The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund executive director Peter Goold today announced the Fund held its annual New York Sire Stakes Awards Banquet on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York.
A total of 29 awards were given to horse owners, drivers, and trainers who performed exceptionally well during the 2008 NYSS racing season.
"We are very pleased to have such an outstanding state-bred racing program. Our program would not be possible without the many distinguished men and women in the harness racing and standardbred breeding industries who take part in the New York Sire Stake program each year," Goold said. "On behalf of the Fund trustees, congratulations to all of the award winners for their exceptional performances during the 2008 New York Sire Stakes racing season."
The NYSS awards honour the top performers in each level of New York Sire Stakes racing: the NYSS Series, the County Fair Series, and the Late Closers Series. The Fund also honours the leading NYSS drivers, trainers, and breeders of the racing season.
The award recipients are as follows:
The 2008 NYSS Breeder of the Year awards went to Winbak Farm (Wallkill, NY) for all three Series: NYSS, County Fair, & Late Closers.
The 2008 NYSS Trainer of the Year awards went to Jessica Okusko for the NYSS Series and Late Closers Series and to Lonny Hale for the County Fair Series.
The 2008 NYSS Driver of the Year awards went to James Morrill, Jr for the NYSS Series, Harold Smith for the County Fair Series, and to Brian Allen for the Late Closers Series.
2008 New York Sire Stakes Series Award Winners:
NYSS 3-Year-Old Pacing Filly:
ARTIMITTATESLIFE
Breeder & Owner: Robert Young, Paul Gazzola, Brian Barton
Trainer: Edward Hart
NYSS Earnings: $194,643
NYSS 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt:
BULLVILLE POWERFUL
Breeder & Owner: Crevani Farms
Trainer: Stephen Crevani
NYSS Earnings: $208,505
NYSS 3-Year-Old Trotting Filly:
CREDIT VICTORY
Breeder: Alan Ritchie
Owner: Anders Jonsson
Trainer: Harald Lunde
NYSS Earnings: $150,200
NYSS 3-Year-Old Trotting Colt:
FOUR STARZ SPEED
Breeder: Johanna Beaver, Charles Beaver, William Otstot
Owner: Four Starzzzz Stable LLC
Trainer: Michael Latham
NYSS Earnings: $197,554
NYSS 2-Year-Old Pacing Filly:
EAGLE WAY
Breeder: Dettore Farms
Owner: Frank Dettore
Trainer: Mark Ford
NYSS Earnings: $200,857
NYSS 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt:
HAY GOODLOOKING
Breeder: Ubaudi-gendreau Stables
Owner: Theodore Gewertz, Samuel Dotro, Deborah Brunet
Trainer: Gaetan Brunet
NYSS Earnings: $183,752
NYSS 2-Year-Old Trotting Filly:
SHE'S SO SAVVY
Breeder: K. Sautter, J. Sautter
Owner: Purple Haze Stables
Trainer: Jessica Okusko
NYSS Earnings: $159,254
NYSS 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt:
DONTTELLMYWIFE
Breeder: Winbak Farm
Owner: George Ducharme, Nicola Oliva, Shannon DiAntonio
Trainer: George Ducharme
NYSS Earnings: $220,917
2008 NYSS County Fair Series Award Winners:
County Fair 3-Year-Old Trot:
JBs HIT
Breeder: Harold Smith
Owner: Harold Smith
Trainer: Paul Zabielski
County Fair 3-Year-Old Pace:
WILD SIDE
Breeder: James Burke
Owner: Linda Austin
Trainer: Lonny Hale
County Fair 2-Year-Old Trot:
ROSIEMOGUL
Breeder: Morrisville College Foundation
Owner: Paul M. O'Neil, Patricia A. O'Neil, Brian Cross
Trainer: Brian Cross
County Fair 2-Year-Old Pace:
SILENT HILL
Breeder: Winbak Farm
Owner: James Ackley
Trainer: Douglas Ackley
2008 NYSS Late Closers Series Award Winners:
2-Year-Old Pacing Filly:
SEALED IN MY HEART
Breeder & Owner: Mathias Meinzinger
Trainer: Daniel Daley
2-Year-Old Pacing Colt:
WHERES WALDO
Breeder: Fredrick Hertrich III, Lewis Arno
Owner: Mathias Meinzinger<
Trainer: Tracy Brainard
2-Year-Old Trotting Filly:
ON WITH THE SHOW
Breeder: Walnut Hall, Ltd, Edmund Smith
Owner: Joel Weiss, John Sixt, Judith Blaun
Trainer: Judith Blaun
2-Year-Old Trotting Colt:
NEVER MISSED
Breeder: Patrick Tarsio<
Owner: Raymond Allen, Brent Schlossberg
Trainer: Raymond Allen
3-Year-Old Pacing Filly:
LESLEYS JLO BELLE
Breeder & Owner: Louis C. Talarico II
Trainer: Ray VanDreason
3-Year-Old Pacing Colt:
TWIN B LONESTAR
Breeder: Twinbrook Limited
Owner: Horseman's Financial Agency, Premier Racing Stables LLC
Trainer: Chris Williams
3-Year-Old Trotting Filly:
PRINCESS HALL
Breeder: Winbak Farm
Owner: Purple Haze Stables LLC
Trainer: Jessica Okusko
3-Year-Old Trotting Colt:
JOHN PAULS LEGACY
Breeder & Owner: Emil V. Benvenuto
Trainer: Angus MacDonald
The United States Trotting Association District 8 and the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State also presented awards at the NYSS Awards Banquet. The USTA District 8 awarded a total of 17 awards representing outstanding performing horses in its district. The Harness Horse Breeders awarded its second annual Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal to William S. Brown of Wallkill, NY for his outstanding contributions to harness horse racing and improvements of the breeding of standardbred horses within New York State.
(With files from NYSS)