Of the pacers named as 2024 O'Brien Award finalists, which horse do you feel has the best chance of being named the 2024 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year?
The winners of all the divisions and the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year will be announced at the O’Brien Awards Gala on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, which will take place at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale. Here's a look at the pacing finalists.
Chantilly and Wickedpace are finalists in the Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly category.
Canada’s fastest two-year filly this past season, Chantilly finished her freshman campaign with an impressive nine wins from nine starts for conditioner Nick Gallucci. The daughter of Big Jim bankrolled $761,000, collecting the Shes A Great Lady and Eternal Camnation stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park along with six Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) victories. In her final start of the season, Chantilly dominated her competition in the OSS Super Final, winning by 6-1/2 lengths while stopping the clock in 1:50.2 to equal her lifetime mark.
The McWicked filly Wickedpace had an impressive two-year-old campaign. In five starts in the Ontario Sires Stakes, the Paul Cameron trainee posted two wins and three seconds, all coming to Chantilly. The Battle of the Belles champ concluded the season with four wins and $330,800 in earnings from nine starts.
The finalists for the Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt category are Crack Shot and Stonebridge Wizard.
A regally-bred son of Bettors Delight, Crack Shot raced almost exclusively in the Ontario Sires Stakes program. He earned $238,825 from eight starts, posting five victories. Winning two OSS Grassroots early in the year, the Gregg McNair trainee caught fire near the end of the season, winning the Grassroots Final before moving up to the Gold ranks. Success followed, with a second-place finish in his Gold debut before capturing the OSS Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Stonebridge Wizard enjoyed a successful freshman campaign, picking up two Ontario Sires Stakes Gold events for trainer Jared Bako. Collecting $284,100 from nine starts, the gelded son of Dancin Lou won five of those appearances, including a hard-fought triumph in the Battle of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway where he earned his 1:51.2 lifetime mark.
Its A Love Thing and Odds On Platinum are the finalists in the Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly division.
An O’Brien Award finalist as a two-year-old, Its A Love Thing looks to collect the award this year after falling short last year. As a sophomore, Its A Love Thing was a model of consistency, winning half of her 14 starts while missing the board only twice. She scored notable victories in the Fan Hanover Stakes and the Jerry Silverman Memorial. The daughter of Bettors Delight amassed $843,884 throughout her campaign for trainer David Menary.
Odds On Platinum posted another fruitful campaign for conditioner Dr. Ian Moore. The well-travelled sophomore by Bettors Delight collected $751,389 in 19 starts, counting the Courageous Lady at Northfield Park, James M. Lynch Memorial at Pocono Downs, and OSS Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park among her seven seasonal victories.
Legendary Hanover and Nijinsky headline the Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt division.
Capturing the O’Brien Award as a two-year-old, the Anthony Beaton-trained Legendary Hanover returned for another successful campaign at three. The son of Huntsville collected $1,075,535 from 14 starts with nine wins and 12 top-three finishes. Impressive wins included victories in the Meadowlands Pace and Cane Pace, both at The Meadowlands, as well as the Empire Breeders Classic at Tioga Downs.
After only winning once as a freshman in 2023, Nijinsky stamped himself as a major player in the glamour boy division in 2024. Another Anthony Beaton trainee, the Bettors Delight son captured the $1 million North America Cup this past June en route to bankrolling $1,665,887 in his sophomore season. From 17 starts, Nijinsky collected 11 wins, including the Somebeachsomewhere, Simcoe Stakes and Monument Circle. A dominant force in his Ontario Sires Stakes division, Nijinsky was a perfect four-for-four, capped with a win in the OSS Super Final.
Sylvia Hanover and Twin B Joe Fresh are finalists in the Older Pacing Mare division.
Reigning Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year, Sylvia Hanover will hope to add more hardware to her already full cabinet. The daughter of Always B Miki dominated her opposition in the Clara Barton Distaff Pace at Plainridge Park and Allerage Mares Pace at The Red Mile. Although only winning three times from 17 starts, the Shawn & Mark Steacy trainee posted 12 top-three finishes and accrued $492,700 in purses throughout her four-year-old season to eclipse the $2 million mark in lifetime earnings.
A daughter of Roll With Joe, Twin B Joe Fresh was the dominant force in the older mares division this past season. With 11 wins from 13 starts, the Chris Ryder trainee collected $1,231,252 with notable wins in the Breeders Crown, Dayton Distaff Derby and FanDuel Open Mare Pace as well as the Roses Are Red Stakes and Milton Stakes to sweep the ‘Canadian Older Mares’ double.
Abuckabett Hanover and Taurasi are the Older Pacing Horse finalists.
Trained by Andrew Harris, Abuckabett Hanover found his footing in the open division as a six-year-old and had the best year of his career in 2024. Totalling $1,144,111 in seasonal earnings, the son of Betting Line posted major stakes victories in the William R. Haughton Memorial and FanDuel Open Pace at The Meadowlands along with two Preferreds at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A gelded son of Racing Hill campaigned by three trainers, Taurasi was the dominant force in the Preferred ranks this past season at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Racing almost exclusively at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Taurasi won the Preferred Pace in nine consecutive appearances — winning 11 in total — to boost his bankroll of $304,963.
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(Standardbred Canada)