With the 2012 Canadian harness racing calendar complete, Trot Insider has compiled a list of the season’s leading drivers and trainers at racetracks across the country in recognition of their accomplishments.
Sylvain Filion enjoyed a career-year in the sulky en route to earning the title as Canada’s top money earning driver of the year. The 43-year-old resident of Milton, Ont. amassed more than $8.3 million in purses. Among his 432 wins were the Golden Girls with Rebeka Bayama, New Jersey Classic and Simcoe Stakes with Panther Hanover, Masters Stakes with Sparky Mark, Champlain Stakes, William Wellwood Memorial and Breeders Crown with Wheeling N Dealin, Champlain Stakes with Toocool Forschool, and two Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals with Prestidigitator and Smarty Pants. Filion also earned the Lampman Cup for topping the OSS standings in 2012 and capped off the season with an O’Brien Award nomination.
Meanwhile, driver Trevor Henry topped the charts in the win column with a career-high 533 victories on the year. The 41-year-old Arthur, Ont. horseman crushed the competition at multiple tracks throughout the season earning titles at Clinton Raceway, Grand River Raceway, Hanover Raceway and Western Fair Raceway. He drove multiple OSS winners en route to placing in the Lampman Cup standings, including Grassroots champion Dancehall Mistress, and banked more than $3.4 million in purses along the way.
Ryan Ellis was the leading percentage driver of the year scoring a career-best 84 wins in 284 starts for an average of .418. With all but one of his wins occurring at Truro Raceway, the 32-year-old Brookfield, N.S. reinsman came close to doubling his leading win total from 2011 at his home track. Season highlights for Ellis included winning the Maritime Breeders with Carol Alice and an Atlantic Sires Stakes event with Woodmere Trakeater at Exhibition Park Raceway.
On the training side, Richard Moreau enjoyed a career-year in 2012 while leading the nation for both wins and money earnings. His stable, mainly consisting of claiming and conditioning horses, recorded 344 wins while banking more than $3.6 million in purses. The 48-year-old resident of Puslinch, Ont., who earned an O’Brien Award nomination for his accomplishments, topped the charts at Woodbine Racetrack, Georgian Downs and Grand River Raceway.
Rene Allard was the nation’s leading percentage trainer once again with an average of .465. The 25-year-old Saint-Esprit, Que. conditioner, who operates stables in both Canada and the U.S., won a career-high 306 races in 989 Canadian starts. With the majority of those wins occurring at Rideau Carleton Raceway, Allard dominated at the Ottawa oval with his own crew of claiming and conditioning horses.
**All statistics include Canadian starts from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
Alberta Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Kelly Hoerdt ($361,646)
Top Driver (Wins) – Kelly Hoerdt (66)
Top Trainer (Money) – Keith Clark ($321,369)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Kelly Hoerdt (51)
Charlottetown Driving Park
Top Driver (Money) - Marc Campbell ($266,090)
Top Driver (Wins) - Marc Campbell (130)
Top Trainer (Money) – Marc Campbell ($117,064)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Kenny Arsenault (55)
Clinton Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Trevor Henry ($195,189)
Top Driver (Wins) – Trevor Henry (39)
Top Trainer (Money) – Corey Johnson ($60,960)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Paul Taylor (10)
Dresden Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Kevin Wallis ($191,979)
Top Driver (Wins) – Kevin Wallis (58)
Top Trainer (Money) – Ron Adams ($28,379)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Ron Adams (11)
Exhibition Park Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Gilles Barrieau ($59,184)
Top Driver (Wins) – Gilles Barrieau (62)
Top Trainer (Money) – Michael Downey ($28,701)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Michael Downey (27)
Fredericton Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Gilles Barrieau ($43,975)
Top Driver (Wins) - Gilles Barrieau (43)
Top Trainer (Money) – Wade Sorrie ($16,695)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Michael Downey (15)
Flamboro Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Billy Davis Jr. ($1,450,103)
Top Driver (Wins) – J.R. Plante (250)
Top Trainer (Money) – Joe Pereira ($332,684)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Joe Pereira (56)
Fraser Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Jim Marino ($947,802)
Top Driver (Wins) – Jim Marino (136)
Top Trainer (Money) – Scott Knight ($421,316)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Scott Knight (56)
Georgian Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Sylvain Filion ($1,067,347)
Top Driver (Wins) – Scott Coulter (138)
Top Trainer (Money) – Richard Moreau ($710,959)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Richard Moreau (100)
Grand River Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Trevor Henry ($768,955)
Top Driver (Wins) – Trevor Henry (123)
Top Trainer (Money) – David Menary ($394,610)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Richard Moreau (32)
Hanover Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Trevor Henry ($257,296)
Top Driver (Wins) – Trevor Henry (46)
Top Trainer (Money) – Paul Taylor ($98,385)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Paul Taylor (21)
Hiawatha Horse Park
Top Driver (Money) – Kevin Wallis ($373,270)
Top Driver (Wins) – Kevin Wallis (73)
Top Trainer (Money) – Bob McIntosh ($91,544)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Ray Farmer (19)
Hippodrome 3R
Top Driver (Money) – Marcel Barrieau ($54,600)
Top Driver (Wins) – Jocelyn Gendron (11)
Top Trainer (Money) – Justin Filion ($52,370)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Justin Filion (8)
Hippodrome Quebec
Top Driver (Money) – Sylvain Lacaille ($55,715)
Top Driver (Wins) – Pascal Berube (16)
Top Trainer (Money) – Martine Biron ($20,414)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Michel Fontaine (6)
Kawartha Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Gord Brown ($808,222)
Top Driver (Wins) – Gord Brown (152)
Top Trainer (Money) – Dean Nixon ($236,440)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Dean Nixon (47)
Inverness Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Redmond Doucet ($33,473)
Top Driver (Wins) – Ryan Campbell (50)
Top Trainer (Money) – Marc Campbell ($15,330)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Walter Walker (17)
Mohawk Racetrack
Top Driver (Money) – Jody Jamieson ($3,330,914)
Top Driver (Wins) – Scott Zeron (119)
Top Trainer (Money) – Jimmy Takter ($1,972,715)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Tony O'Sullivan (54)
Northlands Park
Top Driver (Money) – Gerry Hudon ($316,960)
Top Driver (Wins) – Gerry Hudon (60)
Top Trainer (Money) – Keith Clark ($312,154)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Gerry Hudon (48)
Northside Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Ryan Campbell ($26,568)
Top Driver (Wins) – Ryan Campbell (47)
Top Trainer (Money) – Heather Hawkins ($16,810)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Heather Hawkins (21)
Rideau Carleton Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Simon Allard ($2,099,777)
Top Driver (Wins) – Simon Allard (389)
Top Trainer (Money) – Rene Allard ($1,291,230)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Rene Allard (231)
St. John’s Racing & Entertainment Centre
Top Driver (Money) – Shane Forward ($7,230)
Top Driver (Wins) – Shane Forward (17)
Top Trainer (Money) – Scott Forward ($10,954)
Top Trainer (Wins) - Scott Forward (24)
Sudbury Downs
Top Driver (Money) – Paul MacLean ($514,414)
Top Driver (Wins) – Jason Ryan (93)
Top Trainer (Money) – France MacLean ($388,625)
Top Trainer (Wins) – France MacLean (64)
Summerside Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Marc Campbell ($75,062)
Top Driver (Wins) – Marc Campbell (33)
Top Trainer (Money) – Earl Watts ($30,364)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Blaine McKenna (14)
Truro Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Marc Campbell ($69,205)
Top Driver (Wins) – Ryan Ellis (83)
Top Trainer (Money) – Danny Romo ($46,156)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Danny Romo (29)
Western Fair Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Trevor Henry ($1,671,565)
Top Driver (Wins) – Trevor Henry (301)
Top Trainer (Money) – Dan Creighton ($341,737)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Dan Creighton (57)
West Meadows Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Robert Baxter ($9,463)
Top Driver (Wins) – Robert Baxter (6)
Top Trainer (Money) - Tyler Redwood ($14,907)
Top Trainer (Wins) – James Jeffers (8)
Windsor Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Marc St. Louis Jr. ($422,871)
Top Driver (Wins) – Marc St. Louis Jr. (85)
Top Trainer (Money) – Ashley Nostadt ($127,976)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Ashley Nostadt (28)
Woodbine Racetrack
Top Driver (Money) – Jody Jamieson ($3,839,773)
Top Driver (Wins) – Jody Jamieson (176)
Top Trainer (Money) – Tony O’Sullivan ($2,002,949)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Richard Moreau (94)
Woodstock Raceway
Top Driver (Money) – Nicholas Steward ($100,920)
Top Driver (Wins) – Nicholas Steward (30)
Top Trainer (Money) – Deborah Koot ($36,720)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Kelly Sheppard (13)
Yorkton Exhibition
Top Driver (Money) – Tyler Redwood ($46,586)
Top Driver (Wins) – Tyler Redwood (39)
Top Trainer (Money) – Tyler Redwood ($47,325)
Top Trainer (Wins) – Tyler Redwood (36)
Follow the race for the 2013 national and track titles by clicking on the "Season Leaders," "Top Drivers at Canadian Tracks," or "Top Trainers at Canadian Tracks" links on Standardbred Canada’s statistics page.