Racing Hill hit the board in 14 of 16 races and racked up more than $1.6 million in earnings during a season that saw victories in the Hempt, the Adios elimination and final, the Messenger, the Tattersalls and the Breeders Crown Championship. The Bettors Delight colt's victories included the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, the Battle of the Brandywine, the Milstein Memorial, the Little Brown Jug, the Simcoe Stakes, and a sweep of all of his Ontario Sires Stakes races, including his OSS Super Final. Millionaires Betting Line and Racing Hill enjoyed incredible seasons and earned nominations in the 3-year-old pacing colt division.īetting Line finished the season with 14 wins and a second in 15 season starts to go along with almost $1.7 million in earnings. She scored many stakes victories on both sides of the border and her richest payday of the season came in winning the Fan Hanover at Mohawk Racetrack in 1:49.3. Pure Country, a homebred daughter of Somebeachsomewhere scored 10 wins and bankrolled more than $1.1 million in her sophomore season to top the earnings chart in her division. She posted a life's best 1:49.1 in winning the Nadia Lobell at The Meadows. She was perfect in the Ontario Sires Stakes events, sweeping six of six, including the season-ending Super Final. L A Delight, an O'Brien champion at two, put together another stellar season as a sophomore, winning nine races in 19 starts and more than $787,000. L A Delight and Pure Country compete for O'Brien honors in the sophomore pacing filly category. Victories included a sweep of the Battle of Waterloo elimination and final and two Ontario Sires Stakes events including one in July at Mohawk where the $20,000 yearling purchase posted a season's best 1:52.1. The Sportswriter colt Sports Column finished one-two in all six season starts for $222,000 in earnings. His three wins were major ones as he swept the elimination and final of the Metro and won a division of the Champlain Stakes, all at Mohawk Racetrack. The Bettor's Delight colt Beyond Delight won three of 11 races and more than $423,000 for his connections. The Sportswriter filly had three Ontario Sires Stakes victories, including the season-ending Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final.īeyond Delight and Sports Column are the 2-year-old pacing colt finalists. Yaris Bayama, a homebred who won half of her 10 starts and purses exceeding $231,000, posted a mark of 1:52.4 in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event at Mohawk.
#PAYDAY 2 TRAINER 1.47.2 DRIVER#
He was both the leading trainer and driver at Century Downs this past season. This past year Cullen has driven 239 winners and horses to $1.3 million in purse earnings while training 215 winners and horses to $1.2 million in earnings. near the end of September, and Rick Zeron, of Oakville, Ont., are the two finalists for the O'Brien Award of Horsemanship.Ĭullen was nominated in this category last year and won an O'Brien in 2013 as Canada's Future Star winner. Travis Cullen, who relocated to Rockton, Ont., from Airdrie, Alta. Moreau, who has been a regular on the Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) circuit for over 12 years, leads all Canadian trainers in the wins column with 249 wins to his credit and has trained the winners of nearly $4.0 million. Moreau of Puslinch, Ont., is the defending Trainer of the Year and is looking to take home his fourth consecutive O'Brien bronze. Coleman is looking for her sixth Trainer of the Year title. She conditioned 53 winners and horses who earned more than $2.8 million, including stable star and O'Brien finalist, Betting Line, a winner of $1.7 million, who also added North America Cup and Little Brown Jug victories to Coleman's 2016 accolades. McClure is the leading reinsman at Flamboro Downs, sits in second at The Raceway at the Western Fair District, and won the dash winning titles at Georgian Downs and Grand River Raceway.Ĭasie Coleman and Richard Moreau, two of Canada's top trainers will see if they can add to their respective O'Brien collections as this year's finalists for Trainer of the Year.Ĭoleman of Cambridge, Ont., reduced her stable size this year to focus on her stakes performers.
#PAYDAY 2 TRAINER 1.47.2 DRIVERS#
McClure leads all Canadian drivers in the wins column with 561 victories and has driven horses to more than $2.9 million in earnings. Filion was the regular driver for a trio of O'Brien finalists - Beyond Delight, Emoticon Hanover and Yaris Bayama.īob McClure of Elora, Ont., receives his first O'Brien Award nomination and is en route to a career best year. He's driven 310 winners and leads all Canadian drivers in the earnings column with more than $7.7 million. Filion, a resident of Milton, Ont., won this award in 2012, 20.