2021 O’Brien Award Winners Announced

Standardbred Canada announced the winners of the 2021 O’Brien Awards, which honour Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season, during a Virtual Gala videostreamed on standardbredcanada.ca on Sunday, February 6.

This year marked the 33rd edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Richard Moreau of Puslinch, Ont. secured his ninth consecutive title as Canada’s Trainer of the Year. In 2021, he topped the charts for all trainers in Canada with 236 wins and more than $3.7 million in earnings. Moreau was the leading money-winning trainer at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Georgian Downs, and Flamboro Downs last year, and conditioned three O’Brien Award winners – Fashion Frenzie, Wheels On Fire and Grandma Heidi.

Trainer Luc Blais has conditioned multiple O’Brien Award winners over the years and added the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship to his resume for 2021 while he managed successful stables on both sides of the border. The Quebec native, who is the private trainer for Determination, sent 44 winners postward and eclipsed $2 million in earnings for the sixth consecutive year. $1.35 million of that total was earned in Canada where he races primarily at Woodbine Mohawk Park. In 2021, Forbidden Trade was a multiple stakes winner, posting victories in the Crawford Trot at The Meadowlands, The Earl Rowe at Georgian Downs, The Caesars Trot at Hoosier Park and The TVG Open at The Meadowlands. O’Brien finalist Donna Soprano was a winner in The Elegantimage and Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park and The Del Miller at The Meadowlands. Enavant was the 2021 Potomac Pace winner at Rosecroft Raceway under Blais’ conditioning.

The O’Brien for Canada’s Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year went to Fashion Frenzie. The son of Archangel won 50 per cent of his 12 races and almost $525,000. Three of those victories were in Ontario Sires Stakes events, including the Super Final. He also swept the Goodtimes Stakes. Trained by Richard Moreau, he is owned by Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., Mario Bourgea, Pierre Guillemette and Sylvain Richard.