Divisional 2011 Dan Patch Winners

San Pail was a big winner again and Check Me Out dominated once more

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San Pail, who ended the season the No. 1-ranked horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll after winning 14 of 16 races and finishing second twice, was named harness racing’s best older male trotter for 2011 by the U.S. Harness Writers Association in Dan Patch Award voting released Tuesday.

Check Me Out, who also won 14 of 16 races and finished second twice, was selected the sport’s best two-year-old filly trotter. Check Me Out was the highest vote-getter, named on 116 of the 117 ballots received by the U.S. Trotting Association, which tabulated the voting.

Award-winners were named in 12 age-based divisions for trotters and pacers. The results of USHWA balloting for Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year will be announced at the organization’s annual Dan Patch Awards dinner, to be held February 12 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld in Florida.

Other division winners were two-year-old male trotter Possess The Will, two-year-old male pacer Sweet Lou, two-year-old filly pacer Economy Terror, three-year-old male trotter Broad Bahn, three-year-old male pacer Roll With Joe, three-year-old filly trotter Cedar Dove, three-year-old filly pacer See You At Peelers, older male pacer Foiled Again, older female trotter Action Broadway and older female pacer Anndrovette.

See You At Peelers is the only repeat winner, having captured best two-year-old filly pacer in 2010.

Ron Burke, who was named Trainer of the Year, had two champions in Sweet Lou and Foiled Again. Noel Daley also had two champs with Broad Bahn and Cedar Dove.

Foiled Again, who earned $1.40 million this season at the age of seven, became the oldest pacer in history to have a million-dollar campaign. Broad Bahn won this year’s closest balloting, beating Manofmanymissions, 45-41. Broad Bahn won the Hambletonian and is the seventh winner in the last eight years to claim division honours.

Canadian-based San Pail received 114 of 117 votes. Trained by Rod Hughes, who owns the horse with Glenn Van Camp, San Pail won $1.28 million this season thanks to wins in the Breeders Crown, Maple Leaf Trot, Nat Ray Invitational, Credit Winner, and Allerage Trot.

Check Me Out’s victories included the Breeders Crown, Merrie Annabelle and Matron stakes. She was second in the Peaceful Way and earned $900,619 for owners Charles Iannazzo and Ray Schnittker, who trained the filly.

See You At Peelers won her first nine races of the year, which stretched her career unbeaten streak to 22 races, before health woes struck. She finished the campaign with nine victories in 12 starts and $916,611. Her 22-race win streak was the fourth longest in the U.S. over the last 20 years and done against primarily stakes competition. She also became the first filly to race against the boys in the Art Rooney Pace, which she won by 3-1/2 lengths, at Yonkers Raceway.

TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Possess The Will (85 votes)
Donato Hanover-Aurora Hall-Self Possessed
Breeder: Hanover Shoe Farms.
Owner: Fashion Farms.
Trainer: Jim Campbell. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 12-7-2-1 Purses: $550,789. Mark: 1:54 at The Red Mile.
Top wins: $410,000 Valley Victory; $85,250 Bluegrass division.

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Check Me Out (116 votes)
Donato Hanover-Illusion Bi-Toss Out
Breeders: Az Agricola Biasuzzi Srl, Scuderia Gina Biasuzzi.
Owners: Raymond Schnittker, Charles Iannazzo.
Trainer: Raymond Schnittker. Drivers: Tim Tetrick, Ron Pierce.
Races: 16-14-2-0. Purses: $900,619. Mark: 1:53.2f at Dover Downs (world record).
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $333,200 Merrie Annabelle.

THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Broad Bahn (45 votes)
Broadway Hall-Madonarail-Donerail
Breeder: Fair Winds Farm.Owner: Fam Alber Horse Racing.
Trainer: Noel Daley. Driver: George Brennan.
Races: 19-5-8-2. Purses: $1.32 million. Mark: 1:53 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $1.5 million Hambletonian; $122,420 Zweig division.

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Cedar Dove (50 votes)
Andover Hall-Pine For Her-Pine Chip
Breeders: Robert Anderson, Rod Ferguson.
Owners: Adam Victor & Son Stable, John Fielding.
Trainer: Noel Daley. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Races: 17-7-2-3. Purses: $543,316. Mark: 1:53.2s at Woodbine.
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $291,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity.

OLDER MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
San Pail (114 votes)
San Pellegrino-Village Beauty-Balanced Image
Breeder: Glenn Van Camp.
Owners: Glenn Van Camp, Rod Hughes.
Trainer: Rod Hughes. Driver: Randy Waples.
Races: 16-14-2-0. Purses: $1.28 million. Mark: 1:50.4 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $766,500 Maple Leaf Trot; $600,000 Breeders Crown.

OLDER FEMALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Action Broadway (90 votes)
Broadway Hall-Photo With Molly-SJs Photo
Breeder: Kenneth Sommer.
Owner: Kenneth Sommer.
Trainer: Virgil Morgan Jr. Drivers: Dave Palone, Brian Sears, Mark MacDonald.
Races: 27-10-7-2. Purses: $538,944. Mark: 1:52.3 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $366,450 Armbro Flight; $164,000 Muscle Hill.

TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Sweet Lou (89 votes)
Yankee Cruiser-Sweet Future-Falcons Future
Breeder: Birnam Wood Farms.
Owners: Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr, Phillip Collura.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: Dave Palone.
Races: 12-10-2-0. Purses: $686,647. Mark: 1:49s at Woodbine (world record).
Top wins: $650,000 Breeders Crown; $200,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final.

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
Economy Terror (78 votes)
Western Terror-Mattatonic-Matts Scooter
Breeder: VAE LLC.
Owners: Chuck Pompey, Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold.
Trainer: Chris Oakes. Driver: Brian Sears.
Races: 11-8-3-0. Purses: $926,520. Mark: 1:50.3f at Harrah’s Chester (world record).
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $380,000 Three Diamonds.

THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Roll With Joe (98 votes)
Cams Card Shark-Classic Wish-Armbro Emerson
Breeder: Winbak Farm.
Owners: Blue Chip Bloodstock, Stephen Demeter, Not To Worry Stable, Winbak Farm.
Trainer: Ed Hart. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Races: 14-6-4-2. Purses: $1.64 million. Mark: 1:48.2 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $1 million Meadowlands Pace; $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine; $401,000 Messenger.

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
See You At Peelers (109 votes)
Bettors Delight-West Side Glory-Western Ideal
Breeder: Christina Takter.
Owners: Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim Fielding.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Drivers: Marcus Johansson, Brian Sears.
Races: 12-9-1-0 Purses: $916,611. Mark: 1:49.2f at Tioga Downs.
Top wins: $613,020 Fan Hanover; $350,000 Valley Forge

OLDER MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Foiled Again (88 votes)
Dragon Again-In A Safe Place-Artsplace
Breeder: Barbara Matthews.
Owners: Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Races: 28-14-6-5. Purses: $1.40 million. Mark: 1:48.1s at Mohawk.
Top wins: $335,000 Quillen Memorial; $306,000 Molson.

OLDER FEMALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Anndrovette (86 votes)
Riverboat King-Easy Miss-Big Towner
Breeder: Golden Touch Stable.
Owners: Jeffrey Bamond, Joseph Davino.
Trainer: Mark Kesmodel. Drivers: Tim Tetrick, Luc Ouellette, George Brennan.
Races: 20-11-2-2. Purses: $747,112. Mark: 1:49.2s at Woodbine.
Top wins: $300,000 Breeders Crown; $178,000 Artiscape.

To view the full voting results, click here.