A capacity crowd gathered in the Carousel Room at Western Fair on Saturday evening for the Raceway’s annual awards banquet and ceremonies

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Along with nine categories of horse awards, the top trainer and driver of 2008 at the London, ON track were also saluted along with a special award of merit and lifetime service recipient.

Among the most jubilant of the award recipients were Shirley and Kerry House of St. Jacobs, ON. They are the owners of Western Fair’s Pacing Horse or Gelding of the Year Award Winner, Pacific Oak.

“We’ve owned horses for 20 years and Pacific Oak is our best horse ever” Shirley House said. “His trainer and driver Ken Oliver has done just an excellent job with him. A big secret with him too is his groom, Laura Ireland. It’s just great when we come to the track and see them together. They have a mutual respect for each other and she’s been a big part of Pacific Oak becoming the horse that he is,” she added.

“He was a private purchase for $25,000 and he’s gone far beyond what we expected” says Ken Oliver. “To win the Preferred Pace in London on all those occasions last year was really exciting with his come from behind style. Once we cured him of being hot behind the gate he became a really nice, handy horse. When we were told we’d won this award we bought a table of eight for the banquet and never had a second thought about coming over from Hamilton to enjoy the moment and give our thanks for this,” Oliver added.

Horse Of The Year category award winners at Western Fair are determined by purse earnings for those making a minimum of six starts at the track in the calendar year.

Pacific Oak, a six year old Pacific Rocket-Yankee Delray gelding had 2008 earnings which topped $95,000. Over half of that was put on his card from his starts at Western Fair as he won the Preferred-2 and the Preferred Pace on five occasions by margins ranging from three to nine lengths.

The other category award winners:

Pacing Mare: Stonebridge Celest
During her six-year-old campaign at Western Fair in 2008 the daughter of Camluck from No Paradise took a life’s mark of 1:53.3 on the Molson Pace undercard when she upset Luck Of Michelle. She’s trained by Larry Fitzsimmons for owner Clarence Beitz of Mildmay, ON and her driver was Alfie Carroll. Stonebridge Celest earned almost $90,000 last year, with over half of that total coming from her appearances in the weekly Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace in London.

Pacing Filly: Keystone Mystique
The daughter of Camluck from Miss Rose is owned by Glenview Livestock of Wallenstein, ON. Many of the finest moments of her three year old season were at Western Fair in 2008 as she swept through the A-TV/City Of London Series last June. Her trainer is Paul Taylor and her driver was Trevor Henry. In 2008 Keystone Mystique earned $122,000 with about half of that total coming from her starts in London.

Pacing Colt or Gelding: My Secret Beau
My Secret Beau was a private purchase by trainer George McClure of Clinton, ON from Windsor’s Martin Martinos just before he swept the eliminations and final of last June’s A-TV/City Of London Series and took his life’s mark of 1:54.4. Ownership of the Presidential Ball-Pretty Big Beau gelding is now held by Cathy and Darcy McClure. His driver was Bruce Richardson. About two-thirds of his 2008 earnings of $63,000 came from his starts at Western Fair.

Trotting Filly: Fa Mulan
The daughter of Berndt Hanover from Orianna Seelster was developed in the London area by trainer Richard Griffiths for owners Irene and Ming Siu of Richmond, British Columbia. When starting her career at Western in February and March of 2008 she reeled off a five race win streak and she also won an Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series division at Western Fair last June with Alex Lilley her regular driver. All told in 2008, Fa Mulan won 10 times from 26 starts for season’s earnings of more than $95,000.

Trotting Colt or Gelding: Corkemup
Corkemup, a son of Wesgate Crown from Cajalater got a late start to his three-year-old season but made the most of it for his owner-breeders Joey and James Ayotte of Grimsby, ON. In the Fall Meet at Western Fair he was dominant as he reeled off a five race win streak, which included the championship final of Middlesex County Series for his trainer and driver Randy Fritz. Corkemup won eight times from just 13 starts last year enroute to season’s earnings topping $62,000.

Trotting Mare: Windsong Dolly
The daughter of Southwind Lustre from Demures Image had a successful four-year-old campaign at Western Fair under the management of trainer George McClure for owners Cathy and Darcy McClure. From 29 starts last year, Windsong Dolly won five times for season’s earnings surpassing $33,000. Her drivers were Garrett Rooney, Bruce Richardson and Trevor Henry.

Trotting Horse or Gelding: Brawn Seelster
Brawn Seelster, a gelding by Berndt Hanover from Bambino Rose, was simply awesome in his London starts in 2008. Last May 30 on the Molson Pace undercard he was sent first over to win in 1:56 for the fastest trotting mile in the 47 year history of Western Fair as he defeated his archrivals Locofoco N and TJs Mr Lavec. Brawn Seelster earned almost $150,000 in 2008 with 13 wins for his co-owner Jeff Goreski of Richmond Hill, ON, and his co-owner, trainer and driver William ‘Callie’ Rankin of Dundas, ON.

Claimer Of The Year: Hot Blue Fame
Hot Blue Fame was a true grinder that produced eight wins from 19 starts last year. During his ten-year-old season, the son of Apaches Fame from Sea Blue was first campaigned in London by trainer Sue Gangell and then changed hands to the team of Tonya Backus and Mike Stoikopoulos. Last Spring, Hot Blue Fame ran up a four race win streak at Western Fair when producing his season’s best clocking of 1:56.3.

Trainer Of The Year: Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor is a repeat winner of the Trainer Of The Year award at Western Fair. The resident of Clinton, ON celebrated his 49th birthday last Fall in the midst of a career best year as he sent out over 900 starters, and 165 of them returned as winners for almost $1.3 million dollars in 2008 purse earnings. Roughly half of Taylor’s wins and earnings last year came from Western Fair as he sent out an army of competitors including Keystone Mystique, Missionacomplished, Kesons Sergei, Hes Bo Diddy, Star Reward, Silver Bar and Blinker Hanover.

Driver Of The Year: Brad Forward
Brad recaptures Western Fair’s Driver Of The Year Award which he won in 2006 but relinquished to Jason Brewer in 2007. In 2008, Brad took 2,413 starters to the gate and brought home 582 winners for just under $4 million in purse earnings. At Western Fair in 2008 Brad again topped the $1 million plateau in purse earnings from over 140 winners with top performers such as Blissed Out, St Lads Seraph, Cams Best Bet, A Feisty Affair, Secret Weapon, Pacific Prince, Tymal Sophia and Jayporthasitall. Brad is off to a fast start in 2009 as the first driver at Western Fair to surpass 50 driving wins and he’ll soon be representing Ontario at the National Driving Championship to be held at Fraser Downs.

Award Of Merit/Lifetime Achievement: Cliff Penalagan
Penalagan, 76, was presented with the Wall Tyme Stable Award by horseman Dave Wall. In his testimonial speech, Wall recounted Cliff’s career and their friendship spanning more than four decades at Western Fair. Penalagan is the owner or breeder of London area standout performers including C P Lightning, 28 wins, $102,000; C P Flyer, 27 wins, $115,000; and C P Lad, 17 wins, $57,000. Penalagan is still a London based hobby horseman and has sent out 17 starters to date in 2009 at Western Fair.

(Western Fair)