The 2013 O'Brien Award Future Star nominees continue to shine this weekend sending out multiple winners from their stables. Most recently on Saturday afternoon, trainer Patrick Shepherd's three starters were perfect, winning their respective assignments over a snowy Flamboro Downs racetrack.
With his brother Robert in the sulky, Shepherd earned victories with seven-year-old trotting mare Tender N Kind ($2.80) and six-year-old trotting gelding Marlex Paid ($2.70). J.R. Plante drove his other winner, five-year-old pacer Doing Some Damage ($3.60). All three have now earned back-to-back wins.
"I landed some really good owners and they invested some money, and I got horses that were in the right classes and in the right spot," said Shepherd on his breakout year in a recent Trot Radio.
The 21-year-old P.E.I. native sent out 116 winners from his stable in 2013 ranking fourth on the Canadian leaderboard and earning him a nomination for the Future Star Award, introduced this year by the O'Brien Awards.
Shepherd already has 19 wins in 2014 and sits second in the national standings behind fellow Future Star finalist Travis Cullen, who drove four winners on Friday night at Northlands Park, including three of his own trainees.
The Future Star Award winner will be announced at the annual O'Brien Awards Black Tie Gala on Saturday, February 8 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Flamboro Downs.