It's not unusual for the Determination Stable to have finalists for the O'Brien Awards, which honour the best in Canadian harness racing. However, there's a new dimension to its 2024 nominations: for the first time, the stable has earned a spot on the shortlist for the Armstrong Breeder of the Year Award in Canada.
The nine starters produced by its small band of broodmares won 25 races and more than $1 million in purses in Canada.
Standouts included three-year-old trotting filly Drawn Impression and two-year-old colt Emoticon Legacy, the first foals of one of its past champions, Emoticon Hanover. Both captured Breeders Crown eliminations in the U.S. and made more than $200,000.
Another homebred filly, two-year-old trotter Lasting Dream, was runner-up in the Mohawk Million and collected almost $400,000.
Drawn Impression and Lasting Dream are both O'Brien Award finalists in their respective categories.
"It's special for the whole team to have horses we raised perform like that," said Determination trainer Luc Blais. "We raced the mares for Mr. Godin [owner Serge Godin] and now we're racing the babies."
Determination is a relatively small breeding operation with only nine broodmares and one stallion, Lookslikeachpndale, standing at Seelster Farm. Its Hambletonian champion Forbidden Trade was pulled from stud duty because of fertility issues but is servicing a few of the stable's own mares.
"I have a filly by him from Dream Together who is super nice," said Blais.
This year, he has another in the Emoticon line, Emoticon Walner, a two-year-old full brother to the stable's 2025 Hambletonian hopeful, Emoticon Legacy.
"I'm excited to start back with [Legacy]," said Blais. "The speed is there if he can just get a little stronger. He was always competitive, and we didn't start him that much."
Blais said Godin studies pedigree closely and they consult on where to send their mares. There aren't many new homebreds in the 40-horse stable for the 2025 season, "but we should have six the following year."
In addition to its own products, Determination got strong results in 2024 from many of its auction purchases.
Despite winning only one race, three-year-old Muscle Hill trotter Private Access earned more than $400,000. Three-year-old pacing filly Collusion Hanover, who Blais said was the biggest surprise, captured the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots final and was a good third in the Super Final.
The stable had 10 winners of $100,000-plus, most of them driven regularly by Quebec native Louis-Philippe Roy, who has succeeded Bob McClure as the stable's go-to driver. In 2024, Roy set a career-high in earnings, with just under $8.3 million, and is also an O'Brien Award finalist as Canada's Driver of the Year.
"We have a good relationship with him," said Blais. "There's good chemistry, good communication."
Collectively, Determination horses produced 58 wins and just over $2.5 million in purses in 2024, 80 per cent of it in Canada.
"It was a good year," said Blais, one he'll be toasting with his team at the O'Brien Awards gala on Feb. 8 in Mississauga.
"In the winter, when we don't get out much, it's a highlight...like a family party," he said.
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(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean; photos courtesy New Image Media)