‘Post Time with Mike and Mike,’ presented by BetAmerica, is excited to announce the nominees for the 2017 Post Time with Mike and Mike awards.
Mike and Mike would like to thank the fans of harness racing who took time out to nominate their favourite person or horse for each award. We were flooded with nominations and used a panel of six to help narrow the nominees to six in each category.
Voting will begin on Thursday, December 7 at 12:00 and will end on Wednesday, December 27 at 12:00. Voting can be done on the duo’s webpage (posttimewithmikeandmike.com) or by clicking here (please note that there is only one vote per person allowed).
‘Ted Barcus’ Race Fan of the Year
Nathan Bain is an up and coming harness racing fan who has a strong passion for announcing races. Bain is currently attending Belle River High School in Canada and has shown his passion for calling races by announcing at Grand River Raceway and Pompano Park. He also does selections and a pre-game show for Leamington Raceway. He announced his first race at Leamington Raceway in 2014.
Garnet Barnsdale is a Daily Racing Form contributor for the WEG circuit in Canada and has written in many publications around North America. Barnsdale is active on social media and writes the ‘Buzzworthy’ column in Harness Racing Update. He also helps provides analysis during the live broadcasts that are done each year by Post Time with Mike and Mike. Barnsdale is also part-owner of five racehorses through thestable.ca.
Doug Martin is a member of the Facebook group ‘A Real Harness Handicapping Group’ and shares a passion and love for the sport of harness racing. He supports the WEG circuit with wagering dollars, but also promotes the sport by helping to share some of the Daily Racing Form selections for the WEG circuit.
Tammie Jackson (@hoosiernations - Twitter) is a member of the fractional ownership group, Cya Racing. Jackson consistently posts photos on Twitter and attempts to brighten days with her ‘good morning’ posts. She is consistently sharing stories and is at her home track of Hoosier Park on a regular basis.
Tom Dubrick has an extensive Facebook following and is a three-time Post Time with Mike and Mike award nominee. Dubrick brings a positive presence to the industry through his numerous Facebook posts regarding the racing action at Hoosier Park.
Kurt (Russ) Adams is a passionate harness racing fan and has been to almost every track on the east coast. He created the Facebook group ‘A Real Harness Handicapping Group’ and he consistently promotes the sport of harness racing on that page. Adams enjoys meeting anyone involved in racing and is known for going up and striking a conversation with anyone who cares to talk about racing.
Also nominated to the category were Nicholas ‘Ace’ Barnsdale, Kimberly Moiser, Rich ‘The Natural’ Mattei, John Polvinale, Albert Nash, and Sydney Weaver.
‘Sam McKee’ Race Call of the Year, presented by the Kentucky Sire Stakes
Steve Cross is the announcer at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino. Cross had two race calls nominated for this award in 2017. As Hoosier Park played host to the 2017 Breeders Crown, the weight on Indiana was on the shoulders of Beckhams Z Tam and Jamie Macomber. Beckhams Z Tam roared past to the lead in mid-stretch to defeat a game Downbytheseaside in one of the season’s most epic battles.
Barry Vicroy is the announcer at Scioto Downs, Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, and Miami Valley Gaming. Vicroy is nominated for the second year in a row for his call in the Jim Ewart Memorial. In 2016, his nomination was the historic stretch battle between Wiggle It Jiggleit and Always B Miki. In 2017, his nomination surrounds McWicked nailing Rockin Ron on the wire winning in 1:49.3.
Jim Beviglia is the announcer at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania. Beviglia has called many races, including Breeders Crown events at Pocono alongside the late Sam McKee. Beviglia’s call of the 2017 Ben Franklin featured an epic stretch duel between Keystone Velocity and Mel Mara. The race was won by Keystone Velocity who battled strongly late up the passing lane.
Ayers Ratliff is the announcer at Northfield Park in Northfield, Ohio. Ratliff has called many stakes races, but one of the most exciting races that he got to call in 2017 was the Carl Milstein Memorial in August. The race featured a much anticipated duel between Fear The Dragon and Downbytheseaside, who was the eventual winner of the race.
Pete Medhurst is the longtime announcer of Rosecroft Raceway and is the regular Navy football announcer. Medhurst announced the second annual Potomac Pace at Rosecroft, which was won by Keystone Velocity in what was one of the more memorable races for aged open pacers.
Joe Zambito is the longtime announcer and race secretary at Batavia Downs Gaming in western New York. Zambito has gotten to call some very good horses during his tenure, including the ‘Seven Million Dollar Man,’ Foiled Again. Foiled Again won the Kane Invitational, the signature race at Batavia, three times. Zambito’s race call of the Kane Invitational in 2016 was nominated for a Post Time with Mike and Mike award. This year, his call of Foiled Again in an invitational held at Batavia Downs Gaming on October 7 was nominated. That night Foiled Again defeated Fireyourguns who is a top Open pacer in New York who has a mark of 1:47.3 at Vernon Downs.
Also nominated to the category was Steve Cross’s call of Hannelore Hanover winning the Breeders Crown, Darin Gagne’s call of Firedrake’s track record, and Scott Warren’s call of the Zweig at Vernon Downs.
Horsewoman of the Year
One of the saving graces of the race track is a good outrider. Missy Rothfuss is currently the well experienced outrider at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino. She has been known to make some amazing catches and helps to keep all of the horsemen safe. Rothfuss also gives back to the sport of harness racing by helping support racehorse aftercare and ensuring that racehorses are saved from slaughter.
Jamie Macomber won her first Breeders Crown in 2017 at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino with Beckhams Z Tam. It was one of the most emotional victories of her very young career. Macomber, who is based out of Indiana during the spring and summer, while spending her winters at Pompano Park in Florida, is the wife of driver Ricky Macomber Jr. She currently has 205 career victories with a little over $2.1 million in earnings.
Jackie Ingrassia became the first female driver to win a Triple Crown race when she guided Goalfish to victory in the 2000 Yonkers Trot. She topped the 1,000-victory plateau in 2003. The 1999 Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame inductee has earned over $6.2 million in a career that spans 40 years. This year, she has 18 driving wins from 118 starts, driving mainly for husband, Frank Ingrassia. A majority of her wins have come in Pennsylvania Stakes competition, and upper conditioned trot races at Harrah’s Philadelphia and The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Emily Gaskin enters the 2017 Post Time with Mike and Mike awards on the heels of winning the award in 2016. Gaskin has been nominated three times for Horse Woman of the Year. Emily is the media analyst and a representative at Hoosier Park. She owns her share of horses and helps to actively promote the sport of harness racing on Twitter and Facebook. She has worked very hard to help promote the Hoosier Park brand and is an integral part in helping Hoosier Park pull off the 2017 Breeders Crown. Gaskin helps interns that work at the track to learn how to be industry professionals and ensure success in their futures.
Jessica Otten is a Michigan native and is currently enrolled at Mott Community College majoring in business management. She helped make her presence felt in the sport of harness racing by providing behind-the-scenes access to the happenings at Northville Downs. Otten is a pivotal part of the Post Time with Mike and Mike live broadcast team and has grown as a broadcaster since joining the team.
Amy Hollar is the face of the Ohio Harness Horseman’s Association at Northfield Park in Ohio. She runs a stable with her husband, Calvin, and is Brian Brown’s sister-in-law. Hollar has been the representative at Northfield for 17 years and can be found promoting the sport of harness racing via her Facebook page.
The other nominees included: Vicki Wright, Megan Maccario, Ann MacNeil, and Emily Hay.
‘Larry Rheinheimer’ Small Stable of the Year, presented by Hoosier Park Racing and Casino
Trainer Bill Crone is based out of Hoosier Park Racing and Casino in Anderson, Indiana. Through his career he has 273 victories in just under 2,500 starts with just under $3.3 million in purse earnings and a UDR of .206. His biggest season so far has been 2017 where he trained two-year-old trotting superstar Fiftydallabill to a Breeders Crown victory against some of the sport’s top two-year-old trotters. Fiftydallabill had raced on the Indiana Sire Stakes circuit and had been racing extremely well, but made a break in the Super Final just before the Breeders Crown eliminations where he rebounded to make the final. Crone began his training career at Balmoral Park in Illinois.
Andy Rickert is based out of Fredonia, Pennsylvania and races on the Ohio Circuit and at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino. Rickert has a powerful stable and has consistently made $500,000 each season from 2010 to the present. The 2017 season has so far been his best year earnings-wise, with purses of just under $800,000. One of his top trotters, Keystone Chester, has made his stamp against Open ranks over the past year, being in the money a majority of the time. To date, Rickert has 802 victories, 801 seconds, and 753 thirds in just under 6,000 starts with purse earnings of $6,215,577 and a UDR of .257.
Jeff and Helene Gregory race a majority of their horses on the New York circuit. Jeff Gregory is most known for his training duties of Barn Doll who he currently owns in partnership with the Jesmeral Stable. Barn Doll was second in the Kentucky Filly futurity in 2016 and was fourth in the TVG Mare Final this year at the Meadowlands. Helene promotes the sport of harness racing by working with the Racing Under Saddle series in New York. She also participates in those events at other tracks. In just three years training full-time after many injuries, Jeff has won major stakes races in different states. Jeff and Helene Gregory are two-time nominees of the Larry Rheinheimer Small Stable of the Year award.
Jackie Matheson is a conditioner that races at Charlottetown Driving Park in Prince Edward Island, Canada. To date Matheson currently has 443 victories with 403 seconds, and 363 thirds with purse earnings of just under $1,000,000. Matheson’s stable was led by 2017 successes like the return of Maritime FFA star DGs Camme, plus a win from stakes pacer Ashes To Ashes, and top-tier distaff competitor Shadows Mystery.
Jamie Macomber won her first Breeders Crown in 2017 at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino with Beckhams Z Tam. It was one of the most emotional victories of her very young career. Macomber who is based out of Indiana during the spring and summer, while spending her winters at Pompano Park in Florida, is the wife of driver Ricky Macomber Jr. She currently has 205 career victories with a little over $2.7 million in earnings.
Don McKirgan is an Ohio horseman based out of Northfield Park in Ohio. McKirgan has been both a driver and trainer since he began his career in 1977. He trained fair superstar Sweet Honey in 2017 who finished second in the Ohio Fair Championships at Northfield Park. One of his highlight horses is champion Like Old Times, who has been a staple on the Ohio circuit for past couple of years. She is a multiple world record setter and currently holds the world record for an aged mare on a half mile track, tied with Barn Girl who tied the record just a few short weeks ago. At age 77, McKirgan still shows every day that he can train with some of the big names and still be competitive in the Ohio Sire Stakes program.
Innovator of the Year, presented by The United States Trotting Association
Ken Terpenning runs the Facebook page ‘Harness Racing Replays’ where replays are posted for harness racing fans. He draws new fans to the sport by allowing those that have not seen or know little about the sport to watch key races around the country. He also posts replays for owners/trainers/drivers/grooms who wish to share their on-track successes with friends, family, and others. He started with no followers and has steadily grown his page’s fan base to over 2,500 followers and likes. He also posts congratulatory videos for folks when they achieve a milestone in their career (first driving win, first training win, etc.). Ken also shares his stable’s successes (partnered with trainer Rob Zink) sharing their entries, wins, personalities of their horses, and even his 82-year-old mother known as The Carrot Lady.
Adriano Sorella is one of the most visible and well known owners in harness racing. In an attempt to attract new fans to the sport, Sorella started a ‘Team Sorella Scratch and Win’ giveaway program through social media outlets. He gave away many prizes as part of the promotion, all paid for out of pocket. Additionally, Sorella has used his expertise in internet and social media marketing in order to prove that there are new fans of the sport to be had, they just have to be activated to get involved.
Ryan Clements received numerous nominations throughout the process for his creation of the ‘Off And Pacing Mobile App.’ Since its inception earlier this year, Clements and his team have worked tirelessly at making sure they continue to expand the development of their game. It has helped create new fans in the sport of harness racing in a lot of different countries. The game has over 20,000 downloads, and between 7,000 – 8,000 active users.
Ryan Macedonio, creator of the Trotcast, has done a lot of work in the sport of harness racing over the past year. Towards the end of 2016 he announced his run for president of the United States Trotting Association. Though his bid was unsuccessful, he has continued to support the sport of harness racing by working with the Breeders Crown and going on multiple adventures to different tracks. He provides interviews and back stories of some of the sport’s individuals who may not be in the limelight on a consistent basis. Macedonio also works on the website for Allard Racing.
Chris Gooden is the track photographer at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Pennsylvania. Gooden posts his pictures and many of his collages on Facebook so that harness racing fans and connections can see the work being done on the racetrack. Gooden has created some very impressive drone shots and helped lead the way for new technology of covering races, which includes providing a live feed of the finish line of each race at the Meadows.
Anthony MacDonald is the founder of thestable.ca. A longtime horseman, Anthony along with his wife, Amy, started thestable.ca in hopes of creating new and aspiring fans in the sport of harness racing. Since its inception last year, they have created many more owners and gotten many more trainers involved in what they were trying to help create. Recently they had an open house at their farm to help show new people what The Stable is all about. Anthony regularly posts videos containing information on the horses in his care and also posts videos showing the horses abilities while training.
Also nominated to this category were Ben Blum, The Landy Family, Raymond Lance, Rod Allums Jr., Jim Brown, and SOANY/Yonkers Raceway.
Upset of the Year
Hannelore Hanover faced the boys a lot in 2017. She made one of her attempts in the inaugural Spirit of Massachusetts stakes at Plainridge Park. Turning for home it looked like it would be down to Crazy Wow, Resolve, and Hannelore Hanover, but JL Cruz had other ideas flying up the passing lane to win at odds of 60-1.
The US Pacing Championship has long been one of the classics for aged pacers and leading the way for what is to come in the second half of the harness racing season. In 2017, Meadowlands track announcer Sam McKee passed away. The race name was changed to the Sam McKee Memorial. Mel Mara led the field into the stretch and it looked like he would draw off to win the race easily, but Check Six came flying on the outside late and as Ken Warkentin put it “he was charging hard” for the upset.
Ice Attraction proved that rainy weather and a ‘sloppy’ track did not bother her in the Kentucky Filly Futurity, as she shocked Ariana G in the final strides at the Red Mile in October. Ariana G’s connection made the decision to race her in the easier Filly Futurity. The second heat, however, proved to be too much for her.
Hannelore Hanover entered Hoosier Park for the $70,000 Indiana Sire Stakes Final with a few narrow defeats, but on that night she faced easier than normal company. ‘Hannelore’ led for the first three quarters of the race, but when Churita got to her turning for home she used the passing lane to move by the champion and score the victory by four and a half lengths.
Beckhams Z Tam entered the Breeders Crown with the hopes and dreams of the state of Indiana on his shoulders as he faced some of the top three-year-old pacers in the country. Downbytheseaside controlled the pace of the race, but around the last turn Ricky Macomber Jr. made a very impressive move to cruise by in the final hundred yards to give trainer Jamie Macomber her first Breeders Crown victory.
Snowstorm Hanover completed a weekend of upsets when he rallied by Devious Man in the second heat of the Kentucky Futurity to win in 1:53.2. International Moni made a break before the start and proved never to be a factor in the race. When the field turned for home Yes Mickey was in front, but he dealt with pressure from What The Hill and a covered up Snowstorm Hanover who stormed to victory providing a 5-1 upset after finishing second at 82-1 in his elimination.
Also nominated for this award was Pure Country’s victory in the 2017 Breeders Crown.
‘Foiled Again’ Iron Horse of the Year, presented by Off and Pacing
Tough Love has raced throughout Ohio and Kentucky during his short 14-year-old campaign. He was purchased for $9,000 on October 2, 2004 at the KY Standardbred sale. He has raced over many racetracks throughout his long career and was a Virginia Bred Champion at age two, winning the final in 1:53. Tough Love set his life time mark of 1:50.4 on November 18, 2009 against claiming company at Pocono Downs and tied the mark at Harrah’s Philadelphia on July 18, 2010. He has won 57 lifetime races with 59 seconds and 59 thirds out of 434 starts and has earned just under $600,000. Tough Love is owned by Wesley E. Davis of Piqua, Ohio and is trained by the owner.
Quicksilvercandy A was purchased in May 2009 by her current owner, Larry Stalbaum, from Australia. She began her winning ways by capturing a matinee race in the Cradle of the Trotter at Goshen Historic Track in Goshen, NY. Quicksilvercandy A successfully raced against Open mares at Pocono and Yonkers. She set her lifetime mark of 1:51.2 at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. In 2017, Quicksilvercandy A set Western New York on fire as she has climbed up and down the class ladder winning 20 races in 44 starts while banking just over $108,000. She has won 61 lifetime races with 38 seconds and 38 thirds out of 238 starts and has earned $675,228 in purse earnings. Quicksilvercandy A is trained by Kimberly Asher and owned by Larry Stalbaum of Matamoras, PA.
Weskey is a 14-year-old trotting gelding that seems to keep getting better with age. He has raced exclusively in claimers on the Ontario ‘B’ circuit this year, and has amassed an impressive record for any horse, let alone a senior citizen who is competing in his final year of racing. Weskey has compiled a record of 8-6-6 from 36 starts for earnings of $28,067 for trainer/driver Tyler Borth of Ingersoll, Ont., who also owns the gelding in partnership with his father Bill Borth. Weskey has earned more than $323,000 the hard way, he has made 290 starts exclusively on the B tracks and didn’t earn a dime of his money in stakes. He has amassed an impressive record of 59-57-37 in those 290 starts behind the gate, for a 20% win percentage and a 53% rate of finishing in the top three.
Spunky Vic is a 13-year-old trotter who was purchased for the small price of $3,500 at the Windy City sale in Illinois on August 20, 2005. He is currently owned and trained by Arty Foster of Harrington, Delaware. Spunky Vic starts his career on the Illinois circuit under the care of Roger Welch. He raced against some very good company in the Su Mac Lad at Balmoral Park, where he finished fifth in both the elimination and the final. Shortly after he was transferred to his current connections. He has faced Open company and strong conditioned company on the Delaware and Pennsylvania circuits throughout his career. He has 322 starts with 42 victories, 65 seconds, and 53 thirds and has $682,925 in purse earnings.
Hello Carlo was purchased as a two-year-old and sent to trainer Larry Clabaugh where he spent his entire racing career. He raced on the Ohio circuit, and had a few starts in western New York during his career. Hello Carlo set his career mark of 1:55.4 at Scioto Downs during a late closing event on August 1, 2009. During his career he won against Open company and scored his final win of his career on February 7, 2017 against conditioned horses at Northfield Park. He concluded his career with 377 starts, 70 firsts, 47 seconds, and 40 third place finishes with purse earnings of $348,363. He is owned by Mario Caponi, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and was trained by Larry Clabaugh.
Captain Primeau is a 13-year-old trotter currently racing on the Freehold circuit in New Jersey. Captain Priemau started his career at Hippodrome 3R and Rideau Carlton Raceway in Canada. He was sold in 2007 to his current owner/trainer Conny Svensson, where he began racing on the New York and New Jersey circuit. Captain Primeau has currently made $397,347, with 47 wins, 30 seconds, and 30 thirds in 271 starts. He set his lifetime mark of 1:53.1 on June 4, 2010 at the Meadowlands at age six.
(Post Time with Mike and Mike)