer and skilled driver who left a lasting impact on the harness racing community. As Chuck Sylvester sums up, “We all wanted him to drive our horses. He was a very good driver — very easy on a horse and incredibly patient. That really stood out.”

Victory Is Coming, a Victory Sam mare out of the Overcomer mare Norse Comer, was bred by Success Acres. She was purchased as a yearling from the Ohio Select Sale for $13,500 by John “Red” and Betty Shaw of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and trained for most of her career by Ammon Hersberger.

As a two-year-old, she won half of her 10 seasonal starts and finished second in the Ohio Sires Stakes final. In her sophomore season, she had 16 wins in 23 starts and another runner-up finish in the OHSS final. Victory Is Coming also won back-to-back-to-back OHSS finals as an aged trotter in 2014 to 2016. A tough Open trotter who often raced against the boys, Victory Is Coming won seven straight races in 2016 as a nine-year-old. Victory Is Coming retired from racing in 2017 with 68 wins in 163 starts and earned $711,159.

As a broodmare, she produced six foals, including Johnnyreds Victory, a career winner of nearly $150,000.

Victory Is Coming's owner's John “Red” and Betty Shaw, recognized by industry peers throughout the Midwest for their over 40 years of involvement in racing, were elected as the Hall of Fame Immortals.

Mr. Shaw was raised on a farm in Newcomerstown, was a member of 4-H and worked showing cattle in New Philadelphia, Sunbury, and finally Mt. Vernon, where he met and married Betty, a partnership that lasted 50 years, coinciding with “Red’s” new business, John Red Shaw Auctioneer, which he operated for 52 years.

It was in Knox County where “Red” and Betty formed a liking for harness racing that started at the local county fairs, which led to attending and purchasing at horse sales throughout the region. It is said that Betty had a “good eye” at the sales and enjoyed spending time at the family farm with those that she had picked, many of whom went on to successful racing careers.

While the family was growing with a daughter Brenda and sons Tim and Andy, so was the size of their racing stable. While their great trotter, Victory is Coming, was their most successful and popular horse, over the course of 35 years the Shaw’s stable owned or bred over 325 horses. They raced all over the Midwest and were recognized by their peers not only for their talent in and around racetracks, but equally as some of the nicest, hardworking people in our industry.

“Red” passed away in October of 2020 at the age of 81 and Betty passed away in April of 2023 at the age of 84. At the time of their passing, the family had grown to include three grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Their contributions to harness racing were significant and everlasting.

(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association & USHWA; photo of Big Ranger winning on Sept. 16, 2025)