"Every time that horse set foot on the track, he raced phenomenal...even when [he] got beat, he raced phenomenal every time he put his nose on the gate."
Casie Coleman took home a fair share of hardware from the 2018 O'Brien Awards on Saturday, February 2. While finishing as the runner-up to Richard Moreau as Trainer of the Year, Coleman pupils McWicked and Stag Party each garnered awards. McWicked picked up two O’Brien Awards, one as Older Pacing Horse of the Year and the other as the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year.
Trained by Coleman for Ed James’ SSG Stables, McWicked dazzled fans throughout North America this past season winning almost every major event for older pacers and putting together the best single-season of his illustrious career, winning 12 of 19 races and more than $1.6 million, while boosting his career earnings over the $4 million mark, making him one of the richest pacers in the history of the sport.
The world champion pacer posted major wins in the Ben Franklin Memorial, and William Haughton Memorial. The son of McArdle rattled off five straight wins to end the season, including major victories in the $430,000 Breeders Crown Final and the $350,000 TVG Final. McWicked’s most lucrative victory came on home soil in the $600,000 Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Stag Party, trained and co-owned by Coleman, was voted Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year. The son of Bettors Delight enjoyed a brilliant rookie season in 2018 that included six victories and almost $670,000 in purse earnings. The colt didn’t miss the board in any of his nine races, with his biggest victory in the $890,000 Metro Pace.
Coleman discussed her O'Brien Award-winning horses, provided updates on both McWicked and Stag Party and shared insight on some of the lesser-known horses showing talent in her stable during this post-event interview.
This is the first in a series of several post-event video interviews with O'Brien Award finalists, sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta.
On Saturday, February 2, Standardbred Canada announced the winners for the 2018 O’Brien Awards, at the 30th edition of the annual O’Brien Awards Black Tie Gala held at the Hilton Mississauga / Meadowvale hotel in Mississauga, Ont. The O’Brien Awards honour Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season and are named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. To view the full list of 2018 O'Brien Award winners, click here.