As Bee A Magician earned her second 2013 Horse of the Year title last Sunday at the Dan Patch Awards banquet in Dover, Delaware, co-owner Herb Liverman dedicated the special honour to a great gentleman of the sport.

Liverman dedicated the award to his father Irving, who owned horses for nearly 45 years. The 2002 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee, now 91 years old, was left paralyzed by a stroke a few years ago.

After going undefeated in 17 starts during her sophomore season in 2013, Bee A Magician was named Canada's Horse of the Year at the O'Brien Awards in early February prior to taking the U.S. honours as well. Liverman said his father would have loved learning that Bee A Magician, a daughter of his Ontario sire Kadabra, had been named the top horse in the U.S.

"That's why I made the dedication," Liverman was quoted as saying in a Guelph Mercury by Dave Briggs. "We're very, very close...We were a great team. He has a kind heart."

Liverman's father was a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot in World War II and successful Montreal businessman. He ventured into harness racing in 1969 and enjoyed success with numerous champions including the likes of Silent Majority and Handle With Care. He was also the general manager of the Canadiens Old-Timers, former secretary for the Hockey Hall of Fame's selection committee and personal friends with many Montreal Canadiens stars.

To read the Guelph Mercury article profiling the Livermans and their ties to harness racing and hockey, click here.

(With files from the Guelph Mercury)