The United States Harness Writers Association has announced that Quebec native Yannick Gingras has been unanimously voted the Dan Patch Award winner for driver of the year in the United States.
At the time of this writing, Gingras has steered his mounts to more than $16.7 million in purse earning this season. The 35-year-old pilot recently recorded a record-tying four wins in the Breeders Crown championships, which took place at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
For the annual Dan Patch awards given to humans, the chapters of USHWA send in their various nominees, and balloting is conducted among eligible voters of its 220 members, plus a select group of racing secretaries. This year, every chapter sending in a Driver nomination selected Gingras, and so no further balloting is needed.
The 2014 racing season has seen Gingras handle many of the sport’s stars. Perhaps most tellingly is that he was the ‘first call’ driver for the two barns that have dominated much of the stakes scene this year, those of Ron Burke and of Jimmy Takter. Of Gingras’ four Breeders Crown wins, two were from the Burke Stable (Mission Brief and Sayitall BB) and two were from the Takter operation (Pinkman and Father Patrick). The 2014 racing season also saw Gingras help the 10-year-old Foiled Again further his world record career earnings mark, which currently stands at $6,769,531.
Gingras was the leading driver for the 2014 season at the Meadowlands Racetrack, a facility that features what many consider to be the best harness drivers in the world. Another highlight for Gingras was returning to his native Quebec and winning the $200,000 Prix d’Ete at his ‘home track,’ Hippodrome 3R (Trois-Rivieres), where his victory with the Takter-trained Sunfire Blue Chip was cheered by many members of his family, a group which plays as important a part of Gingras’ life as harness racing does, according to him.
Gingras will receive his award at USHWA’s annual Dan Patch Awards Banquet, which will be held Sunday, February 22, 2015 at the Doubletree Hilton Orlando (FL) at Sea World.
(With files from USHWA)
FELICITATIONS jeune home, ton
FELICITATIONS jeune home, ton grand pere serait tres fier de toi ainsi que tes parents, dit bonjour a ton pere pour moi, et que la chance te souri dans le future.