A week-long trip for two to the Vincent Delaney Memorial festival in Dublin, Ireland, headlines the 2016 Dan Patch Awards Night live/silent auction at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 on Sunday, March 6.

Tickets are sold out for this gala event held by the United States Harness Writers Association. The Dan Patch Awards honour the top pacers and trotters in racing and the leading horsemen and women in the industry from the 2015 season.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, and those that cannot attend the dinner can still call-in or text-in bids on the auction items.

The lone live auction item is the trip for two to Ireland. The semi-flexible travel dates for the event are Wednesday, August 10 (right after the Hambletonian weekend) and returning Tuesday, August 16.

Included is $1,500 in airfare cash, six night hotel stay at the Hilton, Dublin, all transportation for events, a trip to Oakwood Stud Farm & Training Centre with lunch at a local pub, carriage ride through downtown Dublin with lunch in Temple Bar, two tickets to the August 12 kickoff gala dinner and VIP tent access both August 13 and 14 for the Vincent Delaney Memorial race cards.

The silent auction features the following items:

• Philadelphia Phillies Ticket Package with 2 tickets in the Diamond Club (best seats in the park!) and a parking pass for the following games: May 3 – Phillies Vs. Cincinnati, June 17 - Phillies Vs. Arizona, July 15 - Phillies vs. Mets plus three $50 VISA gift cards for food and souvenirs.

• CR Kay Suzie Collection with winning blanket from her 1995 victory in the Merrie Annabelle at The Meadowlands and Rod Allen’s whip from her 1994 Freehold Raceway victory in which she tied the world record in 1:59.

• A Bow River ‘for men’ jewelry package including a gold & silver men’s ring, money clip and cuff links all with sulky design.

• Two-night stay and dinner for two at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale.

• A rare watercolour harness racing painting by Cortland Butterfield (1904-1977) well known as a painter of figure, genre, still life and marine works. The painting features a driving finish of Lila Belle Rhythm at Liberty Bell Park. Dimensions are 36 x 18.

• Lovely Polish crystal dish with exclusive LV Harkness sand-carved harness racing design. Size is 10 x 6 x 4.

• Baseball/Harness Racing Memorabilia collection featuring an official 1998 American League Baseball/Mickey Mantle edition signed by 13 Hall of Famers: John Campbell, Robert Heyden, Wally Hennessy, Charles Keller III, Michel Lachance, Bob Marks, Sam McKee, David Miller, Ray Remmen, James Simpson, Chuck Sylvester, Jimmy Takter. Also in the collection is a Phillies warm up jacket signed by Dan Plesac (former pitcher for the Phillies) and a first edition Mickey Mantle comic book.

• Framed 2004 Wanda Morgan print of three horse heads. Print is numbered 6/400. Dimensions are 26.5 x 21.

• Large Italian flag signed by the connections of the international trotter Varenne, making it a one-of-a-kind collector’s item.

• Hoosier Park Gift Basket stuffed full of goodies.

• ’Nostalgic’ Harness Racing Memorabilia including programs/tip sheets from Roosevelt Raceway, Garden State Park, Lewiston, Green Mountain, Foxboro, Fox Stake trivet, a Garden State Park Groundbreaking plaque, Sportsman’s Park Leroy Neiman promotional poster, a copy of Chicago’s Horse Racing Venues by Kimberly Rinker, Red Mile retired logo items and a PA Harness backpack.

In order to bid on these items via phone or texting, please contact Steve Wolf ([email protected], 954-654-3757) or Ellen Taylor ([email protected], 317-867-5877).

(USHWA)