With the books closed on the 63rd consecutive racing season at Maywood Park, the 2009 honours for top driver and trainer went to Josh Sutton and David McCaffrey, respectively.
The 27-year-old Sutton completely outdistanced his competition on the half-mile oval, as he guided home 188 winners. He also had 126 second-place finishes and 106 third-place finishes from 857 starts. The Lebanon, Ohio native won at an astounding 22% clip while racking up more than $750,000 in purse money at Maywood Park. Overall, Sutton posted 331 victories in 2009, which was 72 more than his previous high of 259 which he posted back in 2006.
Tyler Buter, who was also the runner-up in the Balmoral Park driver standings, finished second at Maywood as well, as he posted 144 victories in 907 starts while piling up $730,000 in earnings.
McCaffrey, who has become a familiar face atop the trainer standings, notched his fourth consecutive title and his sixth in the last eight years by sending out 60 winners, 47 second-place finishers and 37 third-place finishers from 319 starters. Mc Caffrey-trained horses also led the way in purses with just over $350,000 in earnings.
Brent Plotner was second in the trainer standings with 40 winners from just 168 starters, giving him an outstanding winning percentage of almost 24%.
Favourites clicked at a 45.4% rate during the 2009 season and the 'chalk' hit the board almost 75% of the time. As usual on the half-mile oval, the coveted inside starting spot clicked at the top rate of 22%.
The 2010 racing season at Maywood Park will get underway on Thursday, January 28. Maywood Park will race on Thursdays and Fridays throughout 2010 with a first-race post time of 7:20 p.m. (central).
(Maywood)